phoebe c photography

Strawberry Balsamic Salad

2008-04-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

This salad is the essence of simplicity. Serves 2.

Ingredients:
2 oz slivered almonds, toasted
5 oz mixed greens
8 oz strawberries
2 oz fresh goat cheese
5 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt& pepper to taste
Slice the Strawberries into a bowl. Add the Balsamic Vinegar and Sugar, allow the vinegar to soak into the Strawberries. set the oven to broil, toast the almonds, careful not to burn them. Add the olive oil to the strawberries, then the greens. Cut the goat cheese in to small pieces and sprinkle around the salad. Sprinkle slivered almonds on the salad. Toss and Voila! Very simple salad full of flavor.

moth designs

2008-04-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

http://mothdesigns.etsy.com.Mary E. Robbins sent me this fantastic shirt for my husband who is an organic farmer and gardener. She is a seller on Etsy.com who has the shop mothdesings. Her tee-shirts have a wonderful message of promoting cultural competency and understanding. Not only is Mary Robbin's work beautiful and well crafted, but it is also meaningful in the way that it teaches one word of the arabic language at a time so that people who come into contact with her work are connecting with the arab community. My husband can't wait to show off his new shirt at our community garden!

Pad See Ew

2008-02-24T15:23:00.001-08:00

Serves 2 people.
1 1b Chinese broccoli (or broccolini)
1 1b fresh flat rice noodles (refrigerated)
1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce (dark and thick)
1 large chicken breast sliced thinly
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 Eggs
2 cloves garlic

This is my favorite dish to get at the local vietnamese/ thai restaurant. I absolutely love wide flat rice noodles and I was puzzled for the longest time why I couldn't find them with other dried rice noodles, and then I realized they are fresh and can be found in the refrigerated section of asian markets. I found a 1 lb package of fresh rice noodles for .70 cents today. What an unreal bargain! This dish is very simple and quick to make.
First cut the chinese broccoli into bite size pieces and cut the stems in half. Separate the rice noodles and cut them into 3/4 inch strips. Heat a wok or frying pan if you don't have a wok on high, then put in 2 Tbsp oil, Add garlic and quickly add the meat so the garlic doesn't burn. Stir quickly. When the meat looks cooked on all sides add rice noodles, and soy sauces. Scrape everything to the side and toss in the egg so it makes contact with the pan. Allow it to cook, then toss in the broccoli and allow to cook to your liking. Voila! Feel free to experiment and try different variations of sauces, you could even add a pinch of sugar to sweeten.

Raspberry Trifle

2008-02-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Fresh Raspberries
1/3 cup Raspberry Jam
1/3 cup Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
20 ladyfinger cookies
2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream
a sprinkling of toasted almonds

My grandmother makes a gorgeous trifle. Hers is the genuine English version with Bird's Custard and Rountree Jelly. I adapted her recipe for the ingredients available in the U.S.
Put a metal bowl and the whisks in the freezer (for the whippe cream) and continue with the rest of the recipe. For the custard: In a saucepan heat the milk and vanilla, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, allow to sit 10 mins. In a bowl whisk eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, salt. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture. Now heat on medium heat, stirring constantly for 10 mins. Chill in refrigerator. Soak ladyfingers in a bowl with the Raspberry Liqueur. Arrange one layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of 4 small dessert glasses. In another bowl mix the fresh raspberries with the raspberry jam. Set aside. Now take the chilled metal bowl and whisks out of the freezer. Beat the heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until stiff peaks form. I like to start by adding a few ladyfingers in the glass vertically for decoration. They should stick because they are wet with the liqueur. Now add a layer of whipped cream, a layer of raspberries, a layer of custard, a layer of ladyfingers, cream, raspberries, custard. Finish off with a layer of whipped cream. Add fresh raspberries on top to decorate and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Profiteroles

2008-01-24T05:38:00.000-08:00

Cook time 40 mins,
makes 6 servings
Preheat oven 425F

1 cup milk
I stick unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 Large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz dark chocolate
Vanilla ice cream
pinch of salt
***My uncle Ben made these for the family at Christmas, they are absolutely heavenly. Everyone at the table was tempted to lick the bowl of dark chocolate and savor the last bite.
Heat milk, butter, and salt over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour in one go and beat it by hand with a long handled wooden spoon until the mixture forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and stir until eggs are thoroughly mixed in and the mixture is thick. This might tire your wrist, Have back up people to help you stir, or you can do this step in the food processor.
***Spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The puffs should 1 inch-1/2 inches. Don't have them too close together because they expand a lot. Keep them about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.
***To make the chocolate sauce, place the cream and chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water and stir just until the chocolate melts. Do not get any water in the chocolate. This will absolutely ruin it. Set the chocolate aside. Cut each profiterole in half crosswise, fill with a small scoop of ice cream, replace the top, and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

