al fresco salads – My Whisk and I

3-4 pears
6-8 dates
50g walnuts
100g gorgonzola/blue cheese, broken up into chunks
150g rocket leaves

Dressing:
half a red onion, very finely chopped
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml Dijon mustard
15ml cold water
45ml olive oil

Slice the pears into 3-4mm thick slices and arrange them on a serving platter, overlapping slightly.
Cut the dates into quarters and scatter evenly over the pears.
Scatter the walnuts over as well as the blue cheese.
Top the salad with the rocket leaves.

For the dressing:
Add the onion, vinegar, mustard and water to a small bowl and whisk together.
Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously until all is incorporated and the dressing is amalgamated.

Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and serve.

This is true French bistro style – a delicious warm bacon and egg salad!!
Serves two.

30ml olive oil
200g smoked bacon, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 slices sourdough bread, cubed
four handfuls of frisée salad leaves
half an onion, sliced into rings
15ml vinegar
2/4 eggs

Dressing:
half an onion, very finely diced
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml Dijon mustard
45ml olive oil

Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and bacon to it.
Cook until the bacon is crisp.
Scoop the bacon out but leave as much of the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the garlic and cubed sourdough and toss in the bacon fat.
Turn the heat to low and fry for about 5 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Remove from the pan.

For the dressing:
Add the diced onion, vinegar, mustard and 15ml cold water to a small bowl and whisk together.
Gradually add the olive oil, whisking all the time until you have a thick dressing.
Taste the dressing and season with salt.

Now, add the bacon, croutons, sliced onion and salad leaves to a mixing bowl.
Drizzle half of the dressing over and toss together.
Pile the salad onto 2 plates.

Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle boil and add the 15ml vinegar.
Crack the eggs into small bowls and gently lower into the water.
Poach the eggs for 3 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on top of the salad.
Drizzle the leftover dressing over the egg and salad and serve immediately.

Tag: al fresco salads

Pear, Date and Walnut Salad

Salad Lyonnaise