Saturday Salad is tasty any day of the week

This recipe is dedicated to my dear friend Barbara Windom, who knew how to live life to the fullest. She was a great cook who loved big flavors and beautiful presentation. We had a food business years ago and sold patés, chocolate cakes and salads to restaurants across Los Angeles. We did this all out of her garage on the Malibu beach.

We loved to create parties for Saturday lunches, and this one was Barbara’s standby special. Nothing beat the sound and beauty of the ocean right in front of us as we enjoyed this delicious salad and great company. We would start with a cold soup, then serve crusty French rolls to accompany the salad.

You can double this recipe or even add some wild arugula to it. Trader Joe’s has alreadydiced pancetta in 4-ounce packages. Belgian endive is available year-round, and I like to add a few stalks of red endive to enliven the color of the salad. It’s best to wipe the endive with a damp paper towel before slicing. This colorful mix of crisp pieces of pancetta, toasted walnut pieces and juicy chicken pieces tinged with fresh tarragon, along with sliced endive, makes a perfect lunch or dinner entree.