Warm Spinach and Pear Salad

Warm Spinach and Pear Salad

Recipe from Chef Rose Johnson of Private Chefs of the SF Bay

Servings: 4

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 large ripe pears
  • 10 oz bag pre-washed baby spinach
  • ¼ lb bacon or braised pork belly
  • ¼ red onion
  • 6 cherry tomatoes
  • Sliced watermelon radish or radish of choice

For the mousse:

  • 3 oz Chèvre
  • 3 oz Labne or Mascarpone
  • ½ package gelatin

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup pear vinegar
  • ¼ cup Meyer lemon olive oil or evoo

Steps:

  1. Dice pork belly or bacon and crisp in a pan. Set crispy pork on paper towel. Keep the pan with the drippings for making the dressing.
  2. Slice the red onion as thin as possible
  3. In a small glass or plastic bowl measure 2 tbs water and sprinkle gelatin on top. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
  4. In a medium sized bowl blend the labne and Chèvre
  5. Peel the pears, slice in half lengthwise and cut out the seeds and stem.
  6. Dice ½ of one of the pears into tiny pieces
  7. Add diced pear to Chèvre mixture
  8. Melt the gelatin in the microwave for 10 second intervals until gelatin is melted. Allow gelatin to cool down for a few minutes then stir into the Chèvre mix. Scoop out small balls of the mousse and put in freezer .
  9. Over low heat, warm up the pan with the bacon fat and add the oil and vinegar to the pan.
  10. Toss spinach with the warm dressing
  11. Top with the bacon bits, add tomatoes, onions, radishes.
  12. Add the frozen Chèvre ball to the plate, a nice flatbread cracker, salt and pepper

 

Private Chefs of the SF Bay us a collective of top private chefs, in and around the Bay, creating 5-star dinner parties (luncheons, brunch and cocktail parties) in your home or venue. PCoSFB personal chefs are vetted for quality of food, presentation, service, and even clean-up with over 200 5-STAR reviews, just in the last 2 years! You'll discover chefs with Michelin Star restaurant experience, award winners (including a Chopped Grand Champion and a TopChef Season 15 contestant!), and a chef who is an award-winning cookbook author. "While our culinary styles vary, our cooking philosophies are similar. First and foremost, we believe in respecting the ingredients-- which means the natural flavors of what we cook directs our dishes and menus. We work with small, local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen whenever possible-- folks who take the same care in creating the ingredients we use as we do in creating the dishes we prepare". 

 

Warm Spinach & Pear Salad

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