Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Apples and Walnuts

from Pinch My Salt

I loved this salad.  It looks so pretty and festive with the deep red pomegranate seeds, and bright green spinach.  I only had feta on hand so I used that instead of the blue cheese and I used candied almonds instead of the walnuts.  Wonderful salad- the dressing was great.

Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Apples and Walnuts

4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 apple, cored and chopped
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe below)

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl.  Serve immediately.  Yield: 4 servings.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/2 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil (any neutral-flavored oil will do)
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey.  Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until it’s all incorporated.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Yield: approximately 1 1/4 cups.

Brown Butter Sauce

from I Like To See My Recipes When I Grocery Shop

Brown Butter Sauce

8 T Butter
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t chopped fresh sage, rosemary or basil (I used Sage)
4 T heavy cream
1/2 C grated parmigiano-reggiano

In a small saucepan, melt 8 T butter and 1/2 t salt over med-low heat.  Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage and cook, stirring often, unitl the butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes or less.  Stir in 4 T heavy cream and bring to a boil for  20 seconds or so to combine cream with butter.  Remove from heat.  Add 1/2 C grated parmigiano-reggiano when tossing with pasta.

**It is September, so the garden is abundant.  Spaghetti squash, yellow squash, zucchini, sage and tomatoes all from our garden.  This is garden heaven!
**This sauce is quite thin, flavorful and salty, so a little goes a long way.  I haven't ever tossed it into a pasta, I have always added the cheese to the sauce and then drizzled it over the plated pasta, or spaghetti squash.