Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola, Dried Cranberries & Maple Glazed Pecans

From the blog For Love of the Table

5 oz. baby spinach (weighed after any obtrusive stems have been removed)

2 to 3 oz. romaine or radicchio, sliced in 1/4- to 1/2-inch wide ribbons

3/4 to 1 c. Maple Glazed Pecans (recipe below)

3/4 c./3 oz. dried cranberries/craisins

2 1/2 to 3 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola (choose a harder/crumbly aged variety—piccante or naturale), or substitute Feta

1 oz. shaved red onion, rinsed under cold running water and blotted dry (optional)

1/2 to 2/3 recipe Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Place all of the ingredients except the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season with salt & freshly ground pepper. Drizzle a third cup of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until everything is well coated…adding a bit more if necessary…but be careful, you don’t want a sodden salad.

Mound the greens on a platter or divide among four individual plates. If you like, drizzle a little more of the dressing over the plated salads. Serves 4

Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

1/4 c. white wine vinegar

2 T. minced shallot

1/2 t. kosher salt

1 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. Maple syrup

5 T. olive oil

5 T. vegetable oil

Place the first three ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the shallots to soften. Add the Dijon and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the maple syrup. Add the oils in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Taste and correct the seasoning. You may need as much as another 1/4 t. of salt, depending on your palate (I add almost that much).

Makes a generous cup of vinaigrette.

Maple Glazed Pecans

Place the pecans (halves or coarsely broken pieces) in a bowl and add 2 T. of maple syrup and a slightly mounded 1/4 t. of kosher salt for every cup (115 g./4 oz.) of pecans. Spread the nuts in a greased/oiled/sprayed baking sheet that is just large enough to hold the pecans in a snug single layer. Transfer the pan to a 325° oven and bake for five minutes. Give the nuts a stir with a heat proof spatula or pancake turner and return to the oven. Continue to bake until the syrup is thickened and bubbling…and has darkened slightly. The amount of time this will take will vary greatly according to how many cups of pecans you are preparing. For one cup it might take 2 or 3 minutes, for 4 cups it will be closer to 6 or 7 minutes. Do not underbake or the pecans will remain sticky.

Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the nuts to a second greased/sprayed/baking sheet, quickly spreading/separating the nuts…and continuing to stir and separate every few minutes as they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

As published on forloveofthetable.com