Fresh Fruit with Cheese and Peppery Nuts
This salad template has three crucial parts: sweet-juicy fruit, crunchy-salty nuts, and chewy-fatty cheese. Use whatever’s in season—we love a mix of clementines, ricotta salata, and pistachios for winter; Bosc or D’Anjou pears, parmesan, and hazelnuts for fall; persimmon, mild blue cheese, and pecans for spring; and figs, honey toasted walnuts, and Manchego for summer. Ideally, let everything sit for 15 minutes before serving, so the fruit juices can mingle with the dressing on the plate. This recipe is from Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine nuts and oil in a small skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in honey; season with salt and lots of pepper. Add 1 tsp. vinegar. Dressing should be sweet and fatty and lip-smacky and spiced. Adjust with more oil, honey, salt, pepper, and/or vinegar until you’re pleased.
Step 2
Break up cheese into pieces or thinly slice, as you wish. Cut fruit into ¼"-thick wedges or rounds and place on a platter or large plate. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with remaining 1 tsp. vinegar. Tuck in pieces of cheese; spoon dressing over (heat over low if needed to loosen).
Recipe notes
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Persimmons, Please
Persimmons are a decadent treat of late fall, as great in salads as they are in baked goods.
