Oh friends… this recipe from the The Harvest Table, was soooo good! It was a chilly day here in Minnesota and this cool weather recipe really hit the spot. I can just see savoring the creamy gorgonzola and nutty pecans in October, when there’s really a nip in the air!

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Arugula Salad & Baked Pears

3 Anjou pears, peeled and halved lengthwise
5 T. lemon juice
6 T. crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/4 c. sweetened dried cherries
1/4 c. pecan halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 c. apple cider
1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
6-oz. pkg arugula leaves

Dressing:
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. reserved cider mixture

Core each pear half with a melon baller and a paring knife, creating a well. Trim bottoms of pear halves to sit flat. Drizzle pears with lemon juice and arange, cored-side up, in an ungreased 8″x8″ baking pan. In a small bowl, gently toss cheese, cherries and pecans together.
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Divide cheese mixture among pears, mounding it in the wells. In the same bowl, combine cider and brown sugar; stir to dissolve sugar. Pour cider mixture over and around pears. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until pears are tender, basting occasionally with cider mixture.
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Remove from oven, reserving cider mixture in pan; let stand until pears are warm or at room temperature. In a large bowl, add arugula to dressing; toss well. Divide arugula mixture among 6 salad plates; top each with a pear half. Drizzle pears with some of the reserved cider mixture; sprinkle with salt and serve. Makes 6 servings (I only made 4 pears and saved the leftover filling for lunch salads).

My only change in the future would be to reduce the amount of lemon juice in the dressing a bit – it was a bit tart for me. Even so, Husby and I really enjoyed this as our supper, with grilled apple chicken sausages on the side to bulk it up a little. Be sure to enter to win a copy of the Harvest Table!!

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