Kitchen Wench

This is a great salad for fall or winter, though you can substitute ingredients to make it perfect for any season. I’ve adapted from this 2002 recipe in Bon Appetit. I served this at my holiday dinner party and brought it to Christmas potluck last month. This is also great with dried fruit or fresh berries.

Mixed greens with apple, pomegranate, and candied walnuts

• 2 bags of store-bought, pre-washed mixed greens
• seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 1 cup Candied Walnuts (recipe follows)
• 2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, thinly sliced
• Maple Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Layer greens and apple slices in a bowl or on a plate. Drizzle with dressing and top with nuts and pomegranate seeds.

Serves 12.

How to seed pomegranates
I think this is the easiest and cleanest way to seed your pomegranate. Fill a bowl half way full with cool water. Slice your pomegranate in half and submerge it in the water. Press your thumb into the skin-side of the fruit until it breaks in half and inverts. Flick the seeds off the skin. The seeds will sink to the bottom and all the skin and white pith will float to the top. Discard the skin and drain the clean seeds in a fine mesh strainer. The strainer will catch any tiny bits of leftover skin. By seeding underwater, you also avoid getting the dark red juice on your clothes and hands. You can store the seeds in the refrigerator for several days.

Candied Walnuts

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp dark honey
• 1 cup of raw nuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Whisk together whites and water until slightly frothy. Whisk in sugar, honey, and spices until sugar is dissolved and mixture is syrupy. Stir in nuts.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread nut mixture onto pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes (sugar can burn easily, so time depends on your oven), stirring halfway through cooking. Mixture should be golden brown, tacky, and a little foamy when finished.
4. Allow nuts to cook for half an hour on the baking sheet, then break apart. Nuts will keep in an airtight tupperware for at least a week, though everyone around here eats them up in a few days.

Maple Lime Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup (B or C grade)
• juice of 2 limes
• 6 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup vegetable oil (you could substitute walnut or another nut oil)

Whisk together mayo, syrup, juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour oil in while whisking to emulsify dressing. Alternatively, you can make the dressing in a jar. Add all ingredients to jar, seal tightly, and shake until oil is incorporated. Dressing will keep refrigerated for 1 week.

Makes 1 3/4 cup of dressing.