Baby Spinach, Pear and Walnut Salad

bluemoon downunder's Note:

A refreshing and flavoursome salad which is visually appealing and complements any meat, rice or pasta dish. Adapted from a recipe in the latest issue of the Australian magazine 'New Idea'. When I posted this initially, I just listed "pears" in the ingredients, but have since located the pears specified, and I have made the salad with those pears: CORELLA PEARS. See notes below.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 pears, preferably Corella pears
• 60 g walnuts
• 200 g baby spinach leaves
• 6 chives, coarsely chopped

FETA DRESSING

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 25 g soft feta, crumbled
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the honey and vinegar in a medium bowl and stir until well combined; cut the pears lenghtways into 1cm-thick pieces and toss in the honey mixture.
2. Cook the pears on a heated, oiled grill pan or BBQ hotplate on one side for 1 minute or until golden; remove and set aside to cool.
3. Toss the walnuts in the remaining honey and balsamic vinegar mixture, and cook on a heated oiled grill pan, turning frequently, for 2 minutes or until golden brown; set aside to cool.
4. FETA DRESSING: Place the milk and rosemary in a small saucepan and bring to the boil; remove and cool; discard the rosemary; place the feta in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time until it forms a smooth paste, whik in the oil and season to taste.
5. SERVING: Place the pears and walnuts in a large bowl, add the baby spinach leaves and chives, pour over the feta dressing, toss well and serve.
6. NOTES: Corella pears are named after the colourful Australian Corella parrot. They are a type of pear which was first developed by the German settlers who settled the Barossa Valley, in South Australia, in the 1840s. Corella pears are soft skinned, golden and red: really beautiful. As my mother said, they look as if they belong in a still life painting. They lose this colour when cooked, but they come out a beautiful golden brown, and they are so, so deliciously sweet. if you are familiar with Fuji apples, in taste and appearance, they are their cousins. I'm planning to make this salad next time with half Corella pears and half Fuji apples.

Reviews

[mommyrox]

We used to make this at the restaurant I worked at. The recipe combined micro greens with baby spinach. Crumbled feta, finely diced scallion, finely peeled pear slices and walnuts were laid on top. Raspberry or pear vinaigrette was the dressing of choice. I made this recipe and it was okay, but I prefer the restaurant recipe better. We used whatever ripe pear we could find in season.

[breezermom]

This was a delicious salad. But it was a lot of work for a salad. We really enjoyed it for our Christmas Eve dinner...it is great for a special occasion. I made this for Everyday is a Holiday Tag!

[Linda's Busy Kitchen]

This was a spectacular salad, that was truly enjoyed! I loved the sweetness of the honey with the balsamic vinegar to balance it off. The crunch of the nuts along with the cheese and pear was a nice combination as well. All in all this is one of the best salads I have had! DS loved it too, and asked me to make it again soon, so there ya go! It will be made often, as salads can get boring, especially when you have them often. Thank you for sharing with us Bluemoon! Linda Made for Zaar Stars