Tessa Kiros summer pears, nuts and blue cheese salad-web

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Tessa Kiros’ summer pear, nuts and blue cheese salad recipe

31 January, 2024 . 0

This refreshing summer throw together is part cheese platter, part salad making it the ultimate girl dinner. Sweet pears, crunchy walnuts and bitey blue cheese are drizzled with a zesty vinaigrette, making it the summer salad you never knew you needed.

Ingredients

Salad

30g shelled walnut halves
30g shelled whole
macadamia nuts
¼ tsp salt
about 220g mixed salad leaves (such as pink and red radicchio, endive, frisee or other)
2 small firm but ripe pears
4 seeded dates, halved, quite finely sliced
100g crumbly blue cheese (such
as Stilton, Roquefort, Bergader
or Danish Blue), in 4 chunks
160g black grapes, in 4 clusters

Dressing

1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp good red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ruby port (or sherry
or similar)
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Step 1.

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a small baking tray with baking paper. Put the walnuts and macadamia nuts into a small bowl. Splash with 1 tablespoon of water, scatter with ¼ teaspoon of salt and mix through well.

Step 2.

Scrape it all out on to the prepared baking tray and toast in the oven for almost 8 minutes or until pale golden and a bit crisp (take care not to burn them as they become bitter).

Step 3.

Divide the salad leaves among 4 plates and sprinkle with a little salt. Peel the pears (or leave unpeeled) and cut into quarters or chunks, then divide among the plates in a pile. Scatter the dates around the plates, then add a chunk of cheese on each.

Step 4.

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, adding a little salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle about 1½ tablespoons on each plate, over the leaves especially.

Step 5.

Divide the walnuts and macadamias among the plates, add a cluster of grapes to each, give everything a good grinding of black pepper and serve.

Serves 4.