3 oz roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (see Kayla’s notes)
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a medium sauté pan, heat the 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the shallots are soft. Stir in the vinegar, goji berries, and fennel seeds. After two minutes, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. Transfer it to a mixing bowl and gently whisk in the mustard and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup of grapeseed oil, whisking until incorporated. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the pears, fennel, and dandelion greens with the vinaigrette (reserve any leftover vinaigrette for another use). Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Add the smoked cheddar and roasted hazelnuts. Gently toss to combine.
To Serve
Serve each salad with a garnish of fennel fronds. I also like to sprinkle on even more cheese and nuts to each individual salad.
Notes
To roast your own hazelnuts, spread them out onto a baking sheet and pop them into the oven for 10 minutes at 350°F. Transfer them to a kitchen towel while they are still hot. Wrap them up and use the towel to give them a good massage, essentially rubbing off their skins. (Don’t worry if the skins don’t entirely come off.) Let cool and use in the salad.
All of the salad ingredient measurements are just rough estimates. Build your salad to the size you prefer, with as few or as many pear slices, fennel slices, etc. as you’d like!