French Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

 

This is the recipe from "La Tourangelle Roasted Walnut Oil", except the amount of balsamic vinegar has been reduced.  I have experimented with making my own walnut oil vinaigrette since my first salad at Restaurant St. Michel in Coral Gables, 29 years ago, where they served a very similar one as their house dressing.  The secret of this simple vinaigrette is to use roasted walnut oil, since plain walnut oil is not very flavorful, and make sure to refrigerate it once open to keep it fresh.  

This is very good on any mixed greens salad,  or French Roasted Beet Salad (recipe here from the French Essence blog by Vicki Archer).  I especially like this with some crumbled goat cheese and French bread!

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. Roasted Walnut Oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Dash of salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and enjoy.

Chopped Salad With Grilled Corn and Black Beans

Ingredients:
Medium head romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, end cut off, and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
2 Ears corn-on-the-cob, wrapped in buttered aluminum foil, and grilled about 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so. When done, remove husks and silk. Cut the kernels off the cob.
15-1/2 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp., packed, finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Ranch dressing
Fresh ground sea salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place warm corn kernels in a large serving bowl and stir in butter until melted. Place remaining ingredients in the serving bowl and stir to mix. Add ranch dressing to coat well, stirring to mix thoroughly. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serves 4-6.