Sweet and tangy cabbage salad with candied walnuts

Ingredients

• 480ml water
• 480ml sugar
• 1 1/2 cups walnut halves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 head napa cabbage, chopped
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
• 2 oranges, cut into supremes
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• Lemon-thyme vinaigrette, recipe follows
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsps reserved walnut simple syrup
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tbsps freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 3 tbsps olive oil
• Pinch salt
• Pinch cracked black pepper