Fall Harvest Dinner: Roasted Pear Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Would you like to come with me to an amazing virtual dinner party? 

You don't have to bring a thing, except for a bunch of pins for your Pinterest boards. Trust me, you'll need them.

The 2013 Fall Harvest Dinner Party is happening right now! You must check it out. It's being hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Eileen from The Joy Of Caking, and I am thrilled that she invited me!

Eileen asked a few of us bloggers to prepare something to bring to her virtual dinner party...a cocktail, an appetizer, dessert...she even asked someone to set the table! There is a list of what everyone is making at the end of this post.

As much as I begged her to let me wash the dishes, she would have none of that, and asked me to bring the salad.  

I couldn't very well rip open a bag of triple pre-washed iceberg lettuce and call it a day, so I thought about what kind of salad would get me really excited if I were to order one in a restaurant. I came up with...

I  love something sweet in my salad, and pears are a perfect choice for a fall harvest meal. Although this salad would be good with uncooked pears, I want this to be special, because...

...well, because Very Important Guests are attending this dinner --YOU! -- and I want it to be extra special.

In my opinion, there's only one thing better than roasted vegetables, and that is roasted fruit. In a salad, a sweet fruit is a perfect companion to a savory entree, such as Crusted Garlic Parmesan Roasted Chicken.

I searched around for roasted pear recipes, and eventually settled on an adapted version of Roasted Pear and Shallot Salad...by, ahem, Martha Stewart.

I KNOW, I KNOW! My timing couldn't be worse, given the recent brouhaha caused by her recent quote about bloggers.  But, I honestly did prepare this post a good month before Martha talked about "those bloggers...who are "writing recipes that aren’t tested that aren’t necessarily very good, or are copies of what really good editors have created and done." 

 Alrighty, then. That's sort of what I did. I adapted a really good editor's recipe...in this case, hers...and guess what? IT'S REALLY GOOD. If you want to make Martha's unadulterated recipe, click here. There is no doubt that it is excellent. If you want to make one by a blogger who is not a trained editor at Vogue, and is not an expert, make mine. It's excellent, too :)

SOME NOTES ABOUT THE RECIPE:

• The original recipe called for Frisee and Belgian Endive for the greens, but I substituted a mix of greens (I used Earthbound Farms Organic Spring Mix), since I'm not a frisee fan. 
• I  used White Balsamic Vinegar instead of Sherry.
• I used roasted pecans instead of walnuts. 
• I did not serve the roasted shallots with the salad. 
• I added gorganzola and craisins. 
• About the dressing: Add the dressing just before serving, so the greens don't wilt. Use it sparingly on the greens. Use only enough to lightly coat the greens. It has a lot of flavor and a little goes a long way. The last thing you want is for the salad to be dripping in dressing.  

All I can say is YUM.  This is one of the best salads I've ever had, if I do say so myself. 

It's also very colorful, and will look fantastic on your dinner table.

Roasted Pear Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Roasted Pear & Shallot Salad with Sherry Dijon Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons Honey
5 tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar (divided)
5 tablespoons Olive Oil (divided)
Coarse Salt and freshly ground Pepper
3 ripe but firm Bosc Pears, cored, each cut into eighths (unpeeled)
8 Shallots, halved lengthwise if large
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup Water
5 ounce package Organic Spring Greens
1/2 cup Gorganzola, crumbled
3/4 cup Pecans (3 ounces), toasted
Half cup Craisins (optional)
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, 3 tablespoons vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange pears and shallots in a single layer in a small roasting pan; pour honey mixture on top, and toss well to coat. 

Cook until pears and shallots are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 30 minutes, turning them over halfway through.

Meanwhile, make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, 3 tablespoons oil, and mustard; season with salt and pepper.

Remove roasted pears and shallots from roasting pan. Place pan over high heat; add the water, and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon, until liquid is reduced by half. Whisk mixture into vinaigrette.

Place greens in a large bowl; only use enough vinaigrette to lightly coat greens. 
Divide among plates, and arrange pears, pecans, gorganzola and craisins on top.

Serves 6. 

If you clicked over from The Joy Of Caking because you have already finished your cocktails and appetizers, then I thank you for stopping here at Ms.Toody Goo Shoes!

And if I am the first course you are sampling at this dinner party, please make sure you go back to The Joy Of Caking's Fall Harvest Dinner, and check out the other courses and beautiful tablescape in this amazing meal which was put together by a bunch of talented bloggers!

Festive Fall Table: Sandra from Sweet Sensations
Apple Pie Cocktail With a Twist: Terra from Café Terra
Eggplant Caviar:  Dionne from Try Anything Once
Goat Cheese with Herbs de Provence:  Monet from Anecdotes and Apple Cores
Roasted Pear Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette: Amy from Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Pineapple with Almond & Honey Streusel:  Jeanne from   InsideNanaBread’s Head
Crusted Garlic Parmesan Roasted Chicken: Eileen from The Joy of Caking 
Pumpkin Challah: Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Onion Rolls: Denise and Sharon from BeBetsy 
Cinnamon Applesauce Tart: Anne from From My Sweet Heart

Bon Appetit!

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