My French Salad

total time:: 15 min

Makes 4-5 people

Julia Turner

Mixed greens with pears, toasted pecans, blue cheese and slice red onion with a mustardy viniagrette

ingredients

For Salad:
Mixed baby greens, bought fresh the day the salad is to be served
Arugula (same as above)
1-2 ripe pears, sliced in chunks
Handful of dried cranberries
Blue cheese, crumbled (get a good one, like Maytag or Buttermilk Blue. You can even use Stilton or an Aged Gorgonzola)
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
Thinly sliced red onion
For Dressing:
1/3 cup Sherry wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

directions

1
Toast chopped pecans a hot pan (4-5 minutes), making sure not to burn them. The air should smell toasty when they are ready. Let cool.
2
Assemble greens, pear, blue cheese, and onions in a bowl. Toss with dressing. Add pecans to the top of the bowl. Serve immediately.

notes

Variation: Use different kinds of nuts - walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or pistachios. You can also vary the fruit you use according to what is in season. Use thinly sliced hard persimmons, crisp apples, in the fall, or peaches or nectarines in the summer.

Source: Julia Turner