Roasted Pears with White Balsamic Vinegar
Topped with honey drizzle and creamy goat cheese, these pears are stunning for dessert or atop arugula greens in a tasty winter salad.
Ingredients:
4 red pears, halved and seeded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
8 tablespoons fresh goat cheese
½ cup honey
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place pat of butter in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish and melt in oven for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and arrange pears cut side down, single layered. Pop back into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until pears are just tender. Then, remove and pour vinegar over pears and roast for 7 minutes more.
3. Transfer pears to serving dish, cut side up. Spoon juices over pears from baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on and around pears, then drizzle with honey. Grind fresh black pepper over the top of pears and cheese.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
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.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Roasted Root Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar
Tossed with fresh thyme, parsley and butter, plus a splash of balsamic vinegar, this recipe works well with any number of root vegetables.
Ingredients:
2 cups Chantenay carrots, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups parsnips, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup purple Daikon radish, trimmed of greens, then scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely-chopped thyme
1 tablespoon freshly-chopped parsley
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 400°.
2. Using your fingers, toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and then transfer to a baking sheet.
3. Place the vegetables in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them gently with a spatula and continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and crispy, another 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer vegetables to a large serving bowl and add in fresh thyme, parsley and butter, tossing to coat, then drizzle the dish with balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
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:
â…“ cup apple verjus
â…“ 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.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Roasted Beet Salad with Mesclun Greens & Crumbled Chevre
Topped with a light vinaigrette and roasted pumpkin seeds, this salad is both colorful and satisfying.
Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven (see recipe)
2-3 cups Mesclun greens, washed and dried
½ cup crumbled chevre cheese
½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
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 Mesclun greens on a large platter and then top with beet slices. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled chevre, then drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with additional ground pepper to taste.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Roasted Golden Beets & Carrots with White Balsamic Dressing
This colorful dish is tossed with a slightly-sweet dressing anchored by fresh garlic scapes.
Ingredients:
6 golden beets, trimmed of greens, leaving 1-inch of stem attached
1 bunch carrots, trimmed of greens and cut into ¾-inch matchsticks
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons freshly chopped green herbs, such as parsley and mint
For dressing:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons honey
1 finely-minced garlic scape
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Wrap beets tightly in foil and roast in the oven until tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, toss carrots with oil and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow baking pan.
2. Remove beets from oven and then roast carrots in the oven at the same temperature until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. While carrots are roasting, unwrap beets and, when just cool enough to handle, slip off skins and remove stems. Cut beets into wedges.
4. To make the vinaigrette, whisk olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic scapes together in a bowl until smooth.
5. Transfer carrots and beets to a serving platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette, seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with freshly-chopped herbs; can be served either warm or at room temperature.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Roasted Pumpkin & Pear Soup
The classic fall soup gets a delightful new twist with sweet roasted pears.
Ingredients:
1 pumpkin, cut into thick slices
2 ripe pears, peeled and cored
3 Cipollini onions, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cut pumpkin into thick slices, removing seeds and stringy loose flesh inside. (Reserve seeds for roasting, if desired). Cut the pears in half, peel and core.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the pumpkin and pears on top. Bake in a preheated 375° oven until both the pears and pumpkin are fork tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes for the pears and 45 minutes for the pumpkin. Allow to cool and scoop out the pumpkin flesh, keeping 4 cups for the soup and reserving rest for another use. Chop pears coarsely.
3. In a heavy soup pot heat the butter and add the onions. Cook over medium low heat until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown.
4. Add the garlic and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add the pumpkin and pears and about 4 cups of broth. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
5. Blend, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding additional broth if soup is too thick.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
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.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
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.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Honey-Balsamic Roasted Carrots
This slam-dunk recipe from Domenica Marchetti’s The Glorious Vegetables of Italy beautiful combines both savory and sweet flavors.
Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Put carrots in a large roasting pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Pour over carrots. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Toss gently to combine.
3. Roast carrots for 10 minutes; toss, roast for 15 minutes more, or until carrots are tender and browned in spots.
4. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with a few additional drops of vinegar and a dash of sea salt.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.