Recipe: Spinach, Pear & Walnut Salad

the appetizer:

The Food Made Fast series from Williams-Sonoma offers a selection of quick and easy cookbooks on single subjects, featuring recipes like Tangerine Beef & Snow Peas (Asian), Pesto Shrimp on Mixed Greens (Grilling), Spinach, Pear & Walnut Salad (Salad), and Creamy Fish Chowder (Seafood).

Spinach, Pear & Walnut Salad

from Williams-Sonoma

Serves 4

Unlike many fruits, pears ripen off the tree, and they ripen from the inside out, so they may feel very firm on the surface even when soft inside. To test for ripeness, press just to one side of the stem end; if it gives, the pear is ripe. To ripen pears quickly, put them in a paper bag along with a banana. Check once a day to see how the ripening is progressing.

3/4 cup (3 oz/90 g) walnut halves
1/4 cup (2 oz/60 g) sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot-pepper sauce
Freshly ground pepper
6 ounces (185 g) baby spinach
4 pears, such as Bosc or Anjou, peeled, halved, cored,
and cut into thin wedges
2 ounces (60 g) blue cheese, crumbled

Toast the walnuts:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until aromatic, 8-10 minutes; do not let them brown.

Make the dressing:
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, walnut oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot-pepper sauce, and a pinch of pepper until smooth.

Assemble the salad:
Add the spinach, pears, and walnuts to the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Arrange on plates or in bowls, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve.