Arugula Salad with Cambozola, Dried Cherries, & Pumpkin Seeds

Sometimes I happen to have an overabundance of dried sour cherries in my pantry (my mother loves to send them to me every few months—lucky, I know!) and this salad is one of the easy and delicious ways that I use them. I like to make a jar of  vinaigrette and have it around for any salads that come up during the week. If the salad dressing is already prepared and you’ve set the cheese out to come to room temperature, making this salad takes less than five minutes. But it still tastes like something you would order at the classiest bistro, sitting at the bar and sipping sherry. And who doesn’t want to feel like that?

My vinaigrette uses the classic 1-3-9 proportions: one part dijon, three parts vinegar, nine parts oil. You can use whatever vinegars and oils you choose, with a different result for each combination. Combos I like: sherry vinegar and walnut oil, champagne vinegar and hazelnut oil, rice vinegar and olive oil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, red wine vinegar and olive oil, etc, etc. My favorite way to make vinaigrette is by adding the vinegar and oil to an almost-empty jar of mustard, capping it, and shaking.

for the salad

• 8 oz baby arugula
• 6 oz cambozola cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

for the dressing

• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Serves four

1. Make the salads: Divide arugula among four plates, divide pumpkin seeds and dried cherries evenly, sprinkle over arugula. Cut cambozola into four equal portions, slice each portion into three or four slices, arrange atop salads.
2. Make the dressing: Combine mustard, vinegar, and oil in a jar, cap, and shake until combined. Drizzle a spoonful or two over each salad.