Roasted Pear Salad

Week 344. Fall 2022. I am 39 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like cinnamon and falling leaves and this is my life. This is the life I built.

Brett came Wednesday. We sat on the porch and talked about nothing, and the nothing was perfect, the way nothing between siblings is always perfect — full of history, empty of agenda, the purest form of company.

Mason is 11 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.

Lily is 9 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.

I made roasted Brussels sprouts this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

I didn’t make Brussels sprouts that week in isolation — there was a whole meal around them, the way there always is, and this roasted pear salad was part of it, tossed together while Mason asked me something about cell walls and Lily’s boots were still muddy by the back door. It’s the kind of salad that feels like fall feels: a little sweet, a little sharp, soft and crisp at the same time, nothing dramatic. That’s exactly what I needed. That’s exactly what week 344 was.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 firm-ripe pears (such as Bosc or Anjou), halved and cored
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon honey
5 oz arugula or mixed greens
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
1/3 cup candied walnuts or pecans
1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roast the pears. Place pear halves cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and the honey. Roast for 18–22 minutes, until tender and caramelized at the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slice each half into thirds lengthwise.
Make the dressing. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
Assemble the salad. Arrange the arugula or greens on a large platter or in a wide bowl. Scatter the red onion and candied nuts over the top.
Add pears and finish. Lay the warm roasted pear slices over the greens. Crumble the gorgonzola over everything, then drizzle with the balsamic dressing. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Roasted Pear Salad — The Food Always Continues