Mushroom, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Salad – Meg Benjamin

It’s still salad weather here in the Rockies (although it probably won’t be for much longer—September’s always a little “iffy”). Here’s a salad that involves several of my favorite things: blue cheese, walnuts, and a yummy vinaigrette.

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¼ c. olive oil

2 t dry basil leaves (or fresh basil if you have it)

½ t salt

1/8 t each pepper and paprika

2 t Dijon mustard

5 t white wine vinegar

½ lb mushrooms, sliced

2 green onions (including tops), thinly sliced

2/3 c broken walnut pieces

4 oz blue cheese, coarsely crumbled

4 c bite-size pieces of romaine or butter lettuce leaves

10 cherry tomatoes, whole or halved

In a large salad-type bowl, combine oil, basil, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard and vinegar. Beat with a fork until blended. Mix mushrooms and green onions into the vinaigrette; let stand at room temperature to marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer is better—the mushrooms pick up more flavor).

Add walnut pieces, blue cheese, lettuce and cherry tomatoes and toss lightly. This is a great salad to bring to potlucks, by the way.

Once they said goodbye forever. Now they want to walk it back.

Konigsburg, Texas, Book 6

Eighteen months ago, Kit Maldonado was so over Nando Avrogado, she left Konigsburg without a backward glance. With the family restaurant in San Antonio sold out from under her, though, she’s back to manage The Rose, an exclusive resort eatery outside town.

Dealing with a stingy boss, an amorous head chef, an understaffed dining room and planning her aunt’s wedding should have kept her hands full. But she realizes she might not be as over Nando as she thought.

As the town’s new assistant chief of police, Nando’s got enough trouble without sexy Kit fanning embers he thought had long ago turned to ashes. Every time he turns around, she’s there—and it doesn’t help that everyone in town wants to see them back together.

One incendiary kiss, and there’s no denying the force of their attraction. But there’s a mysterious and oddly familiar burglar who’s been lurking around Konigsburg, someone who isn’t above a little mayhem—maybe even violence—to cover his tracks.

Product Warnings

Contains hot makeup sex, wedding madness, a hot chef, vengeful burglars, and unlawful abuse of a wedding cake.

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http://www.MegBenjamin.com