Begin with the poaching process. start by filling a small pot (6"-8" round) with about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. once boiling reduce to medium high heat and add about 3 table spoons sugar and the champain. Peel the pear, slice in half and deseed the fruit before adding it to the pot. cover and allow to poach for 25-30 minutes until the flavors of the champaign are absorbed by the peach and the peach becomes overly soft and tender. Remove, pat dry, and chill when finished.

While the peach is poaching, in a small saute pan (6-8") add your strawberries, vinegar, and about 1 table spoon of honey. let reduce over medium heat until the sauce thickens and the strawberries begin to dissolve. whisking occasionally while the sauce is reducing will help speed up the dissolving process. once the sauce is thickend and the strawberries partially dissolved remove from heat and immediately chill the sauce. This is best accomplished by transferring the sauce into a small mixing bowl and setting in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until it is cool to the touch (but not frozen).

once the sauce is chilled, place the sauce in a high speed blender and set for high. Emulsify the sauce by slowly adding in the olive oil while the blender is running. the sauce should thicken up if the oil is not added too fast. add salt and pepper and honey to taste.

In 2 small chilled bowls, place about 5oz of spring mix in the center of each. next sprinkle about 2oz of crumbled gorgonzola cheese over each, followed by the candied almonds. next drizzle the sauce over top of each salad. use a fanning cut on the pears and fan one pear half out on each salad. I reccomend serving this salad as a 1st course for most white meat main courses and goes particularly well with Vueve champaign (expensive though)