An Inspired Salad from Santé Nuts

Looking for a nourishing snack she could feed her kids, single mom Sara Tidhar cooked up some spiced nuts inspired by her Israeli heritage.  When her kids started taking them to school and fighting over them with friends, she knew she was on to something.  In 2003 she started selling her roasted nuts to local cafes in Silicon Valley and soon had an agreement to private label nuts for a national grocery chain. In 2012 she decided to launch her own brand and Santé Specialty Foods was born.

Today, Santé sources the highest-quality nuts from handpicked growers, and roasts them by hand in small batches using organic canola oil. The result is a supremely crunchy nut, perfectly balanced with just the right amount of spice, sugar and salt.

Sara will quickly tell you she didn’t do it alone.  Her son Navot was one of her early fans and taste-testers.  Today as a grown man, Navot is still one of Santé’s biggest supporters, joining the company last year.  No stranger to the kitchen as well, Navot shares one of his favorite ways to use Santé Nuts:

“Early on, I found out that the heat and crunch from Sweet & Spicy Pecans pairs wonderfully with the creamy tang of blue cheese. Both flavors are quite strong, but together they mellow out and become harmonious—a great starting point for a salad. Peppery arugula and crisp field greens provide the base, with Granny Smith apples adding a vibrant and tart crunch. I am one of those people that will try bacon in anything, but in this case it was a natural addition. Its smoky, meaty crunch ties all the ingredients together.

“Over the years I have experimented with many small tweaks to the salad. In its first inception, I was using apple cider vinaigrette, but I soon discovered that the rich oaky notes from sherry vinegar put the flavors of the salad over the top. I like to think of this recipe as a canvas that I can modify to suit my moods. Sometimes I add dried cranberries for extra sweetness; other times I throw in sliced red onion for bite. Although it may look simple, the flavors of this salad are deceptively complex. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.”

Apple, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad with Sweet & Spicy Pecans and Sherry Vinaigrette (shown at top)
Recipe by Navot Tidhar
Ingredients

(Makes 4 servings)

For the Dressing:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Agave Nectar (can substitute honey)
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 Tablespoons reserved bacon drippings
1 Tablespoon oil (light olive oil or canola)
1 Tablespoon shallots, finely minced
1 Sprig of thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Salad:

4 cups baby arugula
4 cups spring mix
1 apple (Cored and sliced)
1 cup bacon, cooked and chopped (reserve the drippings)
1 cup blue cheese (Roquefort or Stilton both work well)
1 cup Santé Sweet & Spicy Pecans

Preparation

To make the dressing, combine the mustard, agave, and sherry in a bowl and whisk to bring together. Combine the bacon drippings and olive oil and slowly drizzle into the bowl, whisking constantly until the vinaigrette comes together to a smooth consistency. Add the shallots, thyme, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine salad ingredients and dressing. Toss, and serve immediately.