A salad fit for a Fauve

Dear SOS: Could you persuade the chef at Madame Matisse in Silver Lake to share the recipe for beet-apple-walnut salad?

Thanks a lot.

Dolores Banerd

Culver City

Dear Delores: At Madame Matisse, this salad is made with deep-fried caramelized walnuts, a step that’s too labor intensive when preparing individual portions. We substituted purchased caramelized walnuts, available at selected supermarkets.

Beet-apple-walnut salad

Total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

1 pound (2 large) beets, trimmed

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons balsamic

vinegar

1 teaspoon finely chopped

garlic

Salt and pepper

1/2cup olive oil

8 cups (4 ounces) mixed

baby salad greens

2 medium apples, cored

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/2cup caramelized walnuts

2 tablespoons chopped

Italian parsley

1. Cook the beets in boiling water until tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Place in a bowl of ice water. Slip off the skins.

2. To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle in the oil, continuing to whisk.

3. Toss the greens in dressing (reserving some dressing for the beets) and divide the greens among 4 serving plates.

4. Cut the beets and apples into large (half-inch) dice. In a bowl, combine the beet and apple cubes with the cheese, walnuts, parsley and desired amount of dressing (saving the remaining dressing for another use). Spoon the mixture over the dressed lettuce and serve.

Each serving: 523 calories; 8 grams protein; 37 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 41 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 13 mg. cholesterol; 336 mg. sodium.