Stilton Pear Salad

I know, I know. Salad? Boooring. But wait! This one's boring but tasty!

My sister started making this recipe about 10 years ago (I'm getting freak'n old!) and at the time I didn't like blue cheese or pears (still really don't love either but have come to respect what that they can do for a salad) and so I've made many versions of this recipe substituting with goat cheese and apple or other cheeses and fruits it is really malleable to your liking (though best with the original recipe). Also, if you don't have Stilton any of the blues will do, including Roquefort or Gorgonzola.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cups red- or green- leaf lettuce (preferably young lettuce, available at specialty produce markets and some supermarkets), or a combination of both, rinsed and spun dry
1 large red Bartlett pear
1/4 pound Stilton, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup candied pecans

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, the mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. In a bowl toss the lettuce with half the dressing and divide the salad among 4 plates. Halve and core the pear and cut it lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange one fourth of the pear slices decoratively on each plate, divide the Stilton and the pecans among the salads, and drizzle the remaining dressing on top.

Caramelized Pecans Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Pecan halves

Melt butter in small skillet over medium-high heat and add sugar and nuts. Stir constantly until sugar loses grainy appearance, about 5 minutes. Pour nuts onto sheet of aluminum foil and let cool about 15 minutes.

A few random notes:
1. Lately my candied pecans have turned into rock candy surrounding pecans. You really have to let the sugar melt at a pretty high heat and then stir constantly to get the pecans covered in the caramelized sugar. I can't find my original recipe for this salad but I'm not sure if that's the issue or if my caramelizing skills have gone down hill.
2. My mom has ingrained in my head to save up little glass jars for making vinaigrette and dressing. You can just pour all the ingredients in the jars and shake. Plus, if you have leftover you can put the lid on it and use it for your next salad.

Guest Chef: Lisa White

Lisa White is my first guest Chef...I hope she doesn't mind.

We've had the great pleasure and honor of eating two lovely meals prepared (in part) by Lisa White. One in Galveston where despite the hazardous conditions and a power outage she fried up some wonderful shrimp, scallops, and oysters on a makeshift fryer on the gas grill...outside, in the rain, and with a smile...when others weren't so jolly.

The batter was a mixture of fish fry batter and crackers (I can't for the life of me think of what kind of crackers they were and it's Jen Gardner's family recipe!). Seriously, the best fried seafood I've ever had and the whole meal was wonderful (as was the night's before).

In Austin, over the 4th of July weekend, Lisa invited a bunch out to her house for dinner and again she hit the grill this time with burgers, drumsticks, Meyer's sausage, kabobs, and eggplant. She's got impeccable timing with the grill and everything was cooked perfectly. She also made homemade strawberry lemonade (with Vodka) and a delicious white bean salad that I'm planning on making at home this week.

White Bean Salad:

1 can of white beans

red onion chopped

salt

pepper

basil

cherry tomatoes, halved

a little olive oil

parmesan cheese

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I found the grilled eggplant recipe online and I thought it was very good -- though mostly it was because Lisa grilled it so well.

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Grilled eggplant:

1 large eggplant
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 pinch each thyme, basil, dill, and oregano
salt and freshly grated black pepper
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Three cheers for Lisa White!

Mesculun and Cherry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

I love goat cheese so it was a no-brainer that I try this recipe. I've always wondered how restaurants made goat cheese rounds and now that I've learned it's a snap I'm sure to put on the pounds. Now that I think of it, I've got leftover goat cheese in the fridge from a pasta salad I just made -- maybe I'll go make some "dessert" goat cheese rounds.

Anyhoo, this was a great salad. Almost just as good as the lamb rib chops (also pictured). I hope to eat a lot of it, and often. I will say that mesculun is a fancy term for "whatever greens you want to use" and bigger isn't neccessarily better when it comes to the goat cheese rounds. More rounds is better but bigger, not so much.

2 tablespoons roasted almond oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

3/4 cup sliced almonds (about 3 ounces)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

1 11-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, cut crosswise into 6 rounds

6 cups (packed) mixed baby greens or baby spinach

1 cup halved pitted fresh Bing cherries or other dark sweet cherries (about 7 ounces whole unpitted cherries)

1/2 cup 2x1/4-inch strips fresh fennel bulb

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper. Spread almonds on plate. Whisk egg and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Turn goat cheese rounds in egg mixture, then coat with sliced almonds, covering all sides. Place on rimmed baking sheet. DO AHEAD: Dressing and goat cheese rounds can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover separately and chill. Bring dressing to room temperature and whisk before using.

Bake goat cheese rounds until cheese is warm but not melted, about 10 minutes.
Combine greens, cherries, and fennel in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 6 plates. Place 1 cheese round on each plate and serve.