Pear & Gorgonzola Salad

"Great looking salad with lots of zip"
 
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photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by May I Have That Rec photo by May I Have That Rec
photo by May I Have That Rec photo by May I Have That Rec
Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
11
Serves:
4
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ingredients

  • 1 cup walnut halves, toasted
  • 4 -6 cups torn salad greens, , trimmed washed & dried
  • 12 cup vinaigrette
  • 2 pears, peeled,cored & sliced
  • 14 lb gorgonzola (You may substitute with Blue or roquefort cheese)
  • Vinaigrette

  • 14 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 12 teaspoon salt
  • 12 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 34 cup virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons shallots, finely minced
  • pepper
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directions

  • To make Vinaigrette------------------.
  • Mix vinegar, salt, mustard in a blender or food processor.
  • Very slowly pour in the oil while processor is on.
  • Process until an emulsion forms.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Add shallots& pepper.
  • Best to make it fresh but may be stored for a few days in the fridge.
  • ---Salad-----------------------.
  • Toss greens with most of the vinaigrette.
  • Divide among 4 plates.
  • Decorate with pear slices and crumbled cheese.
  • Coarsely chop the walnuts and put on top of salad.
  • Drizzle the last of the vinaigrette over top.

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Reviews

  1. This is a very good and attractive salad. I used pecan halves as I did not have walnuts. I also used spinach, romain and endive for my assorted greens - it turned out wonderful! I recommend using this salad as a lunch item or first course meal - if you "blend" it with other flavors in a meal it may take away from the taste of this. Next time I may try some cut up brie cheese for a different taste. Really great salad - worth trying!!
     
  2. This is an excellent salad. I added some dried cranberries and topped with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Try CANDIED walnuts for little variety, too!
     
  3. Very easy and flavorful. We like with less dressing, so I used 1/4 cup for 6 cups of salad green to be tossed with. The extra vinaigrette can be stored in frige for a while for more of this salad. A couple of our guest did not care for gargonzola, so that was left on the side for self-serve. Everyone liked how nicely the pear & walnut (& cheese) fit together.
     
  4. Same as Graybert, I had pecan halves. Took this salad to a dinner at a friend's house (they have very sophisticated pallets) and it was a hit. About the easiest salad there is, too.
     
  5. SO pretty and really good!
     
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Tweaks

  1. Pecan halves instead of walnuts. That's what we had.
     
  2. This is very good. I used it first as a Thanksgiving side dish and have taken it to many pot lucks since and it always disappears. Variations I've tried include granny smith apples instead of pears, using pecans instead of walnuts, and a "mediterranean" version that uses feta and pine nuts.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

On January 10 2010 I will celebrate 9 years of Life with Zaar. I can't imagine being without it! It has become part of my daily routine. I feel very privileged to be one of the hosts on the Photo Forum. Taking photos of my culinary efforts is a full time hobby and I love it. My friends all know what to expect when they come to dinner "Are you finished taking pictures?" or "Did you get a photo of so & so?" I never let them wait too long and the food is NEVER cold! I now have over 6000 photos on Zaar - some fairly good and some definitely not so good. I am happy to say that practice does help. My roots are in Vancouver BC Canada - a very beautiful city that holds many wonderful memories for me. In 1990, I decided that for my retirement years I may want to settle in a smaller community and found a slice of heaven in the North Okanagan B.C. I love living here but every once in a while I miss the bright city lights, the Broadway shows and some of the small wonderful ethnic restaurants that Vancouver abounds in. That is easily resolved. I just take a trip to the coast, visit with friends for a weekend see a show and feast on Dim Sum or other specialty foods. I am getting a bit long in the tooth but was a very adventurous person. I have river rafted Hell's Gate on the Fraser river, been up in a glider over Hawaii (no not a Hang Glider!), gone hot air ballooning in the Napa Valley & the Fraser Valley, driven dune buggies on the dunes in Oregon, Para sailing in Mexico and tried many other adventurous, challenging, fun things. I have yet to try bungee jumping or sky diving. I may do them yet. I love to travel and experience other cultures. Mexco has been a favorite haunt. I have visited that lovely country many many times. Australia is another favorite as is England! In the past 16 months I have taken off 61 pounds and feel wonderful. I am off all medications and all systems are GO! In years I may be 79 but in spirit I am still in my forties. We are only as old as we allow ourselves to feel. Always think positive. Do something a bit challenging every day & always do something silly every day. Be a kid again! Laugh every day - it is internal jogging. Here are a few of my photos <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowNetworking="all" allowFullscreen="true" src="http://w615.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w615.photobucket.com/albums/tt233/Bergylicious/ABM slideshow/d95d7a18.pbw" height="360" width="480">
 
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