Rainbow Chopped Salad

This salad was so stunning that I didn't want to eat it. But that didn't last long. I snuck a forkful, a then a few more. And had made a significant dent it in before it even got to the dinner table. And then I pretty much forget about everything else on my plate and finished off half the salad in one sitting. Which might be prone to happen with a plate of brownies, but a salad, rarely.

Why was this salad so irresistible? At first I thought it was the juicy winter fruits- apple, pear, pomegranate, and mango (or persimmons if you're feeling adventurous). Then I remembered the crunchy bits of hazelnut and creamy sharp gorgonzola. And the light honey-shallot red vine vinaigrette. All good ingredients on their own, but toss them all together and prepare to be wowed.

Rainbow Chopped Salad

INGREDIENTS
1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 8 cups)
4 cups sliced red cabbage
1 large Fuji apple, cored and diced
1 Asian or Bartlett pear, cored and diced
1 mango, peeled and diced OR 2 Fuyu persimmons, peeled, seeded and diced
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. shallot, minced
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup hazelnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. To make the dressing, whisk to combine vinegar, shallot, and honey in a small bowl. Slowly stream in the oil while whisking constantly to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, combine romaine, cabbage, apple, pear, mango, hazelnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with dressing* and toss to coat. Sprinkle with gorgonzola (optional) and serve.
*You may not need all the dressing- just use enough to lightly coat.

Serves 8.

(Adapted fron Bon Appetit)