The cheese course — eaten with or without fruit, traditionally before (or instead of) dessert — has gone mainstream since the first edition of this book. It’s a nice idea, but I stand by translating the concept into a salad, which is lighter, less fussy, and more versatile. However, in keeping with the times, I’ve added to and adjusted combos in the list that follows; if you’re a cheese enthusiast you’ll find even more to try.
Ingredients
- About 1 pound any fresh fruit, or 1 cup any dried fruit cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
- ¾ cup walnuts or other nuts
- 6 cups lightly packed mixed greens (like mesclun) torn into bite-sized pieces
- About ½ cup Vinaigrette (made with olive oil and sherry vinegar)
How to Make It
- Peel and core the fruit if necessary and remove any seeds or pits. If large, cut the fruit into ½-inch chunks. Toss the fruit with the lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
- Crumble or chop the cheese into small bits; cover and refrigerate until needed. Put the nuts in a dry skillet, turn the heat to medium, and toast them, shaking the pan frequently until they are aromatic and beginning to darken in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
- When you’re ready to serve, toss together the fruit, cheese, and greens with as much of the dressing as you like. Chop the nuts coarsely, sprinkle them over all, and serve.
- 10 Fruit, Cheese, and Nut Combos
- Grapes, Parmesan, pine nuts
- Oranges, manchego, almonds
- Apricots, goat cheese, pecans
- Dried apricots, blue cheese, walnuts
- Cantaloupe or honeydew, cotija, pepitas
- Blueberries, Asiago, pistachios
- Dried plums, feta, hazelnuts
- Dried pineapple, brie, cashews
- Peaches, ricotta salata, pecans
- Plums, fontina, almonds
