Warm Pear and Organic Baby Greens Salad with Primrose Chèvre Cheese Medallions
Serves: 4
This super-easy warm salad is a beautiful way to utilize the last of the season's pears and celebrate the first-of-the-season baby organic greens. Serve it topped with slices of grilled chicken or a fillet of pan-seared halibut for a simple and lovely brunch or dinner.
Ingredients
PreparationIngredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil Add to list
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and sliced Add to list
- 2 medium ripe pears, quartered, cored and sliced Add to list
- 2 to 3 sage leaves, chopped Add to list
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped Add to list
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup Add to list
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove Add to list
- 3 tablespoons sherry wine or white balsamic vinegar Add to list
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste Add to list
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Add to list
- 4 to 6 cups mixed organic baby greens or first-of-season baby organic spinach Add to list
Primrose Chèvre Cheese Medallions
- 4 ounces of soft chèvre cheese Add to list
- 4 organic primroses, pansies or other edible flower Add to list
Preparation
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and stir-fry the shallot for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pears and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more until the pears are lightly crisp tender. Stir in the sage and hazelnuts.
In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, clove and vinegar and season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the oil. Turn the heat to low and add this mixture to the shallots and pears to make a nice dressing for your salad.
Have all of the ingredients for your salad ready and at the last minute toss the greens with the warm dressing. Divide between 4 to 6 plates and garnish with the Primrose Chèvre Cheese Medallions (below). This salad is delicious when served with grilled chicken breast, seared scallops, halibut or salmon!
For Primrose Chèvre Cheese Medallions
(Note: Your local PCC produce manager can order you an herb container full of edible flowers when they are in season, with which you can do all sorts of beautiful things!)
Divide the chèvre into 4 portions and roll each into a ball. Lay a small square of plastic wrap on a work surface. Place a primrose, pretty face down, on the plastic wrap. You may also place a small sprig of thyme or rosemary next to the flower.
Press one ball of cheese firmly on top of the flower, to about 1/2 inch thickness, smoothing the edges into a round medallion. Bring the plastic wrap up around the edges and enclose the medallion to make it airtight. (You may tuck it into a small ramekin to act as a mold for the shape of your medallion.) Repeat with the other flowers and cheese.
Refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, invert the medallions so the flower is on top and remove the plastic wrap. Beautiful!
Recipe by , PCC Chef
Source: Demonstrated on KING 5's "Gardening with Ciscoe" show aired on February 27, 2009
ABOUT OUR CHEF: Lynne Vea
Lynne Vea is a graduate of the Executive Chef Program at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris and has been cooking with PCC Natural Markets since 2001. Featured on King-5’s "Gardening with Ciscoe," she demonstrates easy and delicious recipes using seasonal ingredients.
Lynne is an admired PCC Cooks instructor, teaching a variety of popular PCC Cooks classes throughout the year.
She loves to collect old cookbooks, hunt for wild berries, and cook seven-course dinners where the guests are encouraged to dance and cavort between courses.
Find more recipes from Lynne.
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