Prep time: 15 min • Cook time: 17 min • Yield: about 1 cup salad dressing, and vegetables for 4 salads

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette  dressing:

• ½ cup toasted walnut oil
• About ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries, measured after they are pureed and deseeded (about ¾ of a dry pint container)
• 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Spiced Walnuts:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
• Pinch salt
• Pinch pepper
• Pinch or two cayenne

Springtime Raspberry Walnut Salad: 4 servings

• 1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 handfuls fresh arugula
• 2 Persian cucumbers or ½ an English cucumber, thinly sliced
• ½ medium jicama, cut into matchstick slices
• 1 pint fresh raspberries, plus the berries left from the dressing
• 2 scallions, both white and green parts, sliced in ¼-inch pieces
• Handful snow peas, de-stringed and sliced diagonally in ¼-inch pieces, optional

Instructions:

Dressing: Puree raspberries in a blender. Pour into a fine mesh sieve and use the back of a spoon to gently coax the puree through into a measuring cup with a spout. Discard the seeds left in the sieve. Add in all other vinaigrette ingredients and whisk together well. Keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Dressing will last for about  4 days.

Spiced Walnuts: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment. Put walnuts in a small bowl and pour in honey and seasonings. Stir to coat walnuts. Spread out on sheet pan and roast for about 10 to 12 minutes, toss, and roast for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and let nuts cool.

Springtime Raspberry Walnut Salad: Mix all ingredients, except raspberries. Add about ¼ to ⅓ cup dressing and ½ cup walnuts and toss together to coat with dressing. Top with fresh raspberries and additional walnuts.

Note: The subtle taste of walnut oil is perfect with raspberries. The walnuts are a very tempting nibble so expect them to disappear quickly!

Use very fresh raspberries; the dressing will stay fresh longer.