Salad with Dried Figs, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

I've finally packed away my winter coats, tulips and spearmint are coming up in the backyard, and there is ample sunlight to enjoy after I leave work -- I'm even thinking of investing in a bike to brave the city streets -- something that has always terrified me given Chicago drivers.  

Every May I'm hit with a sudden and forceful desire to eat nothing but fresh fruit, salads and sorbet.  This particular salad is one of my recent favorites, and it would be perfect to share with your mother this weekend.

The recipe is from Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer's New Orleans. Though, lucky for us, it can also be found on Cookstr. The sweetness of the figs combined with the salty cheese and the savory dressing create a complex and wonderfully balanced salad.  

I'm taking the train out to see my mother this weekend and on Wednesday I am flying to Argentina for a much anticipated vacation.  I reserved the tickets nearly ten months ago and I can hardly believe it's finally happening.  I have some much needed site maintenance to attend to, like updating my sorely out of date links, but the housekeeping will have to wait until I return.