A common theme that seems to repeat itself over the past few days is the demise of Tastespotting and many of you have already lamented of the void it left when it shut down.
In a healthy, free-enterprise and spirited punch of creativity, many of you have offered up to replace, emulate or substitute a site like Tastespotting, where we will be able to lick the screens of our computer screens again.
Dhanngit of Dhanngit’s Kitchen contacted me this morning and invited me to join her new site called Recipe Muncher. I’ve joined the collective and I must say that enrolling was easy and painless.
I know there will be some other entitities that will pop-up in wake of the Tastespotting demise but for now, I’ve chosen Recipe Muncher, why don’t you?
Isn’t it also fitting that a salad like this would even make Granny wet and make Gramps dump all his Viagra?
Look at this beauty! In the Pantheon of foodporn, this salad dilates the eyes and if that weren’t enough, it’s mighty F-ing fantastic.
This salad is the work of Jose Andres and I recently caught one of his episodes in Made in Spain.
Unfortunately for most of us, Jose’s site is stingy with dishing out recipes but after Googling the recipe, I smirked, smiled and then grinned as I found the recipe, as created by Amy and Jonny of We Are Never Full.
I made a few departures from the original salad but relax…I stayed true to the salad’s approach: I left the apple peel on, added a squirt of Dijon to emulsify my dressing and garnished with some Chive flowers.
Once again, the star of this dish is the Spanish blue cheese called Cabrales. If you can’t find it where you live, any other quality bleu should do.
Here, I’ve presented the salad in a one plate serving for two. Got a date coming up? Wanna WOW your S.O? Feeling a little frisky?
Break out a bottle of crisp Moscato wine, share this salad and see if you can finish the evening without licking each other in the process.
Salad of Green Apple and Cabrales
(for 2)
1 large Green apple
Approx. 2 oz. of Cabrales (or other) blue cheese
3 hazelnuts
3 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
a dash of Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. of good cider or red wine vinegar
chopped fresh chives
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- Rinse and then core your apple. Now using a mandoline, thinly slice your apple (from top to bottom) and if making ahead of time, squirt some lemon juice to slow down the browning of the apple.
- Arrange your apple slices on a plate, overlapping each other and crumble your Cabrales cheese over the apples.
- In a small jar, add your vinegar, olive oil and Dijon with a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake well to emulsify and spoon over your salad.
- Now using your microplane, grate the 3 hazlenuts over the entire salad. This is your “hazlel nut” salt and in my opinion…this simple little attention to detail is brilliant.
- Finish the salad with a topping of fresh snipped chives.
- Uncork a crisp, chilled bottle of Moscato and share the plate of salad.
51 Responses
Ahhhh… I’m so pleased, Peter. Isn’t it such a taste-sensation? Every flavor is able to be tasted in one bite – I absolutely love this salad. And isn’t it fun to google a recipe and find it in a ‘friends’ blog?! so fun!! I love your addition of the chive flowers – absolutely GORGE.
F-ing fantastic is right! That’s a gorgeous salad and no mistake :-)
The chive blossoms really make your photos sing — beautiful!
Whoa – bring on the chive flowers and Peter shows his frisky side! Very pretty indeed!
You know, emulsify could describe what Granny and Gramps do when they taste this salad. Absolutely lovely!!
Howmph howmph howmph. I love green apples in a salad, especially with cheese. Must be the German in me. Oh, but this is Spanish! Foiled again!
Looks delicious Peter!
Ahh..that truly is a beautiful salad!
As for my latticed meatloaf..I suppose I have too much time on my hands!!!
Peter, thanks for the link. Yesterday I enrolled at: http://foodgawker.com/. It’s similar to Tastespotting.
Whoa!!! What a gorgeous salad! It really looks beautiful. I love blue cheese with apples (and pears too).
That is a beautiful salad! And the chive blossoms make it look so delightful.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
You have taken the apple/cheese combo to great heights here. Watch your viewer counter go through the roof today, Peter.
I will go and check out and check out recipe muncher, but like Helen I also registered with Foodgawker yesterday.
