Lately, I've been addicted this salad - a delicious combination of fresh lettuce, sweet pears, goat cheese, and candied pecans.

It's modeled on a similar salad (they call it the Romaine Salad) made by Pie in the Sky, a small pizza place in the heart of downtown Berkeley. Pie in the Sky's Romaine Salad consists of pear, romaine lettuce, goat cheese, toasted walnuts and either a lemon or caesar dressing.

I prefer to use a light balsamic vinaigrette and a slightly more interesting lettuce - red leaf or butter - I get a little sick of the straight romaine all the time. I've also been using the candied pecans I made to add some scrunch and sweetness. There's no real recipe (after all, it's a salad!) but below is a list of the basic ingredients.

Green Salad With Goat Cheese, Pears & Candied Pecans

• Lettuce
• Chunks of goat cheese (ideally, a plain or peppered cheese, I think herbed would offer too many competing flavors)
• Sliced pear (any kind would be good, I think)
• Toasted or candied walnuts or pecans
• Vinaigrette - this could be as simple as oil and vinegar if you like or you could add also make it more complex by adding some dijon mustard, garlic, herbs, maple syrup or honey, etc.

• Frisee, Apple & Celeriac Salad With Citrus-Shallot Dressing & Goat Cheese
• Grated Carrot Salad (Salade de Carottes Râpées)
• Red Cabbage, Lime, Cilantro & Honey Slaw
• Roasted Delicata Squash & Caramelized Red Onions With Farro & Arugala
• Wilted Russian Kale Salad With Balsamic Vinegar & Orange Zest