Wailing on Harmonicas

2008-01-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

I don't know when the tradition began. This Saturday night in Brooklyn, NY my friend handed us all harmonicas at her dinner table. Instead of saying grace we were asked to join in collective music making. I started giggling because this is so much fun. Its simple, and exhilirating. You don't even have to have any musical skills. The next day I was still fiddling with the harmonica at the breakfast table thinking about the wonderful meal the night before, and being with good friends.

Israeli Couscous & Pomegranate Salad

2008-01-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

Serves 4
250g Israeli Couscous
1 Pomegranate
1 Organic Orange (zest & juice)
1 oz. Tarragon vinegar
3 oz. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Handful of Dried Currants
Few sprigs of parsley & mint
2 oz. Feta Cheese

A similar dish to this was on the menu for my summer wedding. The guests loved it. It is colorful, exciting, and flavorful.
Boil Water with Couscous for 8 mins. Drain in cold water. Cut pomegranate in Half and remove seeds, to do this I recommend whacking it with a spoon, or removing them with your hands. Add Pomegranate seeds, Couscous, Currants into a bowl. Chop the herbs and toss those in too. In a small jar make the dressing. Add the zest and juice of the orange, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Put the cheese in the jar too. Put the lid on and shake the dressing up. Poor over salad, toss and serve.

Apricot & Vanilla Jam

2008-01-18T04:28:00.000-08:00

3-4 sterilized jars
1.5kg fresh apricots
Juice of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean
800g sugar

Cut the fruit in half and remove the pits. Put the fruit with the sugar into a large pot (a jam making pan if you have one). Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and cut into a few segments. Combine the fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla,stir and let sit for a few hours. Cook on a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved all the way. Put the heat up to medium high and boil for 20-25 minutes. I always watch jam carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over. If it starts to look like it might, just rapidly turn down the heat and the jam level should go down. You shouldn't stir while the jam is boiling.

Let the pot sit for 20 mins. Pour into warm sterilised jars. Cover and seal while still hot. Once open, store in the fridge. With vacuum sealed jars, my mom has the tip of turning them upside down to create suction.

If I had to choose

2008-01-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

Why, you ask? Well, starting from the top.
*The Cranks bible by Nadine Abensur is the cookbook my family used to inspire their wholefood restaurant called Acorn, in Swindon, England. I loved that restaurant and I have very fond memories of the food. I would recommend Abensur's recipe for butternut squash, green beans, goat cheese, with a maple syrup glaze. Everything in this book is fantastic, although some of the recipes are a little rich for my taste.

*The Moosewood Restaurant by the Moosewood Collective low-fat favorites is a sure bet. I usually refer to this cookbook when I have guests who are vegan, also many of the recipes can be quickly adapted to be vegan if they aren't already. I recommend the tofu vegetable dumplings. The recipe makes 48 dumplings, but trust me they get gobbled up quickly, and are a great snack any time of day. I also love the stuffed baked potato recipe. It's just a simple corn and bean stuffing or spicy broccoli filling, but I enjoy it because it is just plain good.

*If you are looking for a little spice, or a lot of spice, this is the one for you. Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. My husband and I both fell in love with her mango curry recipe. Its amazing. She even explains how to cook the perfect basmati rice every time without burning it. My husband loves to make this dish because it always tastes fantastic and never dissapoints. We have probably made this almost 20 times in the last two years. I also love her sweet potato curry recipe. Its not too spicy, which is perfect for my palate.

*Nigel Slater's Real cooking, is satisfying and simple . My husband has now started to eat meat after 4 years of being a vegetarian. Now I can indulge in some of the foods I love; like really good sausages, roast chicken, and root vegetables. This food is hearty, and straightforward. Nigel Slater has a way of describing the best part of eating-the little crispy bits left over that you just love and have to enjoy.

*The Best Italian Classics by the editors of Cook's Illustrated, helps explain what is the best kind of olive oil, what is the best parmesan, how to make the crispiest and best eggplant parmesan, and also how to make italian cooking more authentic. The authors of this cookbook really test each recipe to produce an excellent result in the kitchen, so if you are having guests over and haven't tried the recipe before, you can be sure that these recipes will deliver.

