Cooking: Roasted Pear Salad

Autumn is by far my favorite season of the year.  I can never get enough of the sights of pumpkins, mums, and scarecrows or the smells of apple, cinnamon, and pumpkins.  Furthermore, I find that this time of the year offers up the best in cooking.  Living in a state in which the biggest business is agriculture further emphasizes my yearning for cooking with the fresh ingredients that are so plentiful during the harvest season.  While my family is picking cotton and cutting soybeans, I am picking through the freshness that the local grocery store has to offer with apples, butternut squash, and Fall harvested fruits and vegetables. 

It seems that Summer is a season in which to barbecue or grill to your hearts desire; especially down South where a hot oven can make one's home unbearable even on days when temperatures only reach into the low 90's.  While I extensively use my oven year-round, I feel more confident doing so during the month of October when the humidity is nearly gone and a cool breeze can blow through my open windows. 

While prepping for a dinner party that we hosted last week, I looked through some recipes and found a great recipe for a first course in which I could include an Autumn harvest fruit, even though the said harvest takes place in the Northwest.  One of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame, developed this recipe for Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese (the recipe can be found at the bottom of this entry).  Preparation is quite easy for this dish which would make a great salad course or a nice light lunch.  As with all recipes that I find, I adapt them to my taste specifications.

After serving the Pear Salad to my guests, I found that it was not only easy to make, but very tasty and a big hit.  I hope that you will try this recipe in your Southern home.  Feel free to let me know what you think.  Until next time, y'all have a Great Southern Day!

Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Serves 10

Ingredients:
5 ripe but firm Anjou pears (Bartletts, though not in season, can be substituted)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
4 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup apple cider
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup olive oil (I use extra virgin)
2 8oz pkg. baby arugula
salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves.  With a small knife and melon baller, removed the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling.  Trim a small slice away from the rounded side of the pear so that they will not wobble in the baking dish.  Toss the pears with some of the lemon juice to prevent browning.  Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough for them all to fit snugly.

Gently toss blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in small bowl.  Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the well created earlier.

In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Pour the mixture over and around the pears, keeping enough for basting and 1/4 cup for later use.  Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes.  Set aside to cool slightly or bring them to room temperature. 

Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, remaining lemon juice (at least 1/4 cup), and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl.  Place arugula on 10 plates and top with a pear half on each.  Drizzle each pear with the fresh dressing just made and sprinkle with salt.  Serve warm.

I only entertained 8 and found the 2 extra pears to be a nice lunch the next day.