Recipe: Bucca di Beppo Apple Gorgonzola Salad and Spiced Walnuts

BUCCA DI BEPPO APPLE GORGONZOLA SALAD
(Chef Al Somera of Bucca di Beppo)

(Tart Granny Smith apples, spiced walnuts, dried cranberries and Gorgonzola cheese are tossed with fresh Romaine lettuce and our Italian vinaigrette).

"The recipe below courtesy of a Buca di Beppo chef uses walnuts and bottle Italian vinaigrette. If you want to make your salad more like the restaurants version I have included recipes for spiced walnuts and a copycat version of Buca's Red Wine Vinaigrette. Make the vinaigrette with a white wine vinegar to be more like the version Buca uses on this salad." - Meemo's Kitchen/Patty Kaykes, 7/5/2008

1 Granny Smith apple
8 oz Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 Tbsp Gorganzola Cheese, crumbled
2 oz walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Italian Vinaigrette

Slice off 2 sides of apple along side of core. Cut long slices for garnish. Then 1/2-inch chop/cube the remaining 2 sides of apple up, around the core. Wash and cut lettuce. Dry the lettuce as much as possible in colander. Prepare cheese. Chop up walnuts.

Mix vinaigrette into lettuce. Add chopped apples, 3/4 of the walnuts and 3/4 gorgonzola. Toss well.

Plate and garnish with remaining walnuts, cranberries and more Gorgonzola cheese. Garnish rim of salad along plate with the sliced apples.

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For the Apple Gorgonzola Salad I would use a white wine vinegar to be closer to what you would get in the restaurant. This recipe claims to be from Buca but did not include a source.

BUCA DI BEPPO RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

1/3 cup red wine vinegar -use white wine vinegar if making the following Apple Gorgonzola salad recipe
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper
1/8 cup red onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
3/4 cup olive oil

Combine the red wine vinegar, oregano, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a blender. Add the onion and garlic. Blend together while slowly adding the olive oil. (By adding the olive oil slowly it will emulsufly with the other ingredients creating a thicker vinaigrette.) Let vinaigrette sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. This is best made shortly before using.

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SPICED CALIFORNIA WALNUTS
Source: California Walnut Board
Makes 2 cups, 8 servings

Create simply delicious spiced walnut snack and appetizers. Adjust the ingredients to create savory, hot or sweet delights.

1 egg white
1 Tablespoon water
2 Cups California walnut halves and pieces
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F and line a large shallow baking pan with foil.

Combine egg white and water; beat until foamy. Add walnut halves and piecesand toss to coat. Pour the mixture into a strainer and let drain 2-3 minutes.

Combine sugar, cinnamon and allspice in a plastic bag; shake to mix. Add the walnuts; hold the bag shut and shake vigorously to coat the nuts. Spread the nuts in one layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely, stirring occasionally and breaking nuts apart if stuck together. Don't worry if they stick to the foil, it is easy to peel them off. Store in a tightly-capped jar.