*The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen is similar to the Mooswood Restaurant cookbook because, she is in fact part of the collective. This cookbook is not low fat, so I use this one when I am making any kind of dessert. I love her recipes for blintzes, she offers quite a few versions of a similar recipe so its easy to give it your own creative spin. The entire cookbook is written out in her handwritting, with handdrawn illustrations and diagrams. I love this. I think she made a fabulous and incredibly artistic cookbook.

Winter orange & onion salad

2008-01-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

Serves 4

1 thinly sliced sweet onion
2 oranges-valencia or navel
black olives
dressing:
2 anchovies
3 capers
1/2 shallot
1 oz sherry vinegar
2 oz olive oil
1 clove garlic

My step father made this delicious fresh salad on new years. It will wake your palate up for a fine meal. Its important to buy sweet onions, which have a milder flavor. In southern France local onions are used (oignon des Cevennes) which are available from the end of September to the end of April. Made the dressing first by mashing all the ingredients together into a smooth paste. Arrange the ingredients artfully on the plate and pour the dressing over each plate. Bon Appetit

basic crepes

2008-01-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

8 oz (200g) of plain flour
2 eggs
1 pint of milk (600ml)
pinch of salt
butter
toppings- sugar&lemon
oil for the pan

A wonderful sunday morning treat when you have time to laze about and eat breakfast.
Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Hollow out a space in the flour to crack the egg into. Add the egg and a third of the milk, Keep stirring gently. Keep adding milk while stirring. Beat thoroughly and add the rest of the milk. Let the batter rest in the fridge for 1/2 hour so that the pancakes work when you fry them. Melt a bit of butter in a frying pan. Pour 1/2 a ladle of batter into the hot pan. Use your wrist to make a twirling motion so the batter covers the whole pan. Do this quickly before the batter sets. Wait for the edges to curl up just a bit. This will indicate that the crepe is ready to flip. Should take a min or so. Flip and wait for little bubbles to appear. This indicates the crepe is done. Put on a plate and keep adding crepes to the warm plate as they are done. Continue doing this until all the batter is used up. If you would like a change from the crepes with lemon and sugar, sometimes I add sliced strawberries and chocolate spread.

chocolate and bacon

2008-01-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

When we were living in Vermont one of my husband's classmates made his special recipe Choinklet. This is chocolate covered bacon. I was amazed and never heard of such a thing. I asked for a sample, so my husband relayed the message and this classmate of his made a special batch for me. There was a mishap on the way home from class, the bacon fell out my husband's pocket, and I never got to taste its chocolatey salty goodness. Now I have my chance with the new Vosges gourmet chocolate bacon bar, I am a lucky girl!
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars

new business cards

2008-01-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

New Year's Shortbread

2008-01-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

1 lb unsalted butter
4 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp spice or lavender
or for Chocolate cinnamon shortbread
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
A lovely friend of mine made this fantastic shortbread for New Years and she was kind enough to share the recipe. We learned always remember to cut the shortbread when it is hot out of the oven otherwise it will be too hard and crumbly to cut. This is is simple and delicious!
Mix all ingredients together,Bake 350 degreees between 20-40 mins. The shortbread should puff up nicely. Cut and allow to cool thoroughly before serving

Oreillettes (Little Ears)

2008-01-03T01:56:00.000-08:00

This recipe was given to me by my step sister. She followed the tradition of offering 13 desserts at christmas which is a catholic tradition in France.

1 kilo flour
6 eggs
zest of one lemon
1 orange
3-4 tsp orange flower essence
60g melted unsalted butter
salt
powdered sugar for dusting

save half the flour, mix with the orange juice and its zest, the orance essence, butter and salt. Crumble with your hands adding little by little the reserved flour. Keep adding the reserved flour until the dough no longer absorbs it. Make a ball of dough and leave it at room temperature for two hours. Roll out the dough and cut into many rectangles. 5x10 cm on a tray coated with oil. Plunge them in a deep fryer with vegetable oil. Add a heavy dusting of sugar and serve.

onion confit (onion jam)

2007-12-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

for two jars 200g each. Prep time 20 mins, cooking time 1 hr 15 mins.

500g red onions peeled. 700g before they have been peeled
40g sugar
1 tsp honey
30g butter
1 tsp olive oil
10cl red wine
10cl sherry vinegar
1 tsp creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
salt & pepper

This confit is perfect to serve with bread, cheese, and a few cornichons (gherkin) pickles. This tastes sweet almost like a chutney and it has a little bite from the acidity in the vinegar. (for extra color add a little beet juice. My mom made this and I couldn't resist eating it almost every meal.
Quarter the onion, slice them into slivers, cook them 20 mins in the pressure cooker, covered with butter and olive oil. Mix from time to time. Add two pinches of salt, sugar, honey, vinegar, wine, cover. Leave 50 mins. add salt. Add creme de cassis. Let thicken 5 mins. uncovered, stirring occasionally. Boil jars to sterilize, fill hot jars, tighten lids. Keep in fridge 2 months or freeze.

