Roasted Pear-Honey Salad with Baby Greens

Serves 4

Recipe from Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This salad is amazingly tasty and beautiful as well.

Make it for a special occasion for your family and friends.  This recipe can be doubled.  The components of the salad can be prepared early in the day and then put together and served for dinner later.

Salad

1-2 Tablespoon olive oil

2 pears, peeled, halved and cored

2 teaspoons (or a bit more)

6-8 cups mixed baby greens, washed and spun dry

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon finely minced shallot

5 Tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Brush the pears with a little olive oil.  Place the pears on the prepared baking sheet cut sides down, and bake for 20-25 minutes.  The pears should be tender enough to easily pierce with a fork.  (NOT mushy.) (I turned the pears over and put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes to help brown them because my oven is a bit hinky.) Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and drizzle the pears with honey.  (I “dragged” the pears around the baking sheet to pick up as much honey as possible.)  The pears can be made ahead the same day, but do not refrigerate.)  Set the pears aside.  Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a lid.  Shake the jar vigorously to thorough mix the ingredients.  Set the vinaigrette aside.  Place the salad greens on a platter and toss with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the leaves.  (You may have some vinaigrette left to use on another salad later.)  Place the pears on the salad greens.  Sprinkle with the blue cheese crumbles and the toasted nuts.