Recipe: Baby Greens with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

Flavorful greens call for a top-drawer vinaigrette such as this. I make the dressing and keep it refrigerated for a week or two to dress my salads on an as-needed basis (the shallot does bloom a bit the longer it sits).

Crumbled goat cheese would be marvelous in this, but I didn't have any on hand. Additionally, chopped orange zest and a bit of fresh orange juice added to the dressing would be lovely.

Baby Greens with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

Yield: 3/4 cups of dressing (accommodates about 16 cups of lettuce or six salads)
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon minced shallot
3 tablespoons best-quality white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon (I prefer Maille)
1/2 cup best-quality walnut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
16-18 cups baby lettuce leaves, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Chive blossoms, optional garnish

Directions

1. Make the vinaigrette by macerating (allowing to soak) the shallots in the vinegar several minutes. Whisk in the honey, Dijon, walnut oil and tarragon until emulsified.

2. In small increments, toss lettuce with dressing until leaves are lightly coated. Taste and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss with walnuts, garnish with chive blossoms, if using, and serve.