“Pear”fectly delightful salad with walnuts & fennel

It’s pear season! The pears we carry now are coming in from California, Washington and Oregon. The Comice pear is an absolute favorite for pear lovers – it’s the most fragrant and juicy pear out there! If you want to try a different variety, we recommend one of the local Asian pears, such as the yellow Shinseiki or the brown Hosui. Both of these are coming from Paul Sigona’s father-in-law, Mr. Fujita of Morgan Hill. This salad goes wonderfully with a squash soup or a stuffed pasta.

• 1 large Comice pear
• 1/3 c. light walnut halves and pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 TBL walnut oil (you can use olive oil as a substitute if desired)
• 1 bulb fennel
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 c. blue cheese, crumbled (such as St. Agur Blue)

Cook’s note: Slice the pears last or add the slices to a bowl of water with a little lemon juice as they turn brown quickly. If you do put them in a lemon water bath, drain and pat dry before using.

Cut fennel in half lengthwise then slice into thin slices. Set aside. Peel the pear and cut fourths. Remove the core and dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil and salt & pepper.

At meal time, arrange the pear and fennel slices on salad plates and drizzle about 1 TBL of the oil mix on each plate. Sprinkle with walnuts and cheese. Serve immediately.