On a baking hot day, this is the perfect lunch: light, full of flavour, cooling. This is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe I found online which used walnut halves, we didn’t have any, and a mixture of salad leaves [including endive, watercress and radicchio] which we didn’t have. So we substituted a mixture of home-grown rocket, basil and parsley. She also recommends replacing the pears with apples for a sharper salad. Serves 6
Handful whole almonds, dry toasted
Mixture of salad leaves, rinsed
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Vinaigrette
Blue cheese [Gorgonzola, Dolcelatte, Stilton or Roquefort] crumbled
2 pears per person
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the ingredients. Prepare the pears last, as they brown easily once cut. Peel them if preferred, then halve, core and cut into thick slices. In a large salad bowl, combine the salad leaves and parsley. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss so everything is lightly coated. Add the cheese, toasted almonds and pear slices. Season with salt and pepper. Toss again and serve. For more recipes from Martha Stewart, click here.

5 to remember
adaptado/a – adapted
en línea – online
una mezcla – a mixture
la escarola – the endive
de la huerta propia – home-grown