Pear, Blue Cheese and Toasted Almond Winter Salad

Pear, Blue Cheese and Toasted Almond Winter Salad

For the salad:
2 bunches (or 1 salad bag) of fresh watercress
1 small handful of rocket
2 baby gem lettuces – quartered
1 avocado – quartered
1 ‘Conference’ pear – thinly sliced
50g roasted almonds – roughly chopped
75g Cote Hill blue cheese

For the basil yoghurt dressing:
2 tablespoons Greek Yoghurt
1 bunch of fresh basil leaves
1 small bunch fresh coriander
Approx 10 chive stalks – chopped
Juice of one blood orange (or a regular orange if you can’t find)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil


Words by:
Dominic Franks
Featured in:
January 2025

Dominic Franks creates a deliciously healthy winter dish, a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats and fish.

After all the indulgences of the past few weeks I am craving something fresh and green – but I also don’t want to give up some luxuries.

This hearty salad, with its creamy blue cheese and toasted almonds, has a lovely richness but the basil yoghurt dressing, with the addition of blood orange juice, gives us the zingy freshness we desire.

Perfect served alongside some grilled salmon or pan-fried seabass.

METHOD

  • Build the salad in a large shallow bowl. Simply layer all the ingredients starting with the watercress and rocket, and then lay the wedges of gem lettuce on top, followed by the rest of the ingredients.
  • For the dressing, place all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz together until thick and gloriously green. Pour all over the salad and serve.


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Grantham school joins Carol Service in celebration of town’s hospitalPupils from St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy are taking part in the first Carol Service to celebrate the special relationship Grantham and District Hospital has with the town and surrounding communities.The school children will join in the singing of favourite Christmas Carols as well as perform their own set musical piece at the Carol Service on Thursday 11th December at 7pm, in St Wulfram’s church, Grantham.Deputy Head Teacher Olivia Mumford said: “The Carol Service is a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to share the joy of music while showing appreciation for the incredible work done at Grantham and District Hospital. It’s a privilege to support such an important event in our town."The Carol Service has been organised by United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, who work closely with staff at Grantham and District Hospital and provides those extras for staff and patients that NHS budgets are unable to fund. Further details on the Grantham NHS Carol Service can be found by visiting www.ulhcharity.org.uk/news/christmas-carols-at-grantham-st-wulfram-church-in-thanks-for-towns-sup... ... See MoreSee Less