Best of Oregon (cranberry) Tossed Salad

Best of Oregon (cranberry) Tossed Salad

CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE:

1/4 cup cranberry vinegar -- see NOTE
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic -- minced
6 tablespoons nut oil -- OR
6 tablespoons vegetable oil

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1/2 cup fresh cranberries -- cut up

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1 quart mixed salad greens -- washed, crisped-- torn into bite pieces*
1/2 cup celery -- julienned
1/2 cup jicama -- julienned
1/2 small purple onion -- sliced-- separated into rings
1 ounce blue cheese -- crumbled*-- up to 2 ounces blue cheese
4 ounces Oregon shrimp -- (optional)
1 tablespoon hazelnuts -- skinned-- toasted and chopped

* mixed salad greens: such as romaine or leaf lettuce, Belgian endive, and arugula.

* recipe specifies "Oregon Blue cheese," but I suspect any good blue will do the job.

Prepare Cranberry Vinaigrette. Pour a small amount of the vinaigrette over cut-up cranberries; let stand for 2 hours. Refrigerate remaining vinaigrette until you are ready to leave for the picnic.

Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until time to
transport to picnic.

To serve, add marinated cranberries to salad bowl. Then drizzle remaining
vinaigrette sparingly over salad; toss to mix. Makes 10 servings.

Cranberry Vinaigrette:

Combine all ingredients in a cruet or screw-top jar and shake well.
Refrigerate.
Shake again before using.

NOTE: If you cannot find cranberry vinegar, simply crush a few cranberries in 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, shake, and let stand for at least 15 minutes or until ready to use.

Source:
"Seattle Picnics by Barbara Holz Sullivan, 1991"