Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

Ingredients: 

Salad:

• ½ cup whole pecans
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and sliced into bite-sized half moon shapes
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries
• 2-4 ripe pears (comice or anjou)
• 1 pomegranate, seeds removed (optional)
• ⅓ cup mild blue cheese (Amish Blue or Stella), goat cheese, or no cheese
• 1 (5 ounce) box heirloom lettuces or other delicate leaf lettuce (delicate mixed greens better than romaine or iceberg here)

Dressing:

• 1 teaspoon grainy dijon mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup (1 tablespoon tastes good if you are watching sugar but 2 gives more maple flavor)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
    
2. Place butternut squash on rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, spices, salt, and pepper. Roast 10 minutes, or until squash pieces are mostly tender. Stir the squash around and add the pecans to the sheet. Roast another 5 minutes, until pecans are fragrant and squash is cooked through.
    
3. Meanwhile make the dressing, recipe below, and prepare the other ingredients by slicing the pears, crumbling the cheese, and removing the seeds from the pomegranate fruit.
    
4. Toss lettuce with ¾ of dressing and a sprinkle of salt. Divide among plates. Place a pear in the center of the salad and slightly fan out the layers. Drizzle a small amount of dressing over the top of the pear.  Nestle warm butternut squash, toasty whole pecans, large chunks of cheese, pomegranate seeds, and dried berries decoratively around the pear and over the lettuce. Serve immediately.

Dressing:

1. Place all ingredients in a small glass jar (like jam jars) with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Serves 2



Original Recipe: jessiemonds