Winter is drawing to a close and I decided it was high time to come up with a new cold weather salad. This is a salad that looks and tastes like winter. It's almost enough to make me stop longing for tomatoes and basil. Almost.
This salad features three classic winter ingredients: pears, pecans and maple syrup. The cheddar and Boston lettuce complement them beautifully.
Like these photos? I should mention that I won this set of five hand-carved bowls from Theresa over at Food Hunter's Guide. Doesn't this beautiful salad highlight their magnificent wood grain?
Winter Salad
Substitute crumbled goat cheese for the cheddar if you like.
DRESSING
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
juice and zest of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
SALAD
1 head Boston or butter lettuce
1 pear, chopped or cut in wedges
a handful of toasted pecans (or use candied pecans if you have any handy; I always do)
2 oz. orange cheddar cheese, cut in cubes
First, prepare the dressing. Combine all the ingredients and mix well with a fork.
Combine the lettuce and pears in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. Serve the salad into individual salad bowls and then garnish with pecans and cheese cubes.
Serve immediately.
Linking this up to Weekend Bloggy Reading!
What a great combo! I know I would love this---especially the pecans :)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all these photos are GORGEOUS! I want to dive into that winter salad! So many good winter ingredients...I almost don't even care whether or not spring comes!
ReplyDeleteI actually noticed the bowls before the food in them, they are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos!
The salad sound delicious too:)I Love the combination of all the flavors.
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Daniela
http://isreview1.blogspot.com
I love the wood bowls, the right size for a salad. I'm a salad girl many times too, I love to combine different ingredients. But that cheese, pear and pecans look really good. Creamy, juicy and crunchy, yum. I also glanced at the bread in the background, perfect.
ReplyDeleteSince we go pear picking in the fall, I always thought of them as an autumn fruit. Meanwhile, I'm already dreaming of peaches. I can't seem to nail winter fruit
ReplyDeleteGlad you got yourself those beautiful bowls...perfect for that delicious salad. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThose bowls are really beautiful! I also love love love winter salads. Pears are just perfection! Love your idea of adding maple syrup into the dressing too!
ReplyDeleteThat dressing looks and sounds so delicious- i could eat it all by itself! I bet it would go just as well in the summer time! Wonderful recipes and I am loving the bowls. Did you say where you got them?
ReplyDeleteOh and I have a fun giveaway today- come and enter if you get a chance!
The bowls are from Novica, and I won them from a fellow food blogger, over at Food Hunter's Guide. Aren't they gorgeous??
ReplyDeleteHi Rivky, Would you be so kind as to allow me to highlight this post as a qUICK AND EASY RECIPE on my blog. I am trying to do one with a guest blogger. You would be my second one.
ReplyDeleteCheck it out on my blog to see how I am handling it. If you are interested, please let me know.
I could eat this salad, right now, if I had any greenery, in the house. It is absolutely delicious looking and I am sure, tasting.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so good!
ReplyDeleteIt's almost midnight and now I'm craving salad. Great. ;) Looks like a fabulously delicious lunch recipe for me to try. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for linking up to my Weekend Bloggy Reading party. Hope you'll visit me at Serenity Now again soon. :)
I love winter salads - and your dressing with the maple syrup sounds perfect.
ReplyDeleteI love this kind of salad. I usually pair pear (wait, that sounds funny) with feta or goat or blue cheese, but cheddar sounds great. The dressing sounds nice, too. And those bowls are really wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing! I am so trying it out!! By the way I love the bowls!!
ReplyDeleteNice combination of salads, i will sure try this as its healthy also.
ReplyDelete