Weird Science

 We’ve been lucky enough to be invited to my cousin, Cliff’s, for Thanksgiving dinner on a fairly regular basis for the past several years.  He’s my favorite ‘boy’ cousin and I just love being in his home with his family and our extended families.  It gives me warm fuzzies just to think of it.  In fact, it brings back many very happy memories of being in his childhood home (my aunt and uncle’s home) with a whole houseful of wonderful people and delicious aromas.  Now days, we all gather at Cliff’s for the foodiest of holidays.

Not us, but, we're every bit as good lookin'

I’m not sure how it got started.  But, for some reason it has become tradition for me to bring the salad to Thanksgiving dinner (plus other items as requested, but ALWAYS, the Salad).  It may have started with me offering to bring a salad (probably something a bit unusual) that everyone liked and then it morphed into Salad being my assigned responsibility.

Over the years, I’ve taken many a strange concoction to Thanksgiving dinner – passing it off as a ‘salad’.  I am now expected to bring a ‘weird’ salad.  Two years ago I found this recipe out there in Internet-land.  It certainly fell into the ‘weird science’ category.  Um…to set the record straight…it was very tasty as well.

Curried Cashew, Pear, and Grape Salad

INGREDIENTS

Cashews:

¾	cup cashew halves
4	slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1	T melted butter
1	t chopped fresh rosemary
1	t curry powder
1	T brown sugar
½	t kosher salt
½	t cayenne pepper

Dressing:

3	T white wine vinegar
3	T Dijon mustard
2	T honey
1/2	cup olive oil
	Salt
	Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:

1	(10oz) pkg mixed salad greens
½	Med Bosc pear, thinly sliced
½	cup halved seedless red grapes

Directions

1.     In a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast cashews until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove cashews to a dish to cool slightly.

2.     Return skillet to medium-high heat, cook bacon strips until crisp on both sides, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, and soak up grease with a paper towel. Coarsely chop bacon, and set aside.

3.     In a medium bowl, stir together butter, rosemary, curry powder, brown sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, and toasted cashews. Set aside.

4.     In a small bowl, stir together white wine vinegar, mustard, and honey. Slowly whisk in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

5.     In a large salad bowl, toss dressing with greens, pear slices, grapes, and bacon, and sprinkle with nut mixture.