Watercress & Sunchoke Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Serves 6

What You Need For The Cranberry Vinaigrette:

• 1 cup cold water or light vegetarian broth mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, cranberry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons sesame meal (toasted sesame seeds pulverized in blender)
• 2 teaspoons salt or herbal salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

What You Do For The Cranberry Vinaigrette:

1. Stir the water or broth and cornstarch together in a small saucepan over high heat until it thickens and turns clear. 
2. Pour into a blender with the remaining vinaigrette ingredients, and blend until smooth. Place in a cruet or pitcher and refrigerate until serving time.

What You Need For The Salad:

• 1 pound raw sunchokes
• 1 head of Boston lettuce, washed and dried
• 2 bunches of watercress, washed, dried, and trimmed
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

What You Do For The Salad:

1. Scrub and peel the sunchokes and slice them thinly. 
2. You can make a large salad on a platter or individual salads. Either way, line the dish first with the lettuce, then the watercress. 
3. Top with the sunchoke slices and onion slices. If made ahead of time, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. Drizzle with a little of the cranberry vinaigrette just before serving.