Green Salad with Dried Figs, Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Sherry Vinaigrette

Name: Green Salad with Dried Figs, Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Sherry Vinaigrette
Yield: makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 large handfuls salad greens—such as red leaf, spinach, arugula, frisée, or premixed mesclun; 4 generous tablespoons chopped dried figs (we use Calmyrna and Black Mission figs, plumped in warm water and drained); 3 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts (see Toasting Nuts, p. 99); 1/2 cup Sherry Vinaigrette; 4 tablespoons crumbled Valdeon (Spanish blue cheese), or your favorite blue cheese; 1 medium shallot, finely minced; 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon fig preserves, or 1 tablespoon honey; 2 teaspoons chopped capers; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 cup olive oil; Salt and pepper; (makes 3/4 cup or 4 to 6 servings)

December 14, 2011

This irresistible combination of pungent and sweet flavors—figs, blue cheese, walnuts, and deeply flavored sherry vinaigrette—explains why this house salad flies out the door at Herbsaint.

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