"Bocca" Summer Salad

Last week Jay and I had our first date night in a long time.  My mom is here visiting and watched the kids so we could sneak out.  I left the dinner plans to Jay.  He took me to a restaurant in Cooperstown, NY called Bocca Osteria.

 The cuisine is Italian, and very delicious.  We ordered the "Bocca" salad as an appetizer and it was just delightful.  It had candied pecans, oranges, bleu cheese crumbles (which I'm normally not a fan of, but were wonderful in the salad), mixed greens, served with a balsamic vinaigrette.  We added chicken to ours too. 

After consuming most of it, I told Jay, I would come back just for that salad.  Now I love salad, but normally I would not go back just for a salad.  This was exceptional!

So here is my version of that scrumptious treat.  I added cherry tomatoes to mine, just because they were hanging around in the fridge.  I also didn't have time to candy the pecans, so I just dry roasted them in the pan.  My version wasn't as delicious as the orginal, but it will do until I can get back.

ingredients

4 c. mixed greens, washed
2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
handful of cherry tomatoes
2 oranges, supremed or 1/2 c. mandarin oranges
1/2 c. toasted pecans, chopped
2 oz. crumbled bleu cheese
1/8 sliced red onion

balsamic vinaigrette

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar or creut and shake vigoriously.  Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour 1/4 to 1/3 of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss with tongs.  Serve immediately.