Oh friends… this recipe from the The Harvest Table, was soooo good! It was a chilly day here in Minnesota and this cool weather recipe really hit the spot. I can just see savoring the creamy gorgonzola and nutty pecans in October, when there’s really a nip in the air!

Arugula Salad & Baked Pears

3 Anjou pears, peeled and halved lengthwise
5 T. lemon juice
6 T. crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/4 c. sweetened dried cherries
1/4 c. pecan halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 c. apple cider
1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
6-oz. pkg arugula leaves

Dressing:
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. reserved cider mixture

Core each pear half with a melon baller and a paring knife, creating a well. Trim bottoms of pear halves to sit flat. Drizzle pears with lemon juice and arange, cored-side up, in an ungreased 8″x8″ baking pan. In a small bowl, gently toss cheese, cherries and pecans together.

Divide cheese mixture among pears, mounding it in the wells. In the same bowl, combine cider and brown sugar; stir to dissolve sugar. Pour cider mixture over and around pears. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until pears are tender, basting occasionally with cider mixture.

Remove from oven, reserving cider mixture in pan; let stand until pears are warm or at room temperature. In a large bowl, add arugula to dressing; toss well. Divide arugula mixture among 6 salad plates; top each with a pear half. Drizzle pears with some of the reserved cider mixture; sprinkle with salt and serve. Makes 6 servings (I only made 4 pears and saved the leftover filling for lunch salads).

My only change in the future would be to reduce the amount of lemon juice in the dressing a bit – it was a bit tart for me. Even so, Husby and I really enjoyed this as our supper, with grilled apple chicken sausages on the side to bulk it up a little. Be sure to enter to win a copy of the Harvest Table!!