Shake Family Recipes, Poached Pear and Gorgonzola

Serves six

This salad combines the crunch of local greens and the smooth sweetness of Bosc pears with the tang of Gorgonzola cheese and raspberry vinaigrette.

Salad
1 lb. mixed baby greens
1 cup Gorgonzola cheese
Raspberry vinaigrette dressing (see recipe)
1 cup caramelized walnuts (recipe below)
3 poached Bosc pears, peeled, with stem on (recipe below)

Poached Pears
3 Bosc pears
1 cup red wine
1 cup water
3 cloves
3 sticks cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. ketchup
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 cup olive oil

Caramelized Walnuts
1 cup walnut halves
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg

Poached Pears: Combine the red wine, water, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Shave a little off the bottoms of the pears so they can stand upright in the saucepan and place them into the liquid. The syrup should cover the fruit. If necessary, add more liquid and sugar. Return the saucepan to a low heat and bring to a very low simmer for about 12 minutes or until the pears are tender. Let the pears cool in the syrup for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors. When cool, cut each in half and fan the individual halves.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing: Whisk all ingredients together, adding the oil slowly.

Caramelized Walnuts: Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl, whip the egg and cup sugar together. Gently fold in the walnuts. Bake on a greased, lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

To assemble salad: In a large bowl, mix the greens with enough of the dressing to coat the leaves. Place the greens onto six separate plates. Crumble the Gorgonzola cheese evenly over the greens, sprinkle with walnuts, and add half a fanned poached pear on top of each salad.