Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 pears, preferably bosc or bartlett
• ½ cup port
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup pecans, toasted
• ½ tablespoon hazelnut or walnut oil
• 1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 endive
• 8 cups arugula, stems removed
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces Gorgonzola

Procedure

1. Preheat an oven to 400° F. Peel, quarter and core the pears. Place in a buttered baking pan, drizzle the port over the pears and sprinkle with sugar. Cover with foil and bake, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the pears are almost tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the pears and reserve the pan juices. Slice the pears into thin slices. Place the pan juices in a small saucepan and reduce until 1 tablespoon remains.
2. In the meantime, place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until light golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the reduced port, hazelnut or walnut oil, white wine vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. For the endive, cut the tip off on the diagonal. Rotate the endive and continue to cut on a diagonal with the cut side always facing down, using the whole endive.
5. To serve, toss the pears, endive, arugula and red onions together with the vinaigrette. Place on a platter. Crumble the Gorgonzola onto the top, sprinkle with pecans and serve.
6. Wine Suggestion: Sauvignon Blanc

Recipe reprinted with permission from Joanne Weir, 2002.