Note: A wonderful accompaniment to this salad is Goosecross Cellars’ Napa Valley Viognier. Their latest release is available now at: www.goosecross.com. You will love this pairing!
Ingredients
Fresh greens
5-6 fresh pears, peeled (or not) and freshly sliced
½ cup pistachio nuts
2 T. butter
2 T. sugar
¼ cup olive oil
2 T. champagne or other favorite vinegar
2 T. honey
Salt and pepper
You will also need:
Salad plates
Paring knife
Small skillet
Glass for assembling dressing
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Spoon for stirring dressing
Instructions
To make the candied pistachio nuts:
Melt the butter in the skillet and add the sugar. Cook on medium heat until the sugar has totally melted. Add the pistachio nuts and sauté for about a minute until nuts are toasted. Remove from heat and turn out onto parchment paper. Separate nuts to keep from sticking together. Let cool.
To make the dressing:
Mix together the olive oil, vinegar and honey. Add a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside.
To assemble the salad:
Place several leaves of lettuce on each plate. Decorate with the pear slices. Add the candied nuts. Just before serving, drizzle with the salad dressing. 6-8 people.