Sweet Corn Fritters

2007-12-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

2 tins sweet corn
8 oz self raising flour
1 red chili finely chopped
1 stick lemongrass finely chopped
1 red onion finely diced
2 tbs coriander
1 tablespoon grated ginger
8 eggs
salt and pepper

This recipe is contributed by my uncle Ben, who is the professional chef in the family. This can be served with sweet chili dipping sauce.
Combine all ingredients, adding eggs to form a thick batter. Deep fry tablespoons of the batter until set in the middle and golden brown.

Thai Fish soup

2007-12-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

1 tablespoon Sunflower oil
2 Shallots diced
Red chilli diced (half to one depending on taste)
2teaspoons ginger in sunflower oil
2teaspoons lemon grass in sunflower oil, I buy these in jars but fresh would be better if in season.
1 can Coconut Milk
Equal quantity (1can) water
250gms Undyed Smoked Haddock
Optional. 250gms Cooked Sliced Potatoes.

This recipe was submitted by my lovely grandmother. She was influenced by Thai members of my family. This is a great take on chowder and is a fabulous winter meal.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and gently sweat the shallots.After 3 minutes add the chilli and lemon grass and ginger and soften. Add the sweet corn, then the coconut milk and water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 4 minutes.Add the fish chunks and simmer very gently for 3 minutes.
If desired the potato slices can be added before the fish to make the soup more substantial.

orechiette with cherry tomato sauce

2007-11-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

Prep time: 5 min
cook time: 15 min
serves:3

This recipe has been adapted from a meal I ate an Italian restaurant in Burlington, VT. This recipe has bright and fresh flavors of arugula, cherry tomatoes, and garlic. Orechiette is my favorite pasta and is difficult to find, but it can be found in most gourmet grocers. Orechiette means little ear shaped pasta.
Ingredients: 1 container of cherry tomatoes, cut in half.
1 small bunch of arugula. 1/2 1b.
1/2 lb of orechiette pasta.
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Boil water, cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil on medium-low heat in frying pan, add garlic, saute until slightly brown. Turn up heat to medium and add pasta, saute until slightly brown and toasted in spots. Add cherry tomatoes, saute until collapsed and blistering. Add arugula until wilted. Add pepper and salt, toss and serve.

Avocado & Corn Salsa

2007-11-21T05:05:00.000-08:00

Cooking time:10 min
Prep time:10 min
Time in fridge: 1hr-2 days
serves: 6

This recipe was submited by my father in law. He knows how to perfect a good recipe. This is great in the summer, and always a crowd pleaser. This photo was taken at an avocado farm we stayed at in northern New Zealand. Yes, we did eat gorgeous ripe avocados everyday.
Ingredients:
3 ears of corn, husked
3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, diced
1 medium red onion diced small
1 red bell pepper, cored,seeded, diced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 medium gloves garlic minced
4 dashes Tabasco sauco
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano or tsp. of dried
1/2 cup of juice from 4 medium limes
salt and pepper

Boil corn 4-6 min in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and cool under cold water. Cut kernels off cobbs. Mix corn with all ingredients add salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate to blend flabors. At least one hour, up to three days. Try not to eat this all at once you will get a stomach ache unless sharing with 4-6 people

Chicken Tajine

2007-11-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

cooking time 50 min

This recipe is submitted by my mother. She was inspired by her travels in Morroco and Tunisia for the creation of this recipe. She adapted the recipe so that you do not need to have a tajine (ceramic oven) to make this recipe.
1 chicken cut in pieces
4 potatoes, washed with skins on and cut in quarters
olive oil
1 tsp curcuma
12 prunes
1/2 tsp cumin
50 grams almonds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 citrons confits (recipe to follow)
1 tsp ginger
1 large onion
salt
5 pieces of garlic
small bunch of coriander
small bunch of parsley

Chop onion and gently fry. Add garlic. In another pan sear the
chicken. Add salt and spices, the onions and 1/2 the herbs. cover
with water.
Simmer for 20 mins. Rince the citrons confits, cut in quarters and
add.
Grill the almonds. Add them to the pot with the prunes and lemons.
Continue to cook for 30 mins. Skim off the fat. Add the rest of the
herbs, chopped to garnish.

