Roasted Pear and Candied Maple Walnut Salad with Dandelion Greens and White Wine Dressing

It's tough to come back to a city after days in the wilderness. The stillness of the water, dipping an oar through bouquets of lily pads and cooking around an open fire is hard to let go of. I gave a sad sigh as I plucked pine needles out of my bag at lunch today, and had to analyze and then suppress my urge to pick up branches from the ground that looked perfect for kindling on my jog home.

One big advantage to civilization is fresh vegetables. Ever considered dandelion greens? When I was little, I used to use the milk from their stems as juice for "potions" in my backyard. That, partnered with an alarming amount of accidental finger-licking afterward, has lead me to carry a somewhat negative connotation toward ingesting any part of this plant. Then I started coming across articles and recipes about their edible properties, and began to wonder why everyone was weeding and not harvesting this plant. Since I am currently yard-less, I began my own exploration of paths and fields around the city. I then quickly decided public and dog-ridden parks were not ideal for harvesting greens, and settled for grocery.

Dandelion greens are best when harvested at a very young or old age, when their bitterness is minimal. In their adolescence, they can be a bit overwhelming. To alleviate the bitterness, it helps to soak them in cold water overnight. Either way, they are rich in vitamins, antioxidants and calcium. One cup has 10% of your daily calcium intake, 32% of vitamin C and 112% of vitamin A (Self Nutrition Data). So, if you don't have a good harvest in your backyard, and aren't lucky enough to live by a somewhat sanitary field, you can find them in the grocery store in the late summer months. The sweetness of the fruit and candied nuts are a nice contrast to the slightly bitter greens in this salad.

Roasted Pear and Candied Maple Walnut Salad with Dandelion Greens & White Wine Dressing 

Ingredients 

For the salad:
1 ripe Bosc pear (or equivalent)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup walnuts
1 tbsp natural maple syrup
1 ripe avocado- peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup dandelion greens
2 cups mixed greens
Thinly sliced red cabbage for garnish

For the dressing:
2 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp old-style mustard
1/4 tsp minced fresh garlic
Pinch of fresh ground pepper

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the pear length-wise, approximately 1cm in thickness. Toss with lemon juice. Place on a tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until soft and golden around the edges.

In a frying pan, combine walnuts and maple syrup. Roast on medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar solidifies around the nuts (approximately 5 minutes).

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a separate dish.

Arrange salad ingredients on dishes for individual servings and drizzle with dressing, or slice the pear into smaller pieces and toss all ingredients together. Garnish with red cabbage slices. Serves 4-5 as a side.