Pear Salad

Last week I was in the airport and passed the time at one of the magazine stands. I saw a picture and recipe for a Pear Salad that caught my eye. I can't remember which of the magazines it was in and I didn't write down the recipe but I knew I could put together a salad in a similar fashion and add whatever I wanted to make it my own. I decided to 'build' my Pear Salads on a leaf shaped plate in keeping with the Fall celebrations at our Thanksgiving table. I couldn't find pears with the stem on but that would make it so much prettier. My measurements are for 4 pear salads

4 Pears

mixed baby greens

4 strawberries

1 kiwi

1 small tin Mandarin oranges

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp white sugar

Prepare your seeds first. Put sugar and pumpkin seeds in a non stick fry pan. Heat on medium until sugar melts and seeds begin to turn from green to a golden color. This process is very quick and you will need to stir constantly. Remove from heat and turn out onto a sheet of wax paper to cool and crisp. These can be made earlier in the day and just left sitting in a small dish to sprinkle onto salad just before serving.

Insert a small knife into the bottom of the pear and carefully cut out the core. Cut a small piece of the pair away at the bottom so that it will stand on your plate. Cut the whole pear into 3 piece so you can layer and stack them with greens and fruit.

Slice strawberries and kiwi and mix with drained oranges.

Dressing

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

Shake together well and store in fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the salad place a small amount of greens onto plate. Place the bottom piece of the pear and then some more greens and fruit. Drizzle a small amount of dressing onto each layer and continue until you add the top of the pear. Add some of the remaining fruit and greens around the pear stack, and sprinkle with the sugared pumpkin seeds. To top it off heat a small amount of honey and drizzle it over the pear. I used a grapefruit liquid honey, but any honey will work. This salad would be perfect at a girls luncheon.