If we’re being completely honest here, I must confess that salads in the salt and serenity kitchen are usually served tossed, in a stainless steel mixing bowl and eaten while standing over the sink. Perhaps some of you loyal readers can relate.

I created this salad as a homework assignment for a course I am taking on food composition from the immensely talented Rachel Korinek. The objective was to focus on the macro-level of styling salad. Let the salad be the hero and fill the frame.

I went grocery shopping to get inspired. I ignored all the obvious orange fall produce like pumpkins and squash. I dislike pumpkins (well, more like detest pumpkin spice, but that’s a rant for another day) and I always cook with squash, so that didn’t present much of a challenge for me. When I saw these gorgeous Starkrimson red pears, I knew I had found my intended. The shape of pears is so graceful.

Once I had chosen my hero, I could figure out the rest. I added some pomegranates because they add shine and a beautiful jolt of red. If you have ever studied colour theory, you know that the complementary colour choice to red is green (opposites on the colour wheel). I went for a mix of greens, kale for a dark emerald shade and arugula for a a hit of brighter green.

I picked up some shallots. Their violet colour be a beautiful accent against the red and green. Pickling them would add a sour counterpoint to the sweet pears. For crunch, I candied some walnuts in maple syrup.

I decided to plate this on a cutting board (top photo), for a casual feeling. I saw Jamie Oliver do this on his show and you know how I feel about Jamie Oliver! I decided to roast the pears instead of using them raw in the salad. I sliced them two different ways for a variety of shapes.