12 days of christmas treats: traditional carol edition
Day 1 partridge in a pear tree salad
who doesn’t love a home baked gift?
And just like that, all of the sudden it is December. Welcome to year 2 of the 12 days of Christmas treats celebration! This year my daughter Maddie encouraged me to go old school, and develop my holiday recipes around the traditional carol that bears its name. Each day I will be posting a recipe inspired by that day’s gift. I especially love the idea of the gifts being food, because I believe that a homemade gift from your kitchen is a gift that truly comes form the heart. Now back to the Christmas carol…. You can go two different ways with the partridge on the pear tree. The first option of a partridge did not appeal to this baker, so on to the pears we go!
one delightful holiday salad coming your way!
As long as I can remember, I have always loved pears! I probably all started with a jar of the Gerber variety, and has ended up with pears combined with just about everything. I wanted my partridge and a pear tree salad to be delicious, delightful, holiday inspired, and especially festive for the season. The first thing to remember about holiday salads is that they should be crunchy, bright and full of flavor. This is especially important so that you can balance all of the creamy rich sauces poured on your turkey, ham, or tenderloin.
pear pair perfectly with endive!
I wanted my holiday salad to be a bit different than the traditional lettuce with all of the fixings. For this reason, I decided to start with endive. Endive has always been a favorite at our house, because it is a cute little “boat” that can be filled with a variety of delectable treats. To mix things up, I decided to make a deconstructed endive salad. Still brimming with goodies, but in a messy way!
It all starts with delicious crispy endive, which are filled with perfectly ripened pears, thinly sliced fennel, and creamy goat cheese. The next step is to drizzle a pomegranate molasses reduction dressing over the top. And that is exactly what this dressing is….over the top! Sweet, lemony, and tangy, making every bite have a pop of flavor. Follow the dressing drizzle with the obligatory pomegranate and pistachio sprinkle to really add a crunch! And last but not least, and what will truly make this recipe be your new favorite holiday salad is the careful addition of starfruit nestled between the endive boats. A bright and citrusy crunch to add to this festive salad!
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