Many Many years ago, my eldest daughter ( the sylph like blonde) said, “Oh not salad! Salads are so boring”! I have to say even back then, my salads were never boring, using all sorts from the refrigerator and whatever fruit was sitting in the fruit bowl.

Times have moved on, many of the “Fast” food places serve pretty decent salads, ranging from Prêt à Manger to “Posh” bakeries and even to Mc Donald’s . Of course a salad which can be incredibly tasty is not necessarily Low Calorie. It really all comes down to the dressing. When you add the accompanying dressing to the crispy chicken Caesar salad with kale, it has more calories, salt, and fat than a Double Big Mac. However if you have the Double Big Mac and the Kale Caesar salad, then it really is a double Whammy !

The other day Himself, asked if he could do something for dinner, oh I replied, well you could make this sauce. It proved more difficult than I thought, but the end result was good! But it got me thinking. Having cooked all my life, most of it is intuitive. I have admit, I’m not a great baker, but I love to cook. I scan a recipe, and they always give me ideas. It really on the whole doesn’t matter if it is one tomato or two. Curries again are perhaps more precise, but generally the recipes have been handed down, by mouth and then someone finally decides to write his version down. Himself is perhaps more of a precise person than myself, given his background!

However, a few years ago, he was given an Italian Cookbook, which is basically a step by step ( idiot proof) guide. Perfect!

Quite by chance I was dropping things off, when I saw a German step by step cookbook! Brand New! PERFECT!

Consequently, Himself was equally impressed and decided to make a salad. It was much more than throwing a few bits of lettuce in a bowl, and it really was delicious. It was labeled Fenchelsalat mit gebachener Birne, Walnussen und Gorgonzolakäse, translated as, Fennel Salad with roasted/baked pears, walnuts and Gorgonzola.

Needless to say he did go off script, but just a little and infact we have discussed more variations.

The dressing for this salad very simple and good, just orange juice and a little olive oil. He used strips of fennel, but we feel that strips of celery would be better, giving a little more flavour and texture ( crunch). He also added small tomatoes ( piccolo) cut in half, and he also added the orange ( mandarin) segments. If using Gorgonzola make sure you keep it chilled before using as it will go soft too quickly, but try other blue cheeses such as Stilton, Bleu d’Auvergne, Cashel, Colston Bassett, Fourme d’Ambert, Roquefort, Saint Agur, and even Moody Blue and Moo and Blue! There are +/- 200 different blue cheeses to choose from ! So take your pick!

The only thing I would say is the pear is softened by baking for a few minutes, is this necessary? Maybe use pears that are a little on the softer side ( not over ripe though) , maybe add some chopped spring onions! The options are endless. The dressing very simple, the juice of an orange or mandarin / clementine/ satsuma mixed with some olive oil.

Himself is off on a jolly next week, to the Dolomites with eldest daughter! So don’t expect any updates from him !

Hals und Beinbruch ( neck and leg break, the traditional German good luck wishes before going skiing)!