Ingredients:

3 large Vidalia Onions (sweet onions)

1⁄4 cup plus 1⁄2 t. olive oil, divided 4 garlic cloves
8 cups torn mixed salad greens 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled

blue cheese
1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts,

toasted
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored

and diced.

Dressing:

2 T. white wine vinegar
2 shallots, quartered
1⁄4 cup minced fresh parsley
1⁄2 t. crushed red pepper flakes 1⁄2 t. sugar
2 T. Lemon Juice
2/3 cup olive oil
S & P to taste

Place onions in a baking pan. Line with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil spray. Drizzle with 1⁄4 cup olive oil; toss to coat. Place garlic on a double thickness of foil. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Wrap foil around garlic; place on baking pan with onions.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until onions are lightly browned and garlic is tender. Can turn onions occasionally. Cool slightly before assembling salad.

In a large salad bowl, combine the greens, cheese and walnuts and pears; top with roasted onions.

Dressing: Place vinegar and shallots in a blender; squeeze softened garlic into blender. Cover and pulse until blended. Add parsley and pepper flakes and S & P. Cover and process, gradually adding oil in a steady stream. Serve with salad.

About Layne Prescott

Layne was born in South Carolina to Air Force parents. She lived in the Azores two different times (a total of 6 years) before settling permanently in Arcadia when her father retired. Arcadia is her mother’s home town.She is fifth generation Floridian. Layne married Mike in 1979, moved to Wauchula and had three children.

Layne comes from a long line of great southern cooks, married into a family of great cooks and loves to prepare all kinds of food (regional specialties include guava cobbler, chicken & dumplings, chicken & yellow rice). Her mother had to learn ‘Cajun cooking as her father was from Louisiana, but doesn’t get much chance to cook her childhood favorites because her husband does not like spicy food.

Even though she doesn’t get a chance to vary her menus very often at home, she loves to explore and experiment with new techniques and recipes. However, if a recipe starts out with “day before” or is longer than 2 inches/2 paragraphs long, she skips it and goes on. If she was to summarize her cooking “style” it would be simple southern comfort food.