Salad with radicchio, avocado and roasted pear
Ingredients:
- a small head of radicchio
- mixed baby greens (approx. 2.5 oz.)
- a small bunch of orach leaves (or of baby spinach, in which case, you don’t need to wilt them)
- half of a medium Asian pear (or Bosc pear)
- a small ripe avocado (or half of a large one)
- 3 tablespoons of chopped toasted pecans
— For the vinaigrette:
- sea salt and freshly milled black pepper, to taste
- olive oil, to taste
- balsamic vinegar, to taste
- half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Wash pear and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise. Take the slices that include some of the core, cut each in half lengthwise and carve out the core. Distribute on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and bake for 10-12 minutes, until softened. When slightly cooled, dice the pear slices.
Briefly wilt orach leaves in an oiled skillet warmed up. (I did this because the leaves I harvested were a bit large and wanted to make sure they would be tender.)
Separate leaves of radicchio by peeling them from the head, wash, cut them and place in a salad bowl. Add the mixed baby greens, orach (or baby spinach), pear and avocado, diced.
Place vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar. Because of the presence of avocado, I use less oil than I would without it. Screw on the lid and shake well. Distribute on the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle pecans and toss again, then serve.