Pear Salad

Few salads have earned the right to be in the Nelson Family cook book. And I can guarantee you that every single one of them is amazing. Peggy has such a wonderful ability to pair flavors and she always whips up homemade dressings that will have you wanting to lick the bowl. This pear salad is no different. Its the perfect balance between sweet and savory, and has a wonderful salty crunch to it.

Salad Ingredients: 

2 heads romain lettuce

1 pkg mixed greens

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/2 lb cooked and crumbled bacon

4 oz gorgonzola cheese

3 pears

Dressing Ingredients: 

2 cups sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dry mustard

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cup oil

2 tsp poppy seeds

Directions: Roast Walnuts for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then cool. For the dressing, combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender until the onions are finely chopped. Slowly add oil while the blender is still running. Stir in poppy seeds. In a very large bowl mix greens with bacon, pears, walnuts, and cheese. Toss with dressing and serve immediately. If you like your salads slightly underdressed you can always make 1/2 of the dressing. 

This is the perfect flavor combinations for a salad, all coming together in one beautiful bowl. We hope you try it and look forward to your feedback!