Mandarin Truffle Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

Truffeoil

From the corner of my desk, they stared at me daily with boredom. I thought if I stared back hard enough, an idea would materialise. Almost 6 months had passed since JK, who clearly knows me well inside and out, presented me with truffle-infused olive oil from her month of backpacking and driving through the south of France. Weeks later, the tin of olive oil was blessed with a neighbour. To while their transit time away in Schipol Amsterdam airport from a Scandinavian trip, my parents purchased this jar of truffle for me. It was more like a silent instruction to prepare something out of it for them. Finally the ‘imported’ corner became complete when I returned from with a small bottle of 20 years old balsamic vinegar that I bought from Harvey Nichol’s decadent Food Hall in Edinburgh.

Mandarintruffle

All these times, I was elevated new heights of frustration. To have such fabulous goodies at my expense but yet I could not be compelled to use them. That’s always how the theory of craving goes, ain’t it? We spend our time wishing so hard for something unattainable, “If only I had a 20 year old balsamic, the salad would be PERFECT” and to eventually have it, the craving immediately vanish like smoke into the air. After months of frustration, it finally happened without hyped up fanfare, but in a blink, almost an anti-climax poof.

Two hours before dinnertime on an ordinary Friday night, the kitchen pervaded an atmosphere of weariness for the monotonous meals that have been made in it. Also in an almost invisible intuitive manner, I could hear it grouse about my extended absence. As if to comfort the neglected soul of my kitchen, I imaginatively dressed up this salad to finally use all three of the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and truffle together.

Mandarin Truffle Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
Mandarin oranges, canned or fresh
Sliced summer truffle
Whole roasted walnuts

For the walnut vinaigrette, mix together:

2 tbsp finely chopped roasted walnuts
2 tsp truffle-infused olive oil
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
a few drops of red wine vinegar
freshly ground sea salt and pepper