Autumn Salad

This sounded like my kind of salad.  Pears, feta (or blue) cheese...and bacon.  I had never had bacon on a salad and now I'm wondering why I hadn't thought of it before.  It added a wonderful smokiness to the dish.  Of course, the other ingredients didn't disappoint either and it all came together to make a wonderful salad.

This is a very flexible recipe.-- there aren't many measurements given, although I wrote in a rough estimate of what I used in our salad.   I highly recommend making your own vinaigrette which only takes 2 minutes to throw together but you can also used bottled salad dressing, too.

While this was called an autumn salad, pears are definitely in season for the next few months so I have a feeling we'll be having this all winter long.

Autumn Salad
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• romaine lettuce, chopped (you could also used any kind of mixed greens here as well)
• 1 pear, cored and diced (I used a bosc pear)
• sweetened dried cranberries (I used a small handful)
• pecans or walnuts, chopped
• bacon, cooked and crumbled (I estimated 1 slice per person)
• red onion, diced (optional, I omitted)
• feta or gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• balsamic poppy seed vinaigrette (see recipe below or you can mix together a bottled balsamic dressing with a poppy seed dressing)

Balsamic Poppy Seed Vinaigrette:

• 2 Tbsp. white (or regular) balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil (you could also use the bacon grease as well)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. To make the vinaigrette, whisk to combine vinegar, mustard, honey, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. While whisking constantly, add the oil in a steady stream. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. To assemble the salad, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette and serve.