I’ve seen this recipe in one of José Andrés’ books! Gourgeous presentation Peter :D
The day the rest of Spanish Cooks get a tv show in USA and Canada you will spend one week with your mouth open!!!
wow, what a succulent salad! (especially imagining it with a glass of moscato wine!) absolutely love it! thanks so much also for the recipemuncher link… i was sad when I saw tastespotting shut down :-(
does it make you go “whoa” like joey from blossom? if so, i’m on board! :)
come here peter i’ll give you a kiss for this wonderful apple salad and for campaigning for Recipe Muncher :-) thanks for making my day :-)
btw, im still trying to find the best photo to replace my baby picture here :-) have a pleasant day!!!
Great looking salad! I love the chives and chive flowers.
I like the combination of flavors in this salad. Apple and dijon mustard, sounds really good.
What a beautiful salad! I really need to use my chive blossoms sometime!
One of the most beautiful salads I have ever see. Absolutely stunning!
Never Full, thanks for doing this salad and allowing me to recreate too…major score!
Kat, XXX salad.
Jen, good to know that you speak F, as in F-rench! lol
Lydia, there were there…why not use them?
Marjie, just a tad frisky. ;)
Mary, I never thought of emulsify that way…a firm LOL!
Heather, you are the Teutonic wonder!
Thanks, Judy, Judy, Judy.
Leslie, you’re crafty!
Helene, you’re free to join whichever site suits you best.
Sticky, it tastes as good as it looks.
Rita, you’re double kinky with your 101 ways to lick Oreos! ;)
Mary, chive blossoms are so cute.
Nina, thanks…I really wanted to have the salad look as good as it tasted, which was divine.
Kittie, I knew you would get a giggle…you know I’m just hamming it up.
Nuria, you’re food blog satiates my appetite daily, chica.
Marianna, glad you appreciate Moscato…a lovely, fruity wine.
Grace, where the Hell did you come up with the Joey reference? lol
Dhanngit, you’re very welcome, mamacita…helping a friend.
Thanks Maggie!
Parker, there’s a wee bit a mustard, you won’t know it’s there.
Pam, if ya got’em – use’em!
Patricia, thanks…I’ll make this again for guests.
Just gorgeous! I love your description of granny and grandpa, too. This salad reminds me of a lovely “apple ravioli” I make with membrillo and manchego and mint.
This is more than sexy Peter…its a sensation of the senses. It sounds like an interesting combination.
This looks great – I really like the grated hazelnuts!
Ha ha yiou really made me laugh out loud reading this post, not once but few times.
Love the salade looks so beautiful.
I woudn’t mind tryi,g it, but hubby hate salade with fruits in it.
SO no luck.
Looks great! I love the presentation!
Peter, this is one picture perfect salad. Fabulous presentation and pictures.
I love the look of the chive blossoms! What a tasty looking salad.
What I can say Peter, wonderful,wonderful and lovely, look amazing and nice but I m sure is sooo delicious too!!!! xxxxGloria
Oooh YUM – that salad looks fantastic. Great photo’s Peter – as always.
This is too pretty to eat! I need to find some of those chive flowers!
Ann, that sounds awesome…I should scan your blog for it.
Pete, this salad is meant to shared, savoured, slowly enjoyed.
Fearless, the grated hazel nuts were like foodie pixie dust.
Happy, glad you appreciate my warped humour!
Thanks Jessy, nice to see you back.
Thank you Kim, it was sinfully good.
Veronica, ain’t they perty?
Hola Gloria, won’t you come taste some?
Sandie, heaven?It was more devlish!
Jan, you been busy haven’t ya?
Vicarious…plant some chives in your garden…perennials.
There you go again, Peter! Tantalizing me with your Spanish delights!
WHOA!
You were right.
That salad is gorgeous! I wasn’t too sure what it was made up of when I first looked, but the flowers really catch the eye! After checking out the ingredients, I realized that it will also be a delicious mix of ingredients. Thanks for the recipe!
This one is just plain pretty. I think I might lick the plate clean.
Oh, it’s looks so pretty. The apples, sliced so perfectly, plated so beautifully.
Beautiful!
The chive flowers add their special touch to this salad Peter:D
Oh what a pretty salad! The flavours sound awesome – thanks for sharing the recipe!