The inspiration for this came to me from the most recent issue of Food and Wine. Of course I changed the recipe a bit and left it in the food processor too long, but it worked out great for the Salad Petite Bouquet concept I had. It would be a great bottom-of-the-plate dressing for a roasted vegetable salad, or a wonderful dip for a crudite platter. The fresh lemon gives it a nice kick and the walnuts, a rich satisfying texture.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1 small shallot, quartered and roasted
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
The walnuts can be toasted in a 425 degree oven for about ten minutes, or over a flame in a dry pan. Either way, you want to make sure to move the walnuts around a little so they don’t burn or they will become bitter. Once they are toasted, let them cool on the counter for awhile.
If you choose to toast the walnuts in the over, throw the shallot into a shallow baking dish to roast until it begins to brown on the edges. Let the shallot cool as well.
Once the walnuts and shallots have cooled, pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor and add salt and pepper to taste. I used perhaps 1/4 tsp. of salt, but you may prefer more or less.
Vegetarian Perspective 