Pear, Green Beans, Blue Cheese and Walnuts with Green Peppercorn Dressing

Name: Pear, Green Beans, Blue Cheese and Walnuts with Green Peppercorn Dressing
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a light meal
Ingredients: pear 1; dried green peppercorns 2 tsp, crushed; sea salt a pinch; olive oil 2 tbsp; rocket or watercress 4 small handfuls, coarse stalks removed; sea salt flakes to taste; pear 1, plus ¼ leftover from the dressing; lemon juice a squeeze; green beans (preferably slim French ones) 125 g/4½ oz; lemon juice 1 tbsp; blue cheese 50 g/1¾ oz, crumbled; walnuts shelled and roughly chopped to make 4 tbsp

Preparation info

Serves
4
as a starter

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Pepper

By Christine McFadden

Published 2008

About

Green peppercorns add a subtle spicy aromatic note with a gentle piquant aftertaste. This is a perfect salad to make in autumn using new season ‘wet’ walnuts.

Ingredients

green beans (preferably slim French ones) 125 g/4½ oz
pear 1, plus

Starter
Main course
Autumn
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

Top and tail the beans and place in a steamer basket set over boiling water. Steam until only just tender – about 5 minutes. Tip onto a board and chop into 4cm/1½in pieces. Leave to cool.

Now make the dressing. Quarter and core the pear, saving one quarter to add to the salad. Peel and roughly chop the rest. Put in a blender or small food processor with the lemon juice, olive oil, crush