Jill's Fresh Pear and Maytag Farms Blue Cheese Salad with a Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 cups walnut pieces
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 1/2 cups walnut oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 cups mixed spring lettuces, cleaned
6 fresh ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 pound Maytag Farms blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400?F.
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Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, honey and shallots to the warm nuts. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
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In a large mixing bowl, toss the lettuces with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Fan the pears over the bottom of each serving plate. Mound the greens in the center of the pears. Crumble the cheese over the greens. Garnish with black pepper and parsley.
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Yield: 12 servings