Rounding off ingredient of the week…

The natural sweetness of pears can perfectly complement bitter and savoury flavours, so you’ll often find them hanging out with nuts and cheese.

This recipe for Cashel Blue, Pear and Toasted Hazelnut salad could make a perfect lunch to put in a tubberware box and take to work, with a few crackers or seedy brown bread.

Chicory or endive leaves go best in this salad, and you’ll find them lined up alongside the others salads in greengrocers and shops. Rocket is another good option.

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Toasted Hazlenuts

Serves four as an accompaniment or two as a main lunch

Ingredients

• 2 red or white heads chicory or endive, or a bag of rocket leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Tabasco sauce
• 2 pears
• 2 dessertspoons shelled hazelnuts
• 100g blue cheese, preferably Cashel

Instructions

• Toast the hazelnuts under a grill until they colour slightly. Shake occasionally.
• Meanwhile, cut chicory into long thin strips.
• Mix chicory with juice of half a lemon, olive oil, a pinch of salt and two pinches pepper.
• Peel and slice pears, adding juice of half a lemon to prevent browning
• Remove and roughly chop hazelnuts.
• To serve: pile up the chicory, scatter pear slices around the edge. Crumble and scatter the blue cheese, finish off with hazelnuts.

An interesting variation on the theme: Blue Cheese and Pear Tartlets

Related posts:

1. Pears, Ingredient of the Week: Pear and Raspberry Smoothie
2. Recipe: Spicy Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese
3. Ingredient of the Week: Pears