I’m being slightly punny with my title today.

There are two situations that need cures in my life, ergo, having a panacea, a cure-all, seems right.

Situation 1 that needs curing: I worked too hard last week, JUST made the *external* deadline today, and didn’t sleep enough over the last few weeks. So naturally, I got a cold. Or, it could be early flu—I’m getting aches and pains now. GREAT. About a week ago, Mama Pea said something like “little girls shouldn’t bark.” Amen.

Situation 2 that needs curing: well, it doesn’t *need* curing exactly, but since this seems to be a week of confessions, here’s another one:

I’m not nuts about salad.

Before you gasp, can I be more exact? I think what I don’t like is a) cutting the vegetables, which are always cold, and then so are my hands. B) I don’t like it when salads are too wet (IDEA! Possible new blog title: “Extreme IMbalance—for all the nutty you need!”) And c) I don’t like the idea of salad.

After too many anaemic, iceberg salads in my life, or , even worse, salads SWIMMING in dressing, when I think of salad, I’m grossed out. Crunchy water? Ick. Sure, I love my veg… I love spinach… I love endives and romaine, but I don’t really want them all together.

Minor segue:

Five years ago RIGHT NOW, I lived here for about 4 months:

Perhaps not RIGHT here… in fact, I lived in the charming Silver Spring, Maryland, where I learned to LOVE Whole Foods and the AFI, and where I lived with one of the coolest ladies I’ll ever meet.

Cassie, this one’s for you!

My parents are a touch anti-social, it has to be said, so I’m endlessly fascinated when I’m around people with thriving hives of social activity buzzing around them. Cassie was really great in bringing me along to get-togethers and making me feel welcome. At one such event, MY LIFE CHANGED.

It’s important not to be overly dramatic when discussing salad, don’t you think?

I don’t remember the hosts’ names, but we ate stew from a pumpkin with this magical salad on the side. It’s fair to say that I didn’t leave much room for the stew, too. How could I? This fall salad is epic because of how well the components work together. And it so happens that most of these components, I could write poetry to: that’s how much I love them.

Pomegranate, Jarlsberg cheese, pears, celery… love, love, love, love.

And… cue the crickets… there are walnuts, too. They’re OK, but so many nuts are just *better*.

Thanks in part to Whole Foods and its head-sized pomegranates at a reasonable price, I took to shucking a pommie or two each day while living in Maryland, which I would then eat with a spoon and be transported to other worlds in the cafeteria at work the next day. Then, that fateful night, I discovered there was something else I could do with the pom. Is there *anything* this fruit can’t do?!? (I’m looking at you, aphrodisiac properties…)

Pomegranate Pear Fall Salad

You need:

• pomegranate seeds, removed
• celery, chopped in 2cm chunks
• red pear, cut into 2 cm squared pieces
• handful walnut pieces
• 2 Tbsp Jarlsberg (or another mild firm cheese), cut in small cubes

You must:

Toss it all in a bowl… let your eyes guide you. I always work to the pear, basically: the bigger my pear, the bigger the salad so everything stays in the right proportion.

What’s the right proportion? Whatever suits your taste. Want more cheese? Hit it. Walnuts? Get you head checked, but A-OK, otherwise…

The greatest thing about this salad isn’t how it looks—though the pretty red and green makes me smile!—it’s how well the flavours come together, to say nothing of the different and complimentary textures. The slight sourness of the celery is offset by the sweetness of the pommies and pear, while the cheese softens the bitterness of the nuts. And given that red pears and pommies *are* so sweet, you find yourself greatful for the celery and walnuts, and the toughest part is getting a little of everything in each bite.

A practiced hand also suggests picking up a couple of poms from different sources when it’s still early in the season, because ending up with a fruity fail like this is just *heartbreaking* if you don’t have a backup… Nothing 2 units of O neg wouldn’t help, right?

What’s your favourite salad?