Pear, Basil, and Pecorino Toscano Salad

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by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox
from Olives & Oranges
(Houghton Mifflin, 2008)
Makes 4

Fashion sweeps through restaurants in Italy as quickly and thoroughly as in all other aspects of life there. A few years ago, arugula, pear, and Pecorino salad turned up everywhere. I tried basil in place of arugula and loved the still pungent yet milder flavor. I start making this pear, basil, and Pecorino Toscano salad in the early fall with little juicy pears and aromatic end-of-the-season basil from the farmers’ market. Later, as the first frost creeps down through the Hudson Valley and the basil disappears, I substitute thinly sliced hearts of celery and whole celery leaves (the celery is also wonderful along with the basil).

You can make this pear salad with many different cheeses; each one will change the flavor slightly. Look for a cheese that will keep its shape in a salad, such as an aged cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or a crumbly blue.—Sara Jenkins

convert Ingredients
12 ounces Pecorino Toscano cheese
4 ripe Bosc pears, cored and cut into eighths
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Vin Santo vinegar or other high-quality mild white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or other medium-coarse sea salt, or more to taste
Coarsely ground black pepper

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Directions
1. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, break cheese into irregular chunks about 1/2-inch in size.

2. Place cheese, pear slices, basil leaves, oil, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl and toss to combine. Season with pepper and more salt if needed.

3. Serve at once.

Recipe © 2008 by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox. All rights reserved.