Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnut Oil Dressing

Serves 4

Indispensable to traditional Provencal cooking, walnut oil adds a delicate, nutty taste and rich perfume to the beet salad dressing in this recipe. A L'Olivier produces virgin oils the old-fashioned way, using local walnut kernels that are toasted, stone-ground into a paste, and then freshly pressed and bottled.

• 1 tbsp. Martin Pouret white wine vinegar
• Sea salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. Fallot Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. A L'Olivier Walnut Oil
• 1 tbsp. sunflower oil
• Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 4-6 medium beets, cooked and cut into thick wedges
• 2 oz. creamy blue cheese, crumbled, such as St. Clemens brand
• 2 oz. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
• Fresh chives, finely chopped for garnish

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and salt. Add the mustard and blend. Slowly whisk in the walnut and sunflower oils until well blended and add pepper to taste.
2. On serving platter, place cooked beets and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle the beets with the blue cheese and walnuts. Garnish with fresh chives and serve immediately.

Recipe by: Allison Boomer