Spinach Salad with Bosc Pears

Gaye also made us this fantastic salad and I'm so glad that she shared the recipe.  Unfortunately we didn't snap a picture of it, but that just means I will have to make it again soon so I can update the post!

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Fantastic salad, that blends sweet and tart.  Great pairing for everything from fish to steaks!

SPINACH SALAD WITH BOSC PEARS

Serves 6

Spinach – 1 plastic tubs worth (8 cups). Remove stems & rinse
Candied pecans
Stilton Cheese – 1 sm package
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices

Dressing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.

To assemble the salad, toss everything with dressing, OR layer in this order:
Spinach
Onions
Pears
Cranberries
Pecans
Cheese on the side
Drizzle with dressing