As enamored as I become with apples at this time of year, I sometimes forget another favorite sweet treat in season: pears. The ones I love the best come from Harry & David, but until corporate holiday gift season rolls around I’m happy with the pears that are just starting to show up at the grocery store.

Believe it or not, this Spinach Pear Salad recipe actually comes from one of those little packages of fresh herbs – rosemary, to be specific.  Baby spinach leaves, along with rosemary and parsley, are tossed in a red wine vinaigrette and topped with fresh sliced pears, toasted pecans and crumbled blue cheese. The inclusion of the herbs is a bit unexpected (I don’t usually think of rosemary as a salad ingredient) and works really well here. It’s a healthy, fresh-tasting salad that’s quick to pull together – and did I mention it has pears?

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Rich, golden spinach-bacon macaroni and cheese is kind of like having a little angel and a little devil on each shoulder. It’s decadent for sure, but the spinach relieves just a touch of the guilt.

This was a rather simple recipe, from the back of a pouch of Kraft cheddar cheese, but the flavors were anything but basic. There’s no added seasoning whatsoever to this dish – all of the rich flavor comes from the ingredients themselves. The roux for the cheese sauce starts from the leftover bacon drippings, distributing a gentle bacony flavor throughout the pasta. The cheddar is both sharp and buttery and the parmesan is salty and a little nutty, so the combination is pretty robust and complex. And aside from a welcome color contrast, the spinach adds a nice herbiness to the mix.

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