This salad gets a flavorful boost from walnuts roasted in tamari, a soy sauce that adds salty flavor with more character than table salt.
Servings: Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 2 teaspoons molasses
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup dried cherries
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 9 ounces mixed full-flavored salad greens such as arugula, frisée, dandelion, and mustard
  • 1 small red onion , peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup crumbled Stilton cheese ' '
    • Directions
    To make the walnuts, preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir tamari, molasses, a pinch of salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne until blended. Add nuts and toss until coated. With a slotted spoon, transfer walnuts to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and roast about 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely on rack. Set aside.

    To make the dressing, in a 1-quart saucepan, heat apple juice and vinegar over medium heat until mixture boils. Place cherries in a small bowl. Pour hot juice mixture over cherries; allow cherries to marinate and soften, 30 minutes. Strain juice mixture from cherries into the same saucepan. Heat mixture to boiling; simmer 15 to 17 minutes over medium heat, or until juice mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup. Transfer juice mixture to a small bowl and blend with oil. Set aside to cool completely.

    In a large bowl, combine greens, walnuts, red onion, Stilton, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and marinated cherries. Whisk dressing just before drizzling over salad. Toss salad gently and briefly to prevent cheese from clumping.
    From the December 2003 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

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