Baby Spinach and Arugula Salad with Pears and Dried Cranberries

As a surprise,  my husband bought a tasting for us at The England Olive Oil Company in Concord MA.  We had a fantastic time sampling their olive oils from around the world and balsamic vinegars imported from Modena Italy.  It was difficult to choose, but we settled on a red apple balsamic vinegar, a pear and cranberry white balsamic vinegar, an everyday extra virgin olive oil and and an extra virgin olive oil infused with garlic.   Pear, dried cranberries and blue cheese on a bed of baby spinach and arugula were the perfect ingredients to highlight our new purchases.  I splashed the extra virgin olive oil and the pear cranberry white balsamic vinegar over the greens and ripe Bosc Pear.   A little drizzle of my cranberry bog honey, blue cheese and fresh ground black pepper finished it off.   Easy and so delicious.

Low Fat Blue Cheese Dressing....

 
Summer is winding down and the tomatoes are ripening on the vines faster than you can pick them. There is a bowl of heirloom cherry tomatoes on my kitchen counter just waiting to be eaten. The heirlooms seemed to be screaming for a blue cheese dressing.  Here is my low fat version of  blue cheese dressing that I think you will love.  

• 1/2 cup blue cheese(crumbled up)
• 6 oz. fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. light sour cream
  
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. chopped chives
  
• salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and spoon over your favorite salad.