Ina Garten’s Cape Cod Salad

Spring is here and dinner is getting later and lighter. We love anything with bacon, so this salad is perfect and delicious. My arugula has come in and we can’t eat it fast enough.

Start with 8 oz. thick cut applewood bacon, roasted for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

 

In a large bowl, add arugula, one large Granny Smith apple, walnuts, cranberries and blue cheese crumbled.

This dressing is wonderful, mix apple cider vinegar, orange zest, fresh squeezed orange juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, black pepper. Slowly drizzle 2/3 cup of olive oil into the mixture, whisking constantly. You can also add all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake thoroughly.

Crumble or chop bacon and add to salad.

Toss the salad with dressing. The dressing is wonderful, orange flavored and the maple syrup adds such wonderfully complex flavor. Be careful not to add too much… I hate an overdressed salad.

I don’t know why she calls it a Cape Cod Salad… but it does remind me of the beach!!! Or is it the cranberries, maple syrup and arugula?

Cape Cod Salad

Ingredients

• 8 ounces thick-cut bacon
• 8 ounces baby arugula
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped (see note)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 6 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons good apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup good olive oil