Mizuna Greens with Candied Pecans & Pear Vinaigrette
This flavor-packed salad is both light and fresh, accented with creamy blue cheese, juicy pomegranate and crunchy candied pecans.
Ingredients:
Mizuna greens
Farm & Larder pear vinaigrette
4-5 Seckel pears, seeded and sliced
4 Belgian endives, sliced thinly
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup candied pecans
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Rinse Mizuna greens and pat dry with paper towels, or spin dry in a salad spinner. Transfer to large mixing bowl and add sliced pear, endive and pomegranate seeds.
2. Drizzle with about ½ cup Farm & Larder pear vinaigrette, and season to taste with fresh ground pepper, adding more vinaigrette as desired. Sprinkle with candied pecans and crumbled blue cheese.
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Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme-Apple Verjus Vinaigrette
This salad is a stunner!
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
4 ripe but firm Bosc pears (about 2 ½ pounds), halved, cored
¼ cup honey
6 cups mixed spring greens, such as this week’s Wrinkled Crinkled Cress, Claytonia and salad mix
6 ounces blue cheese, sliced or coarsely crumbled
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
Dressing:
⅓ cup apple verjus
⅓ cup olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Method:
1. To prepare the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Scatter thyme sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the pear halves cut side down on a work surface. Starting ½ -inch from stem and leaving the pear half intact, cut each lengthwise into scant ⅓- to 1/2 -inch-wide slices. Press pear gently to fan slices; place atop thyme sprigs. Drizzle pears with honey; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until pears are tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand on a baking sheet at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
3. Combine the greens in a large bowl. Add a drizzle dressing and toss to coat, adding more to taste. Divide the salad among plates and place a pear half on top of the greens. Garnish salads with cheese; sprinkle with nuts.
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Apple, Pear & Blue Cheese Salad with Mizuna Greens
Tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Ingredients:
4-6 cups Mizuna greens
1 Manon pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 Arkansas Black apple, cored and thinly slice
½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic until well combined. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine Mizuna greens and apple and pear slices. Toss with about half of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste as desired. Crumble blue cheese over top, season generously with black pepper and serve.
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Smokey Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pears & Arugula Greens
Topped with spectacular slices of blue cheese stuffed-pear, this salad always wows guests.
Ingredients:
2 ripe, but firm, red pears, peeled
Juice from ½ lemon
½ cup crumbled Rogue Creamery smokey blue cheese
Arugula greens
½ cup dried cranberries
Fresh ground pepper
F&L pear vinaigrette
Method:
1. Wash each pear, peel and remove stems. Then, using either an apple corer or sharp paring knife, hollow out the center of each pear by inserting your chosen tool into the top of the fruit and pushing down in a circular motion, hollowing out the flesh and seeds, until you’ve reached the bottom. Pack blue cheese crumbles into the cavity, keeping one hand on the bottom of the pear to prevent the cheese from slipping out.
2. Place a generous portion of arugula greens in a serving bowl. Take each pear and slice into ¼-inch slices, revealing the blue cheese center. Place pear rounds on top of greens, drizzle with the vinaigrette and top with dried cranberries.
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Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Rosemary Pecans
Topped with a light vinaigrette and roasted pecans, this salad is both colorful and satisfying.
Ingredients:
Roasted baby red and yellow beets, sliced in half and still warm from the oven (see enclosed recipe)
2-3 cups Mesclun greens, washed and dried
½ cup F&L rosemary pecans
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic together, seasoning with fresh ground pepper to taste.
2. To assemble the salad: Arrange the greens on a large platter and then top with beet slices. Top with roasted pecans, then drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with additional ground pepper to taste.
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Blue Cheese & Pear Salad with Arugula Greens
Tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Ingredients:
4-6 cups arugula greens
1 D’Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic until well combined. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine arugula greens and pearl slices. Toss with about half of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste as desired. Crumble blue cheese over top and serve.
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Blue Cheese-Stuffed Roasted Pears with Arugula
Roasted and topped with cranberries, hazelnuts and blue cheese, these pears from the Barefoot Contessa are incredibly flavorful.
Ingredients:
3 ripe, but firm, pears
3 ounces Westward Blue cheese
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup apple cider vinegar
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons port or dessert wine
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup olive oil
6 ounces arugula greens
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Slice pears lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
2. Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
3. In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
4. Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, ¼ cup of lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.
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Moscato-Poached Pears
This simple poaching method produces a beautifully-light dessert.
Ingredients:
6 Bosc pears
2 cups Moscato
½ cup honey
1½ cups water
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Peel pears (optional); cut each in half lengthwise and remove cores (a melon baller works well for this).
2. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the pear halves, and gently poach the pears until they are just tender. Remove pears to a shallow pan. Reduce the poaching liquid under medium high heat until it is a syrup, and then drizzle over the pears.* You can serve the pears immediately while still warm with a scoop of ice cream and their syrup, or they can also be served at room temperature with a small cookie and a dollop of crème fraîche.
* The pears can also be refrigerated at this point. To serve, the pears can be reheated in their syrup, or served chilled, topped with other fresh fruit and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream.
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Prosecco-Poached Pears
This simple poaching method produces a beautifully-light dessert.
Ingredients:
4 Bosc pears
2 cups prosecco
½ cup honey
1 ½ cups water
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Peel pears (optional); cut each in half lengthwise and remove cores (a melon baller works well for this).
2. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the pear halves, and gently poach the pears until they are just tender. Remove pears to a shallow pan. Reduce the poaching liquid under medium high heat until it is a syrup, and then drizzle over the pears.* You can serve the pears immediately while still warm with a scoop of ice cream and their syrup, or they can also be served at room temperature with a small cookie and a dollop of crème fraîche.
* The pears can also be refrigerated at this point. To serve, the pears can be reheated in their syrup, or served chilled.
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Seasonal Green Salad with Apples, Blue Cheese & Pecans
This fresh salad combines peppery greens and crisp apples slices and is finished with a light Champagne apple cider vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
½ pound mixed greens
1 apple, cored and thinly-sliced
½ cup crumbled Westward blue cheese
½ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced shallot
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large mixing bowl, toss mixed greens with the apple slices.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine vinegars, honey and shallot, then whisk in olive oil to combine. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad greens, tossing to combine. Top salad with crumbled blue cheese, toasted pecans and a twist or two of fresh ground pepper if desired.
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