Wild Rice, Asian Pear, and Blue Cheese Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup wild rice
Mixed baby greens or baby arugula
A handful of pecans, toasted
Some Bleu d'Auvergne or your favorite blue cheese, crumbled
1-2 Asian pears (or substitute Bosc pears), sliced and cut into 1-inch squares
Olive oil

Sherry vinegar
Salt & black pepper

Heat a little olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the wild rice, stir for a minute or two, then add 1 cup of water. Cover, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes until cooked.

Toss the greens with some olive oil in a salad bowl. If you're using arugula, add the rice over it while it's hot so that the greens wilt just a little bit (otherwise, add it after it's cooled a little). Toss with a little sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper, then top with the Asian pears, pecans, and blue cheese.

Smoked Salmon Salad with Shaved Fennel and Asian Pear

Found at Costco: Smoked wild Alaskan salmon, Asian pears
Found at the Coop: Fennel bulb, local baby salad greens

Ingredients

Vinaigrette (make first and let sit to blend flavors)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Meyer lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped fennel (top part)
Freshly ground black pepper

Several handfuls of mixed baby greens
Several slices of smoked salmon per person
½ fennel bulb, shaved, soaked in ice water for 10-20 minutes, drained, and patted dry (I have no idea how you're supposed to shave fennel, so I just quartered the bulb and then used a carrot peeler to shave off thin crescent-shaped slices)
Several small pieces of fennel (top), washed and patted dry
½ Asian pear, sliced fairly thinly


Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl.

Arrange lettuce in a bed on each plate. Layer shaved fennel over and drizzle lightly with dressing. Fan slices of Asian pear on one side and smoked salmon on the other, drizzle again with dressing, and garnish with fennel sprigs.

Serves 2