March 3, 2011

Vertical Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette





















I saw the picture of this appetizer in a very old Better Homes and Garden magazine and I knew I had to make it. I'm not sure why I'm on such a blue cheese and pear kick lately but this one is not only delicious, it's fun to make and look at. The recipe below yields 4 servings. Enjoy!

HELPS
1. Make sure you use ripe pears. If using Bartlett, the more yellow, the more ripe. If it's not as yellow as you'd like it to be, leave it out on the counter for several hours before using.

INGREDIENTS
½ tsp oregano
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup plus 2 oz crumbled blue cheese
4 smooth-skinned pears
2 cups watercress or spring mix salad
2 Tbs walnuts, candied

DIRECTIONS

1. In small bowl, mix oregano, sugar and balsamic vinegar
2. Slowly add olive oil while whisking mixture together
















3. Add 1 cup blue cheese, then set vinaigrette aside
4. Toss salad with walnuts, 2 oz blue cheese and vinaigrette































5. Core pears from the bottom, using a melon ball scooper, leaving the stem intact
















6. Slice pears in four horizontal slices
7. Reassemble pears with salad mix in between



























































































8. Drizzle with honey and serve

1 comment:

  1. My first reaction to the pic was 'how cool!'. What a clever way to present it. Well done.

    ReplyDelete