Washington Apple Salad with Cougar Gold and Holmquist Hazelnuts
Chef Sean Hartley/Palace Kitchen
Makes 4 servings

For the hazelnut cider vinaigrette:
1½ teaspoons minced shallot
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons hazelnut oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Washington apples, such as Honeycrisp, cored and julienned
2 loosely packed cups friseé, trimmed, washed, and dried
2 Belgian endives, cored and chopped
¼ medium fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced
4 ounces Cougar Gold cheese, crumbled
½ cup toasted Holmquist hazelnuts, chopped

To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot, mustard, honey, thyme, and vinegar in a bowl and gradually whisk in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Put the apple, friseé, endive, and fennel in a large bowl. Toss with as much vinaigrette as needed to lightly coat everything. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the salad among 4 chilled plates and sprinkle each serving with cheese and hazelnuts. Serve.

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