The salad was made up of organic cherry tomatoes, baby arugula, mixed greens, toasted walnuts, and ricotta salata cheese.
I wanted a dressing that would just lightly coat the greens and compliment the nuttiness of the cheese, arugula and walnuts. I found a recipe for a lemon vinagrette from Tra Vigne restaurant in Napa, which was perfect, and I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry.
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (can use hazelnut or walnut oil)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Pinch freshly cracked black peppercorns
In a jar or bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
Yields 1/4 cup.
