Jess's Fig and Walnut Salad

Fig and Walnut Salad with Plum Vinaigrette Recipe 

for the salad...

a variety of fresh greens (i used green leaf lettuce, celery leaf, and chicory, but Korea has lots of fun, tasty greens so try some new ones!)
two small plums
a few fresh, plump figs (found at traditional markets, but get them fast because the season is almost over!)
a generous handful of walnuts
a handful of pumpkin seeds
a handful of fresh basil

for the vinaigrette...

i make a big batch of dressing and save the what's leftover in the fridge for later in the week.

half cup of olive oil
half cup of brown rice vinegar
a teaspoon ground cinnamon
two teaspoons Korean plum (매실) syrup. there are many sweet syrups used in Korea to make traditional teas. or you can use sugar instead.
a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper

shake the dressing ingredients together in a bottle (i re-use mini soy milk bottles and they work perfectly). adjust the flavors to taste.

wash the greens well, roughly chop and arrange on a plate. wash the plums, cut into thin, bite-sized pieces and layer over the greens. wash the figs, chop off stems, quarter and add to the plate. toast the walnuts and pumpkin seeds for just a few minutes, tossing them often so they brown evenly. sprinkle over the salad. finish with a sprinkling of fresh basil and a drizzle of plum vinaigrette.

Photo by Jessica Mitchell Perlaza