Pear, Candied-Walnut, & Date Salad

Ingredient

5 cups leaf lettuce

1 pear-sliced

6 medjool dates-pitted and diced

1 cup walnuts

2 Tbs agave nectar

1/2 tsp sea salt

4 Tbs gorgonzola cheese-broken into small pieces

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove-pressed in garlic press

pinch of salt/pepper

Serves 2

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Put walnuts on baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes in the oven

3. Once the walnuts are toasted, coat with agave nectar and 1/2 tsp of sea salt, and allow to cool

4. Layer salad with greens, pear, dates, cheese, and walnuts (divide onto 2 plates)

5. To make the dressing, pour all the ingredients into a Mason jar, cover, and shake until combined

6. Pour dressing onto salad and mix

I got the idea for this salad from a wonderful salad that I had at W.A. Frost. That was the first time that I ever had medjool dates, which tasted like candy in the salad. Eric and I would savor the few dates that we would get. I tried to make the candied walnuts healthier by using agave nectar instead of a sugar water solution. The little bit of salt on the walnuts with the sweetness of the agave make the flavor addicting. The gorgonzola also adds a nice saltiness which balances out the sweetness of the dressing and pear. I got the leaf lettuce at the farmer's market, so it was nice and fresh. I also liked that it was a sturdier green because it added a nice crunch. This was also my first attempt at making this dressing from scratch. I saw an episode the other day with Jamie Oliver and he said that you should always make your dressings 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. He also made all of his dressings in Mason jar, which I thought was a great idea because then you can shake the dressing up in it and also store the leftover dressing in the jar.