Maple Orange Dressing Recipe For Fall & Thanksgiving
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This year we’re adding a Maple-Orange Vinaigrette recipe to our Thanksgiving tradition. We’ve typically used a classic Dijon vinaigrette with fresh herbs, but when we saw this recipe from the Wisconsin Cheese folks, we had to try it (and that was back in August!). We’ve made it numerous times since. The flavors are so spot-on for Thanksgiving and all of the salads that follow through the holidays. The recipe comes from our friends at WisconsinCheese.com, which includes a treasury of recipes with cheese from the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. They served this dressing over a fancy fall salad of roast pears, baby kale, red quinoa, pepitas, pomegranate seeds, and grated Cheddar. 1. WHISK the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, orange zest, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. 2. SLOWLY WHISK in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. But the recipe below (photo #1) is heartier, and leftovers served with some leftover sliced ham or turkey could be a main meal. This salad takes advantage of a delicious Wisconsin-made Cheddar, Henning’s Maple Bourbon Cheddar Cheese, a white Cheddar with delicate hints of maple and bourbon (photo #5). Don’t worry: it doesn’t contain enough bourbon to require purchase by adults only. The alcohol content is negligible to non-existent in the final product. The flavor of bourbon remains, but any alcohol present largely evaporates during the production and aging process. The cheese melts in your mouth and would be a great addition to a holiday cheese board. You can substitute another Cheddar. We didn’t order enough packages of Henning’s, so when it was gone, we substituted Cabot’s Horseradish Cheddar—a completely different flavor counterpoint. The conventional (not flavored) Cabot Cheddars are equally excellent, and any of their flavored Cheddars will work, too*. Ingredients For 6-8 Servings Prep time is 30 minutes. 1. HEAT the oven to 400°F. Line a 15 x 10-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Drizzle the pears in a bowl or on another pan with the olive oil and maple syrup; toss to coat. 2. ARRANGE the pears in a single layer on the prepared pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. 3. BAKE for 15-17 minutes or until the pears are tender, turning once. Cool completely on a wire rack. 4. TOSS the salad mix with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in a large serving bowl. Top with the pears, red quinoa, red onion, pepitas and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette; toss to coat. Sprinkle with the shaved Cheddar. > Salt History †Anjou Pears: If you can find red Anjous, they are preferable to green because you’ll be leaving the skins on. |
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