Salade au Noix (Walnut Salad)

Here in the Dordogne region one of the prominent crops is walnuts. They grow on big, beautiful trees and produce the yummiest walnuts I've ever tasted. When you visit a local market in these parts you not only find bags of raw walnuts (both shelled and unshelled) but a vast selection of walnut tarts, walnut oils, and walnut cakes. Delicious.

I recently attempted to create a simple salad that highlights the lovely flavor of fresh walnuts and since it's a salad that can be easily created anywhere really, I want to share it with you.

Salade au Noix (Walnut Salad)

head of butter lettuce (you can also mix butter lettuce with green leaf lettuce too)
handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
pinch of fleur de sel (or another good quality sea salt)
raw walnuts

Vinaigrette:

3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (go for the Maille brand)
1 1/2 tablespoons Apple Cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Walnut Oil (often this is in the organic section)

Sprinkle the halved tomatoes with a pinch of fleur de sel. Wash and crisp lettuce. Mix vinaigrette ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad. Add tomatoes and walnuts before serving.

Keep in mind that you can alter the measurements on this salad dressing depending on your own personal taste. Perhaps you may want to add less Dijon, or more walnut oil. Less vinegar perhaps? Or maybe you'd like to substitute White Wine vinegar instead. I'm guessing all these variations will taste good so find what works for you based on personal preference and what you have already in your pantry. Enjoy!