Smoked Blue Cheese & Pear Salad with Arugula Greens
Tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Ingredients:
4-6 cups arugula greens
1 Asian pear, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup smoked blue cheese, crumbled
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic until well combined. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine arugula greens and pearl slices. Toss with about half of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste as desired. Crumble blue cheese over top and serve.
Pink Radicchio Salad with Red Pears
This winter salad is incredibly crisp and colorful.
Ingredients:
1 head pink Rosalba radicchio, halved, cored, and cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 red D’Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced
For dressing:
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the radicchio in a large bowl.
2. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic together, seasoning with fresh ground pepper to taste.
3. Drizzle about half of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to incorporate, then add more as desired. Top salad with the pear slices. Add more fresh ground pepper over if needed.
Variations: Feel free toss in a few handfuls of arugula, toasted pecans and even crumbled blue cheese into this salad to make it a main course dish.
Warm Beet Salad with Blue Cheese & Hazelnuts
Topped with blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts, this flavorful salad is incredibly beautiful.
Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven (see recipe)
1 head each Little Gem, baby Romaine and Butter lettuce, rinsed, patted dry with a paper towel and coarsely chopped
1 cup raw hazelnuts
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To toast hazelnuts: Preheat oven to 350°. In a baking pan toast hazelnuts in one layer in middle of oven 10-15 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins are blistered. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins (don’t worry about skins that don’t come off) and cool completely. Coarsely chop.
2. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic together, seasoning with fresh ground pepper to taste.
3. To assemble the salad: Arrange lettuce on a large platter and then top with beet slices. Top with crumbled blue cheese and chopped hazelnuts, then drizzle with the vinaigrette.
