Overall I am not a big fan of fruit, especially dried fruit, in a salad. Not because it doesn't taste great, but because nowadays many restaurants serve salads that really belong on the dessert menu, and not on the " I am eating something healthy" list. So much said, this is a great salad for special occasions, such as a Sunday meal or a dinner party.

Ingredients:

1 Bartlett pear, chopped
1 large or 2 small size golden beats
3 oz - approx. 1/2 bag of arugula lettuce
6 figs, cut into small pieces
1 handful of hazelnuts, cut into halves
1.5 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon of regular balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat water in a medium size pan, add whole, cleaned beets, bring to a boil and cook for 30-40 minutes until soft. You still want to get a bit of resistance when you stick a knife into the beet.
Put into colander in sink when done and under cold running water, just using your hands, peel the skin off the beet (works great!)
Cut into slices, place into bowl and sprinkle evenly with white balsamic vinegar. Cover and put in fridge to cool. Adding the vinegar to beets while they are still warm makes them absorb it and gets rid of the slightly "earthy" taste that beets can have and that some people don't like.
Cut hazelnuts into halves and roast in a non-stick pan - preferably cast iron - on low until slightly browned. The best way to roast nuts and seeds is to just put them into the warm pan, stir them frequently and let them roast for 3-7 minutes (depending on what nuts/seeds) DO NOT USE OIL. Nuts and seeds contain enough of there own oil to roast perfectly without added oil.
Cut figs into small pieces, pear into slightly larger chunks
Mix arugula, beets, figs, pears and hazelnuts. Add oil and vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.