Maple-Roasted Pear Salad

This tangy-sweet salad is a good excuse to explore the gourmet cheese section of your supermarket and try something like Zamorano, a cheese made from aged sheep’s milk in the Castile-León region of Spain.

ingredient list

Serves 8

• Salad
• 2 Tbs. maple syrup
• 1 Tbs. hazelnut, walnut, or olive oil
• 4 small firm Bosc pears, halved
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 8 cups baby arugula
• 3 oz. Parmesan, Pecorino, Zamorano, or other hard cheese
•  
• Beet Dressing
• 3 Tbs. hazelnut, walnut, or olive oil
• 2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced (2 Tbs.)
• 1 1/2 Tbs. honey
• 1 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
• 8 oz. cooked beets, finely diced (1 cup)

Directions

1. To make Salad: Preheat oven to 400°F, and line baking sheet with foil. Whisk together maple syrup and hazelnut oil in bowl. Brush oil mixture on pears, and place cut-side down on prepared baking sheet. Roast 22 minutes, or until pears are tender and cut sides caramelized. Set aside to cool.
2. Reduce oven heat to 350˚F. Spread hazelnuts on baking sheet, and toast 7 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to kitchen towel, and rub off skins with towel. Cool, chop, and set aside.
3. To make Beet Dressing: Whisk together oil, vinegar, shallot, honey, and mustard in bowl. Stir in beets, and season with salt and pepper. Toss arugula with Beet Dressing in bowl. Divide among 8 plates, and top each with pear half. Shave cheese over each salad with vegetable peeler, and sprinkle with hazelnuts.