Author Notes: I was inspired to make this salad after eating a similar one at Mesa Restaurant in Costa Mesa, California. It is the perfect way to use new crop apples to make a savory, crunchy and refreshing salad. Use a mandolin to slice your apples and radishes. —Kim Pawell
Serves: 4
Ingredients
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1
Head of butter lettuce, rinsed and leaves kept whole
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2
teaspoons Pommery or other whole grain mustard
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2
tablespoons Spanish sherry vineagar
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6
tablespoons Walnut oil
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Salt and pepper to taste
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Juice from 1/2 a lemon
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1
Gala apple
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1
Granny Smith apple
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4
ounces Sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
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4
Large radishes, sliced 1/8″ thick
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2
tablespoons Fresh tarragon leaves
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2
tablespoons Fresh Chives, cut in 1/2″ pieces
Directions
- Rinse, dry and chill butter lettuce leaves. It is best if the lettuce is chilled several hours or even a day in advance so lettuce is crisp and dry.
- Make the dressing by putting mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and whisking in the walnut oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Fill a small bowl with water and add lemon juice. Slice the apples in 1/8″ slices, avoiding the core, using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Put the apples slices in the lemon water for a few minutes then drain and dry. Slice the radishes using the mandolin.
- Build 4 individual salads a layer at a time, starting by placing three butter lettuce leaves on each plate. Drizzle a little dressing on each lettuce bed and then layer the apples, radishes and cheese on top of the lettuce bed, drizzling a little bit of dressing on each layer.
- Garnish with tarragon, chives and Marcona almonds.
Photo by Kim Pawell