Recipe - Fall Salad

8 Handfuls chicory greens
(hearts of escarole or
curly endive, raddichio,
Belgian endive)
3 Bartlett or Comice pears
12 Whole walnuts
Walnut oil (optional)
4 ounce Gorgonzola Dolcelatte
crumbled
10 Branches chervil or parsley
Freshly milled pepper

VINAIGRETTE
1 One half tablespoon Pear or champagne vinegar
or to taste
Salt
3 tablespoon Virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon Walnut oil

SEPARATE LEAVES OF WHICHEVER type of green you're using. If using escarole
or curly endive, use just the pale inner leaves. (Outer leaves can be
sauteed with garlic and chile delicious!) Gently cut or tear leaves into
attractive pieces, wash and dry them and set aside. To cut pears, stand
them upright and slice off a round from the side. Work your way around the
pear, slicing it thinly into crescentshaped pieces. If walnuts are really
fresh, simply crack them and break them into quarters and eighths. If they
aren't so fresh, toss them in a little walnut oil and toast them at 350F
until lightly roasted, about 7 minutes. Prepare vinaigrette and use half of
it to dress the leaves. Set them on salad plates. Dress pears with
remaining vinaigrette and settle them into leaves. Scatter walnuts over
salad along with cheese. Garnish with chervil and dust lightly with pepper.
VINAIGRETTE: In bowl, combine vinegar with salt, then whisk in oils. Adjust
oil or vinegar to get the balance you like.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini