Cooking with Catherine: Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnuts, and Pears

As the series finale of Downton Abbey has now aired on both sides of the “pond,” we thought it would be appropriate to combine Kate’s love of cooking with her fondness for the TV show.  We know the Duchess of Cambridge was a fan of the show ever since her visit to the show’s set in March of 2015.  In this month’s Cooking with Catherine, we’ll take a look at a recipe from The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook, by Emily Ansara Baines.  This recipe would make an easy and tasty lunch for a woman with a busy schedule, like the Duchess.

 

Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnuts, and Pears

Yields 4 servings

 

Dressing

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Salad

½ cup dried cranberries

8 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves

3 firm but ripe pears, not peeled, but quartered, cored and cut into long slices

1 ½ cups toasted walnuts

½ cup goat cheese, crumbled

 

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly whisk together red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sugar, sea salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Soak dried cranberries in 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Let soak for 20 minutes.
3. Place 6 cups of the spinach in a large bowl. Add pears. Toss with most of the remaining dressing, and then add last 2 cups of spinach and toss again until well coated.  Add cranberries and toasted walnuts, and toss again.  Pour into bowls and sprinkle with goat cheese.