Spinach Pear Salad From Restaurateur, Tom Douglas

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 cup cashews (about 3 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• coarse salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1/2 lb smoky thick slab bacon (about twelve 1/4" thick slices)
• 12 cups loosely packed spinach leaves, no stems,torn to bite-size
• 6 cups loosely packed frisee, torn to bite-size
• 2/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 small pears, halved,cored,thinly sliced
• 6 bunches grapes, small for garnish

Recipe

• 1 curried cashews: preheat oven to 400â°; toast cashews on baking sheet for 8-10 minutes or until golden; combine remaining ingredients; add hot cashews, toss until coated; set aside to cool.
• 2 honey-sesame vinaigrette: combine all ingredients and whisk until emulsified.
• 3 salad: cut bacon into 1/2" pieces and cook until crisp.
• 4 put greens, onions and sliced pears in a bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to coat everything well.
• 5 place salad on six plates; sprinkle each with bacon and curried cashews; garnish with cluster of grapes placed at the side of each plate.