Salad 7

Ingredients

1 head garlic
1 t (5ml) olive oil
1 pinch salt and freshly cracked black pepper
½ bulb small fennel
1 t (5ml) olive oil
8 hazelnuts
125g gorgonzola cheese
2 T unsalted butter
2 T. Inniskillin Icewine
½ t crushed fennel seeds
1 t chopped thyme
4 ripe figs
4 cups mixed greens – watercress, arugula, endive, mizuna, red oak, etc.

VINAIGRETTE
1 T Inniskillin Icewine (Vidal or Riesling)
2 T sherry vinegar
5 T olive oil
1 T hazelnut oil
1 pinch thyme
1 pinch salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 T shallots, minced
1 clove roasted garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Slice the top of an entire garlic head to expose the tips of the cloves. Place on large piece of foil, drizzle with 1 tsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and roast in oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, remove and discard the outer layers of the fennel bulb and remove core. Julienne fennel and toss with olive oil. Place in a small roasting pan and roast for 35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
3. Rub skins off the hazelnuts with your fingers and place on a small baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool and then chop coarsely.
4. Mash the clove of roasted garlic with a fork. Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk and season to taste. Set aside.
5. Slice the gorgonzola into 4 chunks and set aside. Heat the butter with 1 tbsp. of Icewine, fennel seeds, thyme, salt and pepper in a small skillet. Add the figs and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until soft.
6. Remove from skillet and cut the figs vertically into quarters, leaving the base attached. Place a piece of gorgonzola in center of each fig.
7. Toss greens and fennel in dressing and arrange on 4 individual plates. Place a fig on top of each salad and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts. Serve with Sparkling Vidal Icewine.

Serves 4