Arugula, Red Grape, and Manchego Holiday Salad

Ingredients

• 5 oz. baby arugula, washed and spin dry
• 2 cups red grapes, cut in half
• 2-3 T shaved Manchego cheese, or more
• 2-3 T sliced almonds, toasted
• 10 chopped grapes
• 1 T finely diced red onion
• 1 T sherry or balsamic vinegar
• 1 T agave nectar or maple syrup
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Place the arugula in a salad spinner, cover it with very cold water, and leave it for a few minutes so the leaves perk up. Pulling away the stems first is optional. Pour off the water, then spin the greens until they are very dry. If you are working without a salad spinner, use a bowl for the soaking, then drain the arugula and pat it dry well with paper towels.
2. Rinse the grapes, dry them thoroughly, and halve them. For the grape dressing, take about 20 of those halves, cut them once more, and pulse them in a food processor or mini-chopper. Add the onion, vinegar, and agave, then blend until the mixture is still a little chunky. Pour in the olive oil and blend once more. The dressing will be on the loose side.
3. Transfer the remaining grapes to a bowl that is big enough for the finished salad, then coat them with about 2 tablespoons of the dressing.
4. With a vegetable peeler, shave the Manchego, or the cheese you are using, into thin pieces.
5. Set a dry pan over the heat and toast the sliced almonds for a minute or two, stopping when they begin to smell nutty.
6. Add the arugula to the bowl with the dressed grapes, then toss in enough dressing to lightly coat the salad the way you like it.
7. Divide the salad among individual plates, then finish each portion with Manchego shavings and toasted almonds.
8. You can get much of this ready earlier in the day and keep it chilled until you are ready to assemble. Crisp the arugula and tuck it into a Ziploc bag, rinse and cut the grapes and keep them in a snap-tight container, and make the vinaigrette in a jar. Give the dressing time to lose its chill before tossing the salad.