This recipe is inspired by one I found in one of my newest favourite cookbooks, "The New Heirloom Garden" by Ellen Ecker Ogden. As someone who fully embraces and is very passionate about seasonal growing and eating, this is a salad whose flavours sung to me! I am also a huge lover of cranberries and pears. In fact, when in comes to cranberry season I find myself with every trip to the grocery store, constantly adding to my collection of cranberries in my freezer. When cranberries are out of season I buy bags of frozen organic Stahlbush Island Farms cranberries to have on hand year round. When I came across this recipe I had all the key ingredients already in my pantry and even though it is mid November, I also had a Japanese mustard green (West Coast Seeds Komatsuna Green) variety growing in my garden. I recognize that most people don't have access to mustard greens so this can be made with mixed greens or arugula (as in original recipe). Make sure you use semi firm pears in this salad. I made them with pears I had on hand that were very ripe and while it still was delicious, they didn't caramelize as well as firmer pears. Also I find that Bosc variety of pears works best in this. The original recipe calls for toasted walnuts but I enjoy the flavour of raw walnuts (sub pumpkin seeds if you're allergic).
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently toss the pears and cranberries with the coconut sugar and oil in a medium bowl. Arrange fruit mixture in a single layer on sheet and bake in the centre of oven for 12-15 minutes, until barely tender, turning once.
In a medium salad bowl whisk oil, vinegar, garlic salt and pepper, mustard and maple syrup. Add greens of choice and toss gently to coat.
Divide the greens mixture among 4 plates and arrange 1/4 of the pears and cranberries in a fan around the centre of each plate and sprinkle the chopped walnuts on each plate. Devour!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently toss the pears and cranberries with the coconut sugar and oil in a medium bowl. Arrange fruit mixture in a single layer on sheet and bake in the centre of oven for 12-15 minutes, until barely tender, turning once.
In a medium salad bowl whisk oil, vinegar, garlic salt and pepper, mustard and maple syrup. Add greens of choice and toss gently to coat.
Divide the greens mixture among 4 plates and arrange 1/4 of the pears and cranberries in a fan around the centre of each plate and sprinkle the chopped walnuts on each plate. Devour!