#ImprovCooking ~ Roasted Pear and Potato Salad

For November's #ImprovCookingChallenge we were given the ingredients of pears and dairy to combine into a recipe. I wasn't quite sure which direction I wanted to go until I ran a few searches and came across a couple salad ideas that were intriguing. I found one that sounded like a fascinating base to play with. Roasted pears and potatoes! I took this idea and added a few tweaks I and I can't tell you how lovely and different this salad was. I loved it. 

 

We added strips of pan fried pork chops to ours for a complete, hearty, fall entree salad. The tang of the dressing works so well with the bright, crisp greens, and lightly seasoned warm potatoes, alongside the tender juicy pears. 

See all of Today's Pears and Dairy Recipes: 

• Sour Cream Pear Pie by Pandemonium Noshery
• Pear Hand Pies by Cookaholic Wife
• Pear and Port Cheese Spread by Palatable Pastime
• Burrata and Bartlett-Vanilla Bean Jam Crostini by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Poached Pears In Cinnamon & Red Wine With Ice Cream by Sneha's Recipe
• Caramelized Pear and Brie Rolls by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Roasted Pear and Potato Salad adapted from Rachael Ray

Makes about 4 salads

Ingredients

1-2 TBS olive oil

1 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes, diced into thick cut french fry-style sticks

1 pound Bosc pears, cored and cut into sticks

1 teaspoon thyme

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 - 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

~ 6 cups shredded greens (I used a mix of lettuces)

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon

2 TBS honey

2 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Brown the potatoes on all sides for about 8-10 minutes. When browned, season with the salt and pepper, along with they thyme and toss. Add in the pears and toss once more. Spread out onto a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until roasted and tender.
3. Meanwhile, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk well until emulsified and well blended. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed.
4. Distribute the greens among 4 plates, and then distribute the roasted pears and potatoes over the top.
5. Sprinkle with desired amount of blue cheese.
6. Drizzle dressing over top and serve.

Serving suggestion: serve alongside grilled or pan fried pork or chicken (strips on the salads works well)!

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