By I drove to Grinnell Saturday. Roger was in the garden — the garden that is his whole world now, the 83-year-old man who tends six tomato plants and twelve sunflowers with the same care he once gave four hundred acres. He's slower but he's still Roger. He still watches the crop reports. He still calls Jack on Wednesdays.
I made butternut squash soup this week — the fall version, the one that fills the kitchen with the smell that means this time of year, this stage of life, this specific Tuesday when the stove is warm and the family is fed and the feeding is the point. Kevin ate seconds. The man always eats seconds. The eating is the approval and the approval is the marriage.
The garden winding down. Corn stalks brown and leaning. Last peppers picked before frost. Jack's garlic going in — the patience crop, planted now for next July. Nine months underground. The faith that the future needs what the present plants.
Driving home from Grinnell with Roger’s sunflowers still in my mind, I wanted something that honored the season without a lot of fuss — something that said harvest the way a bowl of fruit and nuts on a fall table says it, quietly and without ceremony. This cashew-pear salad is exactly that: cool and crisp where the soup is warm, light where everything else about October feels heavy, a little sweet the way the last good days always are before the frost comes and takes everything.
Cashew-Pear Tossed Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 8 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, spinach, or spring mix)
- 2 medium ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup salted whole cashews
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Set aside.
- Prep the pears. Core and slice the pears just before serving to keep them from browning. If making ahead, toss pear slices in a teaspoon of lemon juice to hold their color.
- Assemble the salad. Add the greens to a large serving bowl. Arrange the pear slices, cashews, dried cranberries, crumbled blue cheese, and red onion over the top.
- Dress and toss. Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat, taking care not to bruise the pears. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve immediately. This salad is best served right after dressing — the greens will wilt if left to sit. Offer extra dressing on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 280mg