Regina Rae

“Salad-salads” are my throw- together Spring and Summer meal of choice.  The top of my fridge is lined with various dried fruit packets and an assortment of nuts.  My cabinets are stocked with a half-dozen vinegars.  My veggie drawer is always packed.  So, depending on the day, my mood, the heat, I’ll whip up a salad-salad with a variety of different ingredients and call it a meal.

But this Pear and Gorgonzola salad, I decided, needs a bit of broadcast time.  I love salads with fruits (especially apple, or even clementines on occasion).  And with paper-thin sliced pear, no beans (I promise, it’s not as good), and plenty of good quality gorgonzola cheese, nuts, and a generous amount of dried bing cherries/apple juice-sweetened cranberries, makes this salad a real winner.  I’ve paired it with a very light honey dressing, but a spritz of oil and light vinegar would be just as good.

Ingredients (for two):
1 small head romaine lettuce
4-5 scallions
1 pear, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
1/4 cup dried cherries

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or balsamic*
sea salt, pepper

*For those on the SCD-diet, be sure balsamic vinegar is SCD-safe (aged 18 years; no added sugars).

Methods:

1. Heat a small sauce pan on medium-high and toast the pecans until fragrant, stirring constantly (about 5-7 minutes).  Set aside.

2. Thoroughly wash and dry romaine leaves and rip into bite-sized pieces and layer on each plate.

3.  Chop scallions and pear.  Layer on top of salad with gorgonzola cheese, cranberries and pecans.

4.  Whisk simple 3-ingredient dressing and drizzle on top of each salad just before serving.

Diet Notes: SCD-safe (see asterisk), gluten-free