A Pretty Pear Salad

comice

I don't love fruit in general, especially pears. They always seem so soft and mushy to me.

HOWEVER, I love the shape of a pear. I am very attracted to any antique image of a pear. I have a beautiful antique still life painting that depicts pears.



and a Georgian fruitwood tea caddy in the shape of a pear.



There is something so pretty and sensual about a pear.

Am I weird? Does anyone agree with me here?

We received a lovely box of Royal Riviera Comice pears, a variety I was not familiar with until now. Very different looking than a Bosc or Anjou pear, almost apple like in color with a red tinge.



I read that these are "royal" pears and should be eaten with a spoon!

I made a delicious simple salad with the pears. I added walnuts and a beautiful aged Parmigiano Reggiano to go with.

My affair with pears began a long time ago, just not eating them. But these were really tasty, and they "paired" beautifully with the cheese.

I ate this salad for lunch 3 days in a row!



Salad w/ Comice Pears, Walnuts & Cheese:

2 cups of mixed greens, including arugula and frisee
1/4 cup of toasted walnuts
a few slices of aged Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
2 Comice pears, peeled and thinly sliced

Dressing:
1 tsp of French grainy mustard
1 tbsp of honey
2 tbsp of champagne vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp of walnut oil



Whisk dressing and lightly toss with the salad ingredients.



Enjoy.

Comments

Linda said…
Wow !~! You ate fruit!! Those look like Harry and David! in which case they classify as way more than fruit!! Yumm. Salad looks yummy!
Koek! said…
That sure is a pretty salad...
Rebecca said…
No you are not weird- you're weird if you DON'T enjoy the look of a beautifully shaped pear!! That salad looks great- I love the dressing too- need to get some walnut oil! Thx
George Gaston said…
A perfect salad indeed! I love the grainy mustard dressing. Many thanks for posting this great pear salad.
Randi Lynne said…
One of my favorite salads is similar to this. I want to try your variation, though.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roquefort-Pear-Salad/Detail.aspx
kat said…
I've never been a big fan of pears either, I've always felt they have a weird gritty mouth feel but then over Christmas I had some with cheese that were so good I was sold
You had me at aged parmigiano and sweet pears, I'm already addicted to that roasted walnut oil, so this salad is a winner to me!
Ciao Chow Linda said…
Every year I get some of those exquisitely wonderful pears sent to me by friends. Next time I'll make your salad. It looks like something I could eat for three days straight too. You're not alone in your thoughts about the sensual shape of pears. I love your painting.
Anonymous said…
And remember ladies, the look we should be aiming for, for health, is a pear, pear shaped, keeping all the extra junk down in the trunk. Let those Hollywood loser types topple over with their artifically inflated chests, just give me another helping of that FANTASTIC LOOKING SALAD!!!
Meseidy said…
S-
I love pears and this salad looks scrumptious! A perfect option for lunch.
Dana said…
I'm with you, I can take or leave them by themselves, but I love them in salads or desserts. Those are gorgeous!
I love this combination of fruit, nuts and cheese. These are some of the best pears you can buy, so the salad must have been excellent. And, I'm kinda having some envy over that tea caddy ...
Foodiewife said…
Other than bananas, I forget to eat fruit! I like pears mostly in salads. This one is a weener! I received a box of those, once, and they were luscious. Mmmm.
Eileen said…
I have a place for that painting in my house ;]
Eileen said…
I have a place for that painting in my house ;]
Anonymous said…
I love the recipe but I will use grocery store pears for that. Harry and David pears for me are divine on their own.
Michele said…
I love pears especially when combined with cheese like brie. It's fantastic! I also love it in a salad with nuts! Wish I had a pear right now!
Lori Lynn said…
That salad is a beauty!
LL
The JR said…
I think everytime I see a pear for a while I'll think of you!
citronetvanille said…
This one is always a classic, love it, and nothing better than a frisée with pears and walnuts