Pears and cheese are a classic pairing. Combining sweet juicy pears with full-flavored, salty, earthy Gorgonzola and crunchy, bitter-sweet candied walnuts will take you to culinary Nirvana. Serve over a bed of salad greens dressed with a tangy white balsamic vinaigrette and score points with your family or guests. Enjoy!

Pear Salad with Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts
Serves 4 as a side salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large ripe Comice or Bartlett pear quartered and thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) Gorgonzola cheese crumbled (or other firm Bleu cheese)

• 3-4 tablespoons coarsely chopped candied walnuts (recipe below)

• 2-3 cups of salad greens of your choice (I used baby spinach, red leaf, and bib)

• White Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

• salt and pepper

Optional: micro-greens of choice (I used radish sprouts)

PREPARATION
Make the Candied Walnuts: makes about a cup; make ahead and store in an airtight container in a cool place. These candied walnuts are also great for snacking.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

• 1 cup whole toasted walnut halves

• ¼ cup light brown sugar

• scant ½ teaspoon of salt

• ½ teaspoon of black pepper

Optional: a pinch of cayenne pepper

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the sugar, salt, and pepper. Rinse the toasted walnuts to wet them and drain. Add the wet walnuts to the sugar mixture and mix well until the walnuts are well coated.

2. Spread the coated walnuts in a single layer on a foil or parchment-lined sheet pan and place in the preheated oven.

3. Mix after 4 minutes and continue baking for another 4-5 minutes.

4. Allow the nuts to cool completely before storing. They will become crunchy as they cool.

Make the vinaigrette: makes about a cup of vinaigrette

• ¼ cup Balsamic or White Wine vinegar

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper

• a few drops of lime juice

• ¾ cup of good-quality olive oil

Mix the first five ingredients in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Store for up to a week in an airtight container in a cool place.

Assemble the salads:

1. Place a small handful of salad greens on each of 4 plates.

2. Seed, quarter, and slice the pears so you have three slices for each plate.

3. Drizzle the pears and greens with the vinaigrette.

4. Sprinkle over with the Gorgonzola crumbles and chopped walnuts.

5. Finish with a few micro-green sprouts if using.

Wine pairing: for white wines, a light fresh Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio, Albariño, or Rosé would work with this salad. Light red wines like Grenache, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, or Nebbiolo are also good choices for those who prefer red wines. Avoid overly acidic/minerally whites and heavy tannin red wines.