Summer Celebration Salad with French Walnut-Honey Vinaigrette – Recipe Contest Finalist
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
- 6 -8 C. mixed spring greens
- 8 oz. bacon cut into 1″ lardons, cooked until crispy, and cooled
- 8 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 C. Candied Spiced Walnuts (recipe follows)
- 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
- ½ C. seedless cucumber, cut into ¼ dice
- ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cantaloupe, balled into ½ in melon balls
For the Candied Spiced Walnuts:
- ½ T. butter
- ½ T. honey
- ¼ t. cayenne pepper
- ¼ t. sea salt
- 1 C. walnut halves
For the French Walnut-Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup The Olive Tap’s Honey Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 t. Dijon mustard
- ½ t. honey
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 1 t. poppy seeds
- ½ C.The Olive Tap’s French Roasted Walnut Oil
Directions:
To make the Candied Spiced Walnuts:
In a sauté pan, melt the butter and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until the walnuts are coated thoroughly and cool on parchment or wax paper.
To make the French Walnut Honey Vinaigrette:
In a small bowl or food processor, whisk together Honey Balsamic Vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the Walnut Oil. Whisk until thoroughly emulsified. Add poppy seeds and whisk until incorporated.
To Serve:
In a large bowl, combine greens, bacon, goat cheese, candied walnuts, kiwi fruit, cucumber and red onion. Reserve the cantaloupe balls until final tossing (they are heavy and will sink to the bottom of the bowl.) Drizzle with French Walnut -Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette, toss, add cantaloupe and gently toss
again.
An Original Recipe by Laurie Burgess,
The Olive Tap Recipe Contest Finalist
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