Pear Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad.

Fall and winter always seem to bring on a craving for slow cooked comfort foods like soups, stews and other similar hearty fare. But even in the chilly months, the fresh taste and crunch of a seasonal salad is a welcome change of pace.



Ingredients

1-2 Fresh Pears (not over ripe)
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1-2 tsp white wine vinegar
2-3 tbsp Whole grain prepared mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/2 Pound or 1 packet of washed and well drained Arugula, spinach or rocket salad mix
Salt and black pepper
(Optional) Butter & Bacon cubes


Method

1. Mix the Fresh Lime juice, white wine vinegar, whole grain mustard and honey until well blended. Set aside.

Note: You can also mix it in one at a time later if you prefer.

2. In a small frying pan set on a medium heat burner, melt the butter and cook the bacon cubes with black pepper and salt until crisp. Drain well and Set Side.

(Optional) I like to place a couple walnuts into the bowl containing the drained bacon to soften. I like to have some crispy and some soft walnuts in my salad. hehe.

3. Peel(optional), core and slice the pears into thin wedges.

4. Mix the Vinaigrette, Rocket, walnuts and pears in a large bowl, crumble in the blue cheese and season with salt and pepper before serving.

This Autumn salad of pears, blue cheese, walnuts, bacon, and greens in a zesty mustard vinaigrette with a sweet edge which can be enjoyed either as a light lunch or an appetizer.
It is also optional if you want to serve the vinaigrette dressing mixed in our separately with the salad.

Another Option you could try next time is to brown the pears all over on pan with 2tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

The blue cheese takes away the whole bitterness of the Rocket while the fresh lime and the sweet pears balances the strong taste of the cheese back.

Let me know what you think! Happy Cookings and Good Luck in the kitchen! :)