Citron Confit-
2 lemons untreated (organic) sliced 1/4 inch
2 handfuls koser salt
2 cups olive oil
Rosemary sprig (optional)
Bayleaf (optional)
Thyme (optional)
Instructions: Put one handful of kosher salt on a plate, place lemon slices on top of salt, add another thick layer of salt. Leave 12 hrs to sit. Dry and take off salt with paper towels. Layer lemons in a 500g jar. Cover with olive oil. Add optional herb sprigs for decoration. Keeps one week out of the fridge, one month in the fridge.

Vegetarian Too Good to be Meatless Chili

2007-11-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

Serves 12-15 (can freeze).
Serve with rice or cornbread
or baked in tureens with cheese.

My dad created this recipe years ago and he has made changes and improvements on it over time. This recipe is great to make ahead of time and just heat it right before you are ready to serve.
Too good to be meatless chili
Ingredients:
5 cans 15 oz. assorted beans (kidney, pinto, small
red), drained
3 C TVP (textured vegetable protein/soy) available
at health food store
1 cube vegetable bouillon
2 cans 28 oz. Whole tomatoes
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 T olive oil
¼ C raisins
3 whole jalapeno peppers from jar, seeded
¼ C fine yellow corn meal
¼ C water
5 T chili powder
2 T gravy master seasoning and browning sauce
2 t sugar
2 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
2 t salt
1 t ground black pepper
¼ t ground cinnamon
¼ t ground cloves
¼ C pimento stuffed manzanilla olives, cut in half

Directions:Brown onions and garlic in olive oil in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. In medium bowl dissolve vegetable bouillon cube in 2 C boiling water. Add TVP to vegetable bullion, soak, and drain out excess broth. Add TVP to saucepan, add a little oil to prevent sticking and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree raisins and jalapeno pepper in food processor. Add one can drained beans to food processor and puree together. Add pureed mixture to saucepan and stir
Drain one of the cans of tomatoes and place in food processor with second can of tomatoes. Process briefly
to chop tomatoes and add to saucepan. Add tomatoes to saucepan, along with chili powder,
sugar, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix cornmeal with ¼ cup water and add to saucepan.
Simmer uncovered on low-med heat 10 minutes, and then adjust seasonings to taste. Add remaining beans, stir, and simmer on low heat for 35 minutes or to desired consistence, stirring occasionally. Add olives during last 15 minutes of cooking.

french onion soup

2007-11-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

cooking time 1hr
prep time 10 min
serves 4

adapted from A beautiful bowl of soup. Paulette Mitchell
This photo is of my mum peeling shallots when I went to visit her in France. I always buy shallots, red onions, and garlic in bulk straight from the producer. This fall I stocked up on these essentials at The Garlic Farm in Granby, CT.
Ingredients: 3 cups red onions
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup shallots
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. butter
1 lb sweet onions
1Tbsp herbes de provence
salt and pepper
1/2 cup gruyere cheese
1 cup red wine

Melt butter in a heavy pot on medium heat. Add onions. Turn heat to medium low. cover and cook for approx. 25 min. Turn heat to medium. Take cover off cook for additional 15 min, stirring often. Add shallots and garlic. cook for two min. Add wine and set heat to medium high. Cook until liquid is gone. Add veg. stock and thyme. Boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer, stir occasionally. for 20 min. Put soup into tureens, sprinkle with cheese and broil in oven for 2 min until cheese is bubbly and a little brown. Serve with bread.

roasted pear salad

2007-11-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

recipe serves 3 people
cooking time: 40 min
prep time: 10 min

This recipe is so easy. Bosc pears can be found in most farmers markets in the fall. Bosc pears keep well and they are inexpensive. Roasting the pears brings out their sweetness, the nuttiness of the pecans adds a nice touch.
Ingredients: 4 bosc pears (sliced into quarters, cores removed)
3 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
one small handful pecans
1/2 bag of mixed salad greens
1/2 tsp. thyme
3 Tbsp. grated cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice and core pears, place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle 2Tbsp olive oil over the pears and toss to coat. Sprinkle mixed herbs over pears. Roast pears in the oven. After 20 min flip pears and put back into the oven for an additional 20 min. 40 min total roasting time. While pears are roasting grate cheddar cheese and make salad dressing. For salad dressing combine remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 1/2 tsp. maple syrup. Stir dressing in a bowl. set aside. Take pears out of the oven and allow to cool. Chop pecans, place on roasting pan and broil until slightly brown. Watch carefully so they do not burn. This should take only about 2 mins. Assemble salad. Add greens, pears, dressing, cheese, and pecans. Toss salad and serve.