Spinach And Pear Salad

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3/4 cup hazelnuts
• 1/3 cup sherry wine vinegar or 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup hazelnut oil or 1/3 cup salad oil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 (8 ounce) firm-ripe pears, rinsed
• 4 quarts baby spinach leaves, rinsed and crisped (1 pound)
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 in a 6- to 8-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir hazelnuts often until golden under skins, 5 to 10 minutes.
• 2 pour onto a towel and let stand until cool enough to handle.
• 3 rub nuts in towel to remove ay loose skins.
• 4 lift nuts from towel and reserve; discard skins.
• 5 coarsely chop nuts.
• 6 in a large bowl, whisk vinegar, oil and mustard to blend.
• 7 cut pears lengthwise into quarters and core.
• 8 cut quarters lengthwise into thin slices.
• 9 drop slices into bowl and mix to coat with dressing.
• 10 (this step helps keep pears from browning) add spinach and mix gently.
• 11 sprinkle with blue cheese and roasted nuts and mix gently.
• 12 add salt and pepper to taste.