SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
– Mixed greens, washed and rinsed
– 1/2 cup of crumbled bleu cheese
– 1/2 cup of roasted shelled pistachios
– 1 whole Friends Red Poached Pear, quartered (Recipe below)
Friends.Red Balsamic Reduction (Recipe Below)
PREPARATION
Toss first 3 ingredients together, and then plate each individual salad. Place pear segment in the middle of each portion, and then drizzle with the reduction.
Friends Red Poached Pear
*Makes: 6 whole pears*
– 2 bottles of Friends.Red Sonoma County 2012
– 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
– 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
– 2 cups of water
– 3/4 cups sugar
– 6 Pears, washed and peeled
Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add your prepared pears. Make sure pears are submerged completely. Let poach for 35 minutes, with the lid of the pot removed, stirring ocassionally. After the time has passed, remove from heat and place the lid on the pot. Let the pears continue poaching for 15 minutes, and then remove from pot and let cool. Reserve 3 cups of your poaching liquid for your Friends.Red Balsamic Reduction.
Friends Red Balsamic Reduction
*Makes: Approximately 2 1/2 cups*
– 3 cups poaching liquid
– 2 cups balsamic vinegar
– 1/4 cup Sugar
Combine all three ingredients, and bring to a simmer in a medium sized sauce pot. Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until liquid coats the back of your spoon. Remove from heat and let cool.
(You’ll of course have plenty more of the pears and reduction sauce-they’ll keep for another week or so.)