Spanish-fusion Blueberry Hazelnut Salad

I whipped this salad together for a family get-together.  See, for ages, I hated salad with a fiery passion bordering on mania.  Lettuce and I did NOT get along.  But in my older, wiser years, I have learned to work around this hate by using arugula - a leaf my husband and I both love.  This usually means that we're asked to bring the salad for our family to-dos, as then they know we'll eat it!

This salad in particular was, as usual, inspired by something left over in the fridge: blueberries.  As anyone who is familiar with Spanish or Catalan cuisine is aware, berries don't feature that often.  But I was determined to make it work, so here it is.

 

Spanish-fusion Blueberry Hazelnut Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup lightly toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or ground rosemary

1/3 cup sherry vinegar (rice wine or champagne vinegar works too)

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 cup olive oil  

1 heaping spoonful of honey

1 heaping spoonful of Dijon mustard, smooth or whole-grain

salt and freshly ground black pepper

arugula, fresh

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh red pepper, chopped coarsely

Spanish Manchego cheese, shaved

To toast the hazelnuts:

First, chop the hazelnuts coarsely - in quarters approximately.  Heat up a saute pan to high.  Add the nuts to the pan, and move them around constantly until fragrant and a lovely golden brown.  If you wish, add a drizzle of olive oil and season with ground rosemary or smoked paprika.

To prepare the dressing:

After the nuts are toasted and set aside, turn the heat down to medium high and use the same small saute pan to bring the champagne vinegar and saffron to a boil for 1 minute.  In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, honey, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and saffron mixture and shake vigorously to mix well.

Assembling the salad:

Assemble just before serving.  Put the arugula in a large salad bowl, drizzle the dressing over the greens and toss gently with your hands to coat the leaves. Top with hazelnuts, blueberries, and cheese (optional, of course). Serve immediately.