Avocado and Blue Cheese Salad

Ingredients

 * ½ Cup olive oil
 * ¼ Cup white wine vinegar
 * ½ tsp grated lemon rind
 * 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
 * 2 Tbsp honey
 * 2 garlic cloves, pressed
 * 1 tsp salt
 * 1 ½ Cups pecan halves
 * 11/16 Cups sugar, divided
 * 2 California avocados, peeled and chopped
 * 1/3 Cups crumbled blue cheese
 * 8 Cups mixed salad greens

Directions
Whisk together first 7 ingredients. Remove 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, reserving remaining vinaigrette.

Toss pecan halves with 3 tablespoons vinaigrette in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add 2 tablespoons sugar, tossing to coat. Spread pecans evenly onto a baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from pan; toss with remaining sugar, and cool.

Stir avocado and blue cheese into reserved vinaigrette. Arrange salad greens on individual plates; sprinkle with pecans, and drizzle with vinaigrette.