Autumn Pear, Fig and Goat’s Cheese Platter
with Ham and Walnuts………
who says salad days are over!
Simple and in Season
Those of you who frequent my blog regularly will know that on Sundays I am usually to be found slouching around and being very slow….hence my usual Slow Sunday posts ~ but not today, I can’t afford the luxury as there is still work to be done outside and also a great many salady and fruity things lurking in various drawers of the fridge and in little baskets in the pantry ~ plus I found half a log of chèvre trying to escape from the cheese cave, running away with the Roquefort. So, it will be a seductive salad today, not very Sunday Lunch I know, but I like to rebel and break free from accepted procedures now and then, ask my parents, I was a willful child by all accounts ~ and pourquoi pas as we say here.
I also think that a rustic platter of Autumnal fruits when mixed with salad leaves, cheese and ham happens to be pretty much up there on the salad stakes…….especially if a few freshly picked walnuts are thrown into the mix……and the truth is, I want to show off about my first walnut harvest ~ all 8 of them! (It’s a new tree, only planted 3 years ago) I was so excited when I saw the green casings open to reveal some beautiful fresh walnuts inside that I nearly tripped over a hen, which could have been nasty as I had a pair of newly laid eggs in my hands at the time. But there they were, virgin walnuts on our tree…….how fabulous is that. I am going to take photos later today and bore the pants of you all probably.
Eureka! I found a photo of a couple of rather rude looking walnuts, before they opened to reveal their hidden nutty secrets. But back to my Autumn platter, this was met with a disapproving look by my husband, salad on Sunday I heard him mutter, however, he admitted that it was very tasty and filling and he thoroughly enjoyed it ~ well, I did serve it with a whole baguette and we had some left over Bread and Butter pudding for afters…..the combination of the fruit with the saltiness of the ham and richness of the cheese was pretty damn good, and don’t forget my wee walnuts too, all 8 of them……
So, as I am not allowed to slouch today and be slow and sedate, I have to scamper off now, but not before I leave you with my recipe for this lovely platter of ripe Autumn fruits with nice hammy and cheesy bits……if you are a vegetarian, just omit the ham of course and up the walnuts if you have more than 8 available that is.
See you later,
Karen
Autumn Fruit Platter with Goat’s Cheese, Ham and Walnuts
Ingredients:
salad:
2 ripe pears,washed, cored and cut into slices
6 fresh figs, wiped and cut in half
100g chèvre goat’s cheese, cut into slices or chunks
4 slices Bayonne ham, or other air dried ham, torn into small pieces
100g bag of mixed salad leaves, such as baby spinach or mesclun
Handful of fresh walnut halves
Dressing:
4 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon cider apple vinegar
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Arrange the leaves on a plate or large sharing platter and then place all of the other salad ingredients on top, arranging them attractively.
Shake the dressing ingredients in a jar or bottle and drizzle over the salad ~ serve straight away with fresh crusty bread.
Jacqueline says
Karen, what a lovely way to jazz up a salad! It looks packed with flavour and bravo for growing your own walnuts! Nice photo BTW 😉
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Jacqueline ~ I have about 20 more walnuts to harvest!! It is a new tree so not bad to get anything on it this year. The salad was lovely and full of flavour ~ I went meat free and had mine without ham but had some extra cheese! 🙂
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
this is exactly my kind of dish… i'm on my way over now!… we just found a cobnut tree in our garden that hasn't flowered for 8 years! forgot it was here!
Jacqueline says
If I can get hold of some figs, I will try this without the ham. Such a pretty and appealing salad 🙂
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Dom ~ your room is ready! Has your cob-nut tree got any nuts on it?
Karen S Booth says
Thanks again Jac, as I said before, I had mine without ham today ~ Malcolm my husband loves ham, but I had extra cheese instead, as there were only 2 slices of ham left…..do try it if you can get some figs, it is a nice combination of flavours.
La Table De Nana says
Mouth watering..to say the very least..Scamper away:)
Mitinita says
I'm going to miss salad days((: seeing the walnuts, I remembered there's a green walnut jam,taste great too. You're featured as Sunday's blog on mine.That's why more Romanian visitors today. Hugs
Janice says
That looks delicious. I love figs and ham and walnuts, in fact pretty much everything you have put in there. I'll be round for lunch next Sunday 😉
kellie@foodtoglow says
I adore salads like this – chunky, rustic, contrasts. Mmm. I think I actually prefer the kind of salads we can rustle up in autumn to the more obvious charms of a summer salad. I recently posted a sweet & tangy quinoa and blueberry salad so great minds think alike and all that. Congratulations on your walnut 'harvest'!
Aimée @ Food: Je t'Aimée says
Seductive salad, indeed! What a beautiful array of colours and flavours! Sunday lunch never looked so good 🙂 Congrats on your first walnut harvest!
Kentish Keg-Meg says
Well that's the type of lunch I like anyday of the week. Such a combination of flavours.Mmmmm