Salads are very big in my family. We pretty much have a salad with every dinner, even if the main dish(es) are vegetable-based. This may have come about because it’s just about the only form in which my paternal grandmother will eat anything resembling a vegetable, but no one is sure, and at this point it’s so ingrained in our routine that it doesn’t matter. Last night, we had a salad that was really and truly a cut above the rest, inspired (as so many great dishes are) by “what’s sitting on the shelf.”

The proportions here are, naturally, all completely arbitrary and for reference only. Play around!!
Salad:
– A bunch of mixed mesclun greens;
– A bunch of fresh (raw) spinach greens;
– A couple of handfuls of dried cranberries;
– A handful of chopped kumquat peels;
– 2 very ripe pears, cut into bite-sized pieces;
– 1 cup frozen (actually, thawed) peas.
Dressing:
– 3 tbs. good quality olive oil;
– 3 tbs. good quality white vinegar;
– A teaspoon or so of chopped garlic;
– Splash of lemon juice;
– Salt and black pepper to taste.
Dress the salad about five minutes before serving to let it all marinate a bit.
Top with crumbled blue cheese.
Enjoy!!