Recipe: Green Salad with Figs

Green Salad with
Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Figs

Fresh figs are sublime, but dried figs are quite delicious as well. You can successfully make this rich-tasting salad with either kind any time of year.

1/2 pound fresh salad greens, cleaned, dried, and chilled
3 to 4 tablespoons walnut oil
A scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ripe fresh figs (or 4 to 6 dried figs), sliced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup minced walnuts, lightly toasted
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, cut into squeezable wedges

Place the greens in a large bowl. Drizzle in the oil, sprinkle in the salt, and toss until well coated.

Add the figs, blue cheese, and walnuts, and toss gently but thoroughly. Grind in some black pepper.

Serve immediately, and pass a dish of lemon wedges for squeezing over the top of each serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Some walnut oils are far more flavorful than others. I find the imported French brands to have the deepest, toastiest flavor. Experiment around to find a good walnut oil, and keep it refrigerated so you can use it over time. (A little bit goes a long way.)
If you don't have walnut oil on hand, go ahead and make this salad with extra virgin olive oil. It will still taste fine.

Recipe from:
Vegetable Heaven
by Mollie Katzen
Hyperion
1998, Hardcover, US $27.50
Illustration art by Mollie Katzen
Recipes & art reprinted by permission