Winter Salad

When I think salad, I think hot summer weather and cool refreshing flavors. Then I remind myself of the exciting produce available in fall and winter (pear, squash, etc) and how salad instantly becomes a comfort food. I was invited to a glitter party today (yes i know, AMAZING) and brought the salad to add to a spread of savory tarts and fresh asparagus. This salad is light enough to be a starter for dins and also has enough substance to be the main lunch event. It is also one of my all-time faves... and that's saying something.


Fall Salad with Pears, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese
serves 6 as starter or 4 as main

Ingredients

• 1 bag of spinach leaves, washed and ready-to-eat
• 1 large pear (of any sort), peeled and chopped into medium size chunks
• 1 handful of walnut pieces
• 1 handful of blue cheese crumbles, I used gorgonzola
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

Directions

• Get out a small pan.. melt butter and add sugar
• Add chopped pears and cook for 2 min. You do not want the pears to start to lose shape/lose all of their crunch.
• Drain pears, put in salad bowl. reserve the liquid left of the bottom of the pan.
• Add vinegar, oil, mustard, salt & pepper to the pear liquid and whisk.
  
• Add spinach, walnuts, cheese, and dressing to the pears in the salad bowl.
  
• Mix.

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Light Lunch

If you are lucky enough to be living in a country where it is still summer, then I hope this will be a useful hint for a light summer lunch.

It is very basic, yet it beats your everyday sandwich. It is also good for you in so many ways, I like to eat this with slabs of cold salted butter just to off set that though. 

The list of ingredients is more 'say what you see' than any secret, but I'll make it clear for you anyway. This is for two hungry people:

2 honey and soy smoked mackerel fillets

2 small eating pears

1 ball of the best mozzarella  you can get your hands on

bag of roquette

1 white stonebaked flute (or any baguette you feel like eating)

chilled salted butter, for bread

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tbsp runny honey

1 1/2 tbsp good olive oil

plenty of salt and pepper

Put the lemon, honey, oil, salt and pepper into an empty jam jar and shake it until your arms ache - or ingredients are combined. Voila, your dressing is ready, and you have something to keep it in should you have dressing left over. It might be easier to double the ingredients list and just keep the rest for next time (which will come soon, I assure you).

Cut the pears into even slices and remove any core. Split the roquette between two plates, scatter with torn off chunks of the mozzarella and arrange the pears over this. Drizzle with plenty of dressing. If you are making a huge bowl for several people then just chuck everything into a bowl and toss it together lightly, there's no need for extra mess when there's just two of you.

Divide the mackerel and bread between the plates and enjoy with a large cold glass of sparkling elderflower cordial.