A sweet, wintry salad to share with family and friends!
Toast the walnuts: heat a medium skillet over medium high heat, add the walnuts, olive oil and maple syrup, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. The walnuts will start to brown and become fragrant while the syrup and olive oil will meld together to coat the nuts. Stir and watch carefully so they do not burn. When the nuts begin to look and feel sticky and there is no liquid in the pan, they are finished, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside and cool. (They will be soft when warm but will harden and become irresistibly crunchy once cool!)
In a serving bowl or platter, toss the cooled crunchy walnuts with the apples and baby kale and top with cheese. Serve with your favorite dressing (or an extra squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil).
*Photo and recipe by @vestal_life
To keep sliced apples from going brown while preparing the walnuts, hold in a bowl of cold water with ½ half lemon squeezed in (or a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar).