Baby Spinach, Pear and Walnut Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 pears, preferably Corella pears
• 60 g walnuts
• 200 g baby spinach leaves
• 6 chives, coarsely chopped

FETA DRESSING

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 25 g soft feta, crumbled
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. 1

   Place the honey and vinegar in a medium bowl and stir until well combined; cut the pears lenghtways into 1cm-thick pieces and toss in the honey mixture.

2. 2

   Cook the pears on a heated, oiled grill pan or BBQ hotplate on one side for 1 minute or until golden; remove and set aside to cool.

3. 3

   Toss the walnuts in the remaining honey and balsamic vinegar mixture, and cook on a heated oiled grill pan, turning frequently, for 2 minutes or until golden brown; set aside to cool.

4. 4

   FETA DRESSING: Place the milk and rosemary in a small saucepan and bring to the boil; remove and cool; discard the rosemary; place the feta in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time until it forms a smooth paste, whik in the oil and season to taste.

5. 5

   SERVING: Place the pears and walnuts in a large bowl, add the baby spinach leaves and chives, pour over the feta dressing, toss well and serve.

6. 6

   NOTES: Corella pears are named after the colourful Australian Corella parrot. They are a type of pear which was first developed by the German settlers who settled the Barossa Valley, in South Australia, in the 1840s. Corella pears are soft skinned, golden and red: really beautiful. As my mother said, they look as if they belong in a still life painting. They lose this colour when cooked, but they come out a beautiful golden brown, and they are so, so deliciously sweet. if you are familiar with Fuji apples, in taste and appearance, they are their cousins. I'm planning to make this salad next time with half Corella pears and half Fuji apples.