Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

A winter salad!

I discovered this recipe in the United Methodist Cookbook a few years ago, it was submitted by Barb Poppe. I made it many times that first year and then sort of forgot about it until I was thinking about what recipe to share this week! Now I can't wait to make it again, its so good! Do make the homemade dressing that goes with it. It's easy to make and better than the store bought kind!

Fruit Salad:
1 head Romaine lettuce (torn into bite size pieces)
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 apple, cored and cubed
1 pear, cubed

Combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl, then pour the following dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup oil
1 Tbsp poppy seed

In blender or food processor bowl with metal blade, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Cover and process until blended. With machine running, add oil in slow steady stream, processing until thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, process a few seconds to mix. Is it Spring yet?????