First discovered at Nordstrom's department store, this Pear, Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad is now one of our favorites to make at home and a great use for the pears that are available in cooler months; the perfect winter salad!
I first posted this recipe for a Pear, Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing twelve years ago so it seems now would be perfect timing for an update. I was using a point and shoot camera on the verge of dying and the photos were beyond awful so was happy to change those out but more important, I wanted to introduce this salad to new readers, seriously it's been a favorite for over 15 years!
I thought it appropriate when I made it again yesterday that I do a re-posting; not simply because I took new photos but a salad this good should be one that new readers enjoy too. I never tire of it!
I give all credit to Nordstrom's Cafe. Once completely unknown to me, after my daughter starting working there in high school I would visit her at lunch time and knew that I had discovered an unheralded treasure. They had a chef on premises and we loved everything they served but I have to admit that once I tried their Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette I seldom strayed far from this favorite.
The salad is simple; pear, Gorgonzola cheese, and candied walnuts served over mixed greens. I don't recall if the red onions were their idea or mine but no matter, they are a perfect complement both in taste and color.
The dressing served with the salad at the cafe, while good, was their bottled Champagne vinaigrette. I decided to make something easy for myself and other home cooks to mix up from scratch and thought a maple syrup with Dijon dressing would be perfect. I've included the recipe for the Champagne Vinaigrette in notes if that strikes your fancy too.
For so many years, I ignored walnuts. I always bought them but if given the opportunity, I would grab pecans in a heartbeat. What changed? Toasting them changed everything. Even if you choose to not prepare the candied version, do make sure you toast them a bit, it makes a world of difference from eating them raw.
As for that dressing? I mixed up a combination of my favorite ingredients including maple syrup and Dijon whole grain mustard. You like Honey Dijon? You'll love Maple Dijon even more!
At that time I had been working as a Brand Ambassador with Pure Canadian Maple Syrup. I had also been lucky enough to receive some amazing maple syrup from my friend Paula who lives in Canada. Then my neighbors brought me a bottle from Canada as a gift for watching their dog when they were on vacation; shows just how much people know my love for great maple syrup!
The perfect marriage for a blogger and a brand are when we are asked to work with a product we love; for me this was the dictionary description of a 'no brainer.
Interestingly enough if you shop Costco like I do, take a peek at their Kirkland brand syrup...yep, pure Canadian Maple Syrup. I admit, growing up in a family with six kids, all we ever had was a substitute with 'maple flavor.' But once I discovered the real deal...there was no going back. Yes, it's a bit pricier but so worth it.
HuffPost Taste has a great article, ' Why Maple Syrup Is So Damn Expensive (And So Delicious) ' that puts it into some perspective. That it it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one single gallon of maple syrup is an eye opener! Ah...what I wouldn't give for a gallon of this elixir of the Gods; a girl can dream right?
I like to use either Red Anjou or Red Bartlett Pears and eliminate the step of peeling them, their color brings a lot to this salad. Most of the pear is chopped but I also like to save a couple of slices to garnish the top; they are just so pretty!
The Maple Dijon dressing is the perfect combination of olive oil, whole grain Dijon mustard and maple syrup; it is so good I can see it being used for more than just than salad. I can't wait to try it on some grilled salmon too. This salad is great year round but especially perfect this time of year when pears are coming into the market; trust me, it's a keeper!
I have one other favorite from Nordstrom's too. Sure we've all had these Lemon Bars we love and when we ordered that's what I expected, but these Lemon and Coconut Bars with Mascarpone Cheese are not the same and they are over the top delicious!