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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Arugula, Pear and Parmesan Salad



Sometimes the simplest recipes are indeed the best.  There are plenty of recipes (boeuf bourguignon, for example) that require hours of preparation and layer upon layer of flavors.  Then, there are others with a few ingredients and quick preparation that just can't be improved on.  Pear, parmesan and arugula salad is one of those. 

This month for Blogger C.L.U.E. Society, I was assigned Wendy's blog.  A Day in the Life on a Farm.  I love her intro:  "Two retired cops searching for peace and quiet find chaos and happiness."  Isn't that just the way life works?  Wendy and her husband, Frank, may be technically retired but it sure looks to me like they spend a LOT of time working on this farm of theirs. 

I've loved reading Wendy's blog since joining Blogger CLUE so was very excited to get her this month.  Our assignment was originally to be apples.  Turns out ONE apple is $6 in Japan.  So, we expanded to pears also.  Turns out some of our buddies didn't have either on their blog.  So, we wound up with fall fruit.  That meant I had a wealth of choices.  Thank you, Wendy! 

Even though we're not big dessert eaters, I started with the desserts.  Just for research, you know.  LOL.  Pumpkin spice bundt cake.  Pumpkin custard pie.  Caramel apple pretzels.  They all sounded SO good.  But, in the end I kept going back to the salad I'd found.  I was feeling guilty because it was so easy.  Then, I remembered the pickle dip.  Made for another group a few years ago.  Three ingredients and it's always the hit of the party.  Then, there's the fact that Connie LOVES pears.  Most fruit he grumbles about.  Not pears.  And, it's the perfect time of year to have them.  Ok, salad it was. 

We couldn't find any arugula anywhere so our trusty baby greens from Sam's had to stand in.  I missed the bit of pepperiness that the arugula would've provided.  But, I'll confess that had I not known the baby greens were a substitution, I'd have been 100% happy with my salad.  This was so easy to put together.  The flavors were fabulous.  And, the pears were the stars.  Not buried under dressing or cheese or something else.  They were the stars.  This is a perfect fall salad.




Here's where you can go meet Wendy and see this fabulous salad:  Arugula, Pear and Parmesan Salad.

Now, for some other fall fruit fun here are the links to my friends in Blogger C.L.U.E.:

14 comments:

Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) said...

I hate it when I can't find arugula, it's such a great green for so many salad combinations. And I agree, this simple salad must be on my table soon.

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Wonderful choice! I love pears in salads and this simple combination sounds sublime!!

Rebekah said...

Oh that looks delicious! Love fresh simple ingredients for a refreshing dish. This looks like a wonderful fall salad.

Kelli Davidson said...

It's still hot here so this salad looks perfect for lunch or a lite supper!

A Day in the Life on the Farm said...

Thank you so much Kate for your kind words. I am so glad you enjoyed the salad. I serve this quite often when my pear trees are ready to be harvested.

Kim K. said...

I'm so happy to have met Wendy through this group!! And I'm also so happy you brought this salad to the challenge this month. Arugula, pear and parmesan... a few of my favorite things!

Sue Lau said...

Looks good. Did you serve this with any type of dressing or vinaigrette?

Lisa | Authentic Suburban Gourmet said...

What a great fall salad! Just wish I had it in front of me right now since I just got home from work and I am famished!!

Kathy Walker said...

Arugula and pear go so well together. Love your salad!

Unknown said...

How were you able to choose a dish? Like you said, everything you listed sounds so good! The salad does look amazing though. Personally, I like baby greens more than arugula so I'd have been happy to sit with you and munch what you made, even knowing the difference. :)

Unknown said...

I also love Wendy's intro line to her blog and yes, farming is a ton of work! Simplest recipes are the best, in my opinion...like this lovely fall salad!

Lawyer Loves Lunch said...

I love the combo of sweet and savory from the pear and parmesan. And of course, eating salad means you get to have more dessert! :)

Debra Eliotseats said...

Simple and delicious. I know you must have missed the arugula "bite" but bet it was just as tasty. Definitely a great combination of flavors, Kate. (Love Wendy's blog, too.)

Unknown said...

I love putting fruit in my salads and pears would be perfect.