This was a super idea! It really made a "salad night" into something fun instead of blah. I added finely sliced red peppers and almonds instead of walnuts. A handful of craisins made for another fruity touch. When it came to the dressing, I didn't have orange juice, so I used a tablespoon of lemon juice and about a tablespoon of sugar to make it not so sour. I also roasted a whole head of garlic and put the cloves in with the dressing at the end and poured the whole mixture over the salad. I appreciated that this made a small amount of dressing, so I didn't feel bad tossing it with the salad instead of keeping it on the side as I normally would do. We'll definitely do this again, thanks!

I only made the salad and dressing. I've never been a fan of fruit in salad, and this didn't change my mind - I ended up picking the pears out, and eating them separately. The dressing was pretty good but I didn't care for the oj with the blue cheese. If I were to make it again, I may add a little lemon juice. I would also recommend using white balsamic vinegar as it has a much more mellow flavor. Thanks!