Reader Submission: Anne's Pear and Feta Salad

Anne wrote in telling us about her favorite salad: it has baby spinach or mixed greens, pear (looks like Bosc to me), and feta cheese, with a raspberry vinaigrette. "Also great with pinenuts or walnuts!" says Anne.

Anne uses Kraft's bottled vinaigrette, but we of course encourage you to make your own. A basic recipe for raspberry vinaigrette appears below. Also, feel free to post your own.

(Thanks, Anne!)

Comments (14)

Thanks for the shout out!

Anne

posted by Anne on 2006-01-19 10:54:23

When I first saw the link in your name, I thought it meant "Weight Watchers. Eh." (Meaning "feh.") :)

posted by Joan on 2006-01-19 11:00:41

Mmm this looks good.

posted by Amber on 2006-01-19 12:10:50

Gorgeous mix of colors without anything overly bright...French feta?

posted by Corey on 2006-01-19 13:24:51

Actually it was grated feta. I usually by a block and crumble it, but the store was out.

posted by Anne on 2006-01-19 13:36:00

Anne, that looks really good (and I have all the ingredients on hand except for the vinaigrette!)(Sara Kate, that looks really good too.)

I clicked on your name and see you're in Ottawa. I was there over the holidays and went to Chilly Chiles--have you ever been? They have every hot sauce on the planet, and we came back with 4 different varieties of dried chilies and some smoked paprika. Hot, hot stuff.

posted by nora on 2006-01-19 14:16:09

Hi Nora!
I have been to that store many time and don't live to far from it. I bought a sauce for my husband there that was so hot they made me sign a waver!

Anne

posted by Anne on 2006-01-19 14:33:57

Nora-
Yeah, it's a great store! (I may go to Ottawa this weekend so I should check it out again; I was last at that shop about 2 years ago...Kinda confusing, all those hot sauces, though - how to pick just one? Can anyone recommend one?)

Thanks for the raspberry vinaigrette recipe!

posted by Leeds on 2006-01-19 14:38:19

Leeds, my favorite bottled sauces are Cholula and Dave's Hurtin' Habanero (I get them here in NYC, 'though I also saw them at Chilly's), but you can also make your own in small batches.

Remove the stems and some seeds (depending on how hot you like it) of a few fresh or dried chilies. (If using dried, first lightly toast them in a dry skillet, then soak them in hot water for about 20 min.)

Add lime juice, 1-2 cloves garlic, a pinch of salt and a pinch of cumin and/or fresh cilantro (optional)

Pulverize in a blender or food processor (an immersion/stick blender works well in a small container)

posted by nora on 2006-01-19 15:08:45

I just wanted to say my spelling usually isn't that bad. See above post that should have read:
"I have been to that store many times and don't live too far from it."

posted by Anne on 2006-01-19 15:12:53

Great idea, thanks Nora! what dried chillies do you use?

posted by Leeds on 2006-01-19 15:44:32

I used some habanero for some *seriously* hot sauce (just a drop will do ya!), but you could go milder with serrano, jalapeno/chipotle or ancho, etc. If you're going to CC's, they'll steer you in the right direction.

posted by nora on 2006-01-19 15:52:25

thanks, Nora!

posted by Leeds on 2006-01-19 16:15:09

Mmmm... pear and feta: what a great combo of tastes! Anne, I eat this same salad about 3 or 4 times a week. The only difference is that I add some candied walnuts and chopped-up chicken breast (when I have it on-hand). I also dress it with store-bought dressing: Champagne-Pear Vinaigrette from Trader Joe's. I love using pears in dinner entrees! Another thing I've done with pears: toss up fresh spinach in tart caesar dressing and plop it on top of fresh-from-the-oven goat cheese and pear Boboli pizza. It's definitely a messy, knife-and-fork pizza/salad but a great meal when you're pressed for time.

posted by Enrique on 2006-01-20 15:43:59