Baked Pear, Blueberry, and Pecan Salad

I'm not quite ready to let go of fresh summer foods, but very excited for fall flavors. This time of year is great for mixing the two together. This Baked Pear, Blueberry, and Pecan Salad combines both seasons in one beautiful dish. The smell of the pears baking will fool you into thinking its fall, but once you mix it in the salad with the blueberries and lemon dressing, you'll be brought right back to summer. This salad is an easy dinner recipe that everyone will enjoy. You can easily swap out the pecans for walnuts and the goat cheese for feta to make it your own.

For the Salad:
2 ripe pears, Bartlett or Bosc
2 tsp honey
6 cups arugula or spring mix
½ cup blueberries
½ cup pecan halves
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

For the Dressing:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
*for a sweeter dressing, add ¼ tsp honey

Preheat oven to 350°.
Half the pears lengthwise. Using a spoon (a measuring teaspoon works great), scoop out the seeds and core. Drizzle with honey.
Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

While the pears are baking, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. If you prefer a sweeter dressing, mix in honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

When the pears are done baking, set them aside for 10 minutes to cool.

While the pears are cooling, arrange the salad. Divide the arugula or spring mix, blueberries, pecans, goat cheese, and dressing among 4 plates. Top each with a pear half and serve.

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