Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

The varieties of local pears available in New England continue to grow, so your choices are many, but be sure to use a nice firm one here, like Bosc or Asian. Local ginger is a rare and very seasonal crop in this area, so if you find it at a farm market in the fall, buy some and make your own candied ginger. It lasts for a while (but once you try it it probably won’t last!). Store-bought candied ginger easily stands in for homemade.

Serves 4–5

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes
½ teaspoon cinnamon
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 Bosc or Asian pears, peeled, cored and cut into about 8 wedges
½ cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon local honey
2⁄3 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
6 ounces baby spinach
1 head Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
Candied Ginger Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Candied Ginger Vinaigrette:
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1⁄3 cup crystallized ginger, roughly chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup light olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Toss the squash with the cinnamon, 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a sheet pan and roast until tender and lightly browned, about 18–24 minutes. Set aside.

Heat another 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add pears and brown on both sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Remove pan from the heat and add the pomegranate juice and honey and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven until pears are tender and the juice is almost gone, about 5–6 minutes, flipping pears halfway through. Set aside to cool.

Combine the squash, pears, pumpkin seeds, spinach and cabbage in a bowl. Lightly coat with Candied Ginger Vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

For the vinaigrette: Place the first 4 ingredients into a blender and pulse for 10 seconds. Then, while the blender is running, slowly pour in both olive oils until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(This dressing also doubles as a great marinade for grilled chicken or pork.)

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2023 issue as part of a larger story on Farm to Table Cooking.