Somerset Cider Vinegar and Blue Cheese Salad

This is a variation of Mark’s recipe and can be served as a starter or side dish, but bear in mind the intensity of the dressing. If you can’t get hold of cobnuts you can use walnuts or hazelnuts. Use Somerset Blue or Exmoor Blue Cheese in the dressing as well as in the main dish. The dressing is a useful way to use up little bits of cheese.
It is ideal with robust leaves such as Little Gem lettuce, spinach or watercress, but it may well be to powerful a dressing for more delicate leaves.

For the Somerset blue cheese dressing

1 tbsp Somerset Cider Vinegar
½ tsp English mustard
20g Somerset blue cheese
2 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
2 tbsp vegetable or corn oil

For the salad

25-30 cobnuts, shelled
½ tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
2-3 tsp sea salt
4 small Little Gem lettuce (or other leaves), washed and dried
50-60g Somerset Blue (or other blue cheese)

Make the dressing first. Blend the Somerset Cider Vinegar, mustard, Somerset blue cheese and oils together in a blender and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing is too thick, thin it with a little water.

Heat the grill to medium. Place the cobnuts on a grill tray and mix with the rapeseed oil and salt. Grill until lightly toasted, then leave to cool. Toss the salad leaves in the dressing and arrange on serving plates or bowls. Break the cheese into pieces and scatter over the top of the salad, along with the toasted cobnuts.