Autumn Salad with Bosc Pear and Pepitas

Ingredients:

- Baby mixed greens
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 Bosc pear
- 1 pomegranate, or 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- Champagne vinegar (mine was flavored with orange juice)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pepitas (roasted and salted pumpkin seeds)

Step 1:

First cut up your pomegranate and remove the delicious seeds. Cut off the top and bottom, slice the sides away, and cut down the middle. Now use your fingers to remove the seeds – be careful, as you can see pomegranate juice will spray, so don’t keep anything nearby that you don’t want to be stained. I strongly suggest wearing an apron.

Now cut your Bosc pear in half, then in quarters, and remove the center and seeds. Slice thinly into a fan shape and set aside. Also shave some of your cheese and set aside. No pics, sorry.

Step 2:

To make the vinaigrette: pour about 1/4 cup of vinegar into a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Begin whisking, and add about 1/3 cup of oil in a steady stream to emulsify.

Step 3:

Now, plate your salad – place the pear fans to the side, plate the greens, add pepitas and pomegranate seeds, dress with dressing and garnish with shaved cheese.

Mmmm, salty, sweet, tart, rich, soft and crisp all at once.