entertaining by the bay

casual cooking and living

Mixed Greens with Apples, Candied Pecans and Honey Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon prepared mustard

Salad:

4 cups mixed greens

¼ cup manchego cheese, shaved

1 apple

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ cup candied pecans

Directions

To make dressing combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake. Keep to the side until ready to use. Shake before pouring onto salad.

Slice apple with skin on and place in bowl with lemon juice and mix to coat apples. To make salad combine all ingredients except cheese in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Top with shaved manchego cheese.

Candied Pecan

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

2 cups pecans

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 225 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine egg white and water in mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy. Fold in pecans to coat evenly. Combine the sugar and salt and sprinkle over the pecans. Spread the nuts evenly onto the baking sheet and bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven , cool and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Variation: replace apples with stoned and sliced peaches in the summer.

To blanch vegetables:
Fava beans - to pan of simmering water add shelled fava beans. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain beans and remove bean from waxy casing. Use for salad.
Fresh Spring Peas - to pan of simmering water add shelled peas. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain and use for salad.
Asparagus - snap off woody ends of asparagus. Cut into 2 inch pieces and to pan of simmering water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain and use for salad.
Scallions- cut off ends with roots and tops using just the white and light green part of the scallion. Cut this into 2 inch pieces. Add to pan of simmering water and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain and use for salad.

Tip: to make this process easier I use a strainer to remove the vegetables from the simmering water leaving the heat under the pan and keep reusing the hot water.

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