This salad makes a great fall salad but can be served any time of the year. The pear halves are roasted with blue cheese crumbles, walnuts, cranberries and port and is served over a bed of baby arugula.
3 ripe, firm Anjou pears
freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 3 lemons
3 oz. coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 c. apple juice or cider
3 T. port
1/3 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 c. good olive oil
6 oz. baby arugula
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel pears; slice lengthwise into halves; using a small sharp paring knife and melon baller, remove core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss pears with a bit of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
Gently toss blue cheese, cranberries and walnuts together in a small bowl; divide evenly among pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
In the same small bowl, combine apple juice or cider, port and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar; pour over and around pears.
Bake, basting occasionally with cider mixture, for 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
Just before serving, whisk together olive oil, 1/4 c. lemon juice and 1/4 c. basting liquid in a large bowl.
Divide arugula among 6 plates/bowls; top each with a pear half; drizzle each pear with some basting liquid; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Serve warm.
6 servings.