Roasted Pear Salad with Port Vinaigrette

Pears, Port and Blue Cheese....yum!  I knew this salad would be spectacular with just those three ingredients and then came the greens, the pears were roasted with shallots and a healthy dose of walnuts added the perfect crunch.  This salad turned out to be everything I thought it would be.

Roasted Pear Salad with Port Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Bosc pears, halved, cored, sliced in eighths
8 shallots, peeled and halved
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup port wine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bitter salad greens
4 cups baby greens
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons toasted walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the pears and shallots.  Toss them in oil, transfer to a large roasting pan, and roast in lower half of oven 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the vinaigrette, combine vinegar, honey, port ginger, and rosemary.  Pour this syrup over the roasting pears, and return the pan to the oven; roast for 10 more minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer pears and shallots to a bowl; pour syrup into a measuring cup.  whisk in enough oil to make 1 1/4 cups vinaigrette, season and set aside.

Combine greens and use just enough dressing to moisten the greens (maybe 1/2 of the dressing).  Toss well and divide greens among 4 plates.  Top with pears and shallots, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon or so more vinaigrette.  Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts.

From Cuisine at Home, October 2001

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