Fall Harvest Salad

Now that it is harvest season, I wanted to share one of my favorite fall recipes (actually, it's a fan fave too!). Whether you're making a velvety pumpkin soup or a savory roast chicken, this pear salad will compliment your meal splendidly.

Here's what you'll need:
4 cups masculin salad mix
3 ripe pears (sliced and sautéed in a pan with just a spray of canola until caramelized and tender)
1/2 cup fresh cranberries (sautéed in pan on high heat with a spray of canola until soft)
For the salad pictured, I used golden raisins instead
2 cups cubed butternut squash (sautéed on high heat with a spray of canola until browned, when browned add 1/4 cup of water...when the water cooks off, the squash should be tender, if not, add a little more water, this will depend on your cube size)
3 slices of applewood smoked bacon crisped and chopped finely
1/4 cup coarsely crumbled aged vt cheddar cheese (the sharper the better)
Chopped pecans (not shown, because I'm in a nut free home)

Maple vinaigrette (a personal favorite of my friends Ashley and Sally):
2 parts virgin olive oil
3 parts white or apple cider vinegar
2 parts maple syrup
1 part Dijon
Salt pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
Emulsify

Toss the ingredients in a mixing bowl with salt and pepper to taste.  Add dressing as desired and serve immediately.
Cheers and happy eating!