It is official – summer is over and today is the first day of fall.   Before you start getting all misty eyed about those fading fun summer memories lets talk about all the great things that are coming with this new season.  First of all our little darlings (who have been running us ragged all summer) are finally corralled back into the classroom for 7 glorious hours a day of education.  Mother Nature is preparing to give us a beautiful fall foliage display to enjoy.   There is football, fall fairs and warm apple cider with cinnamon and nutmeg.  And most importantly it is finally time to dig into the depths of my closet and pull out those long dormant cool weather clothes which unfortunately is the closest thing I am going to get to a wardrobe update this year.

Ok seriously one of the best things about fall is really all the great fall produce coming into season – like pears.  I really love pears.  They are sweet and juicy and totally portable like an apple but somehow just a little more special.  Eating pears always reminds me of the good parts of fall like the feeling of the first crisp cool autumn breeze on your cheek or the smell of the grill at the first football tail gate of the season.  So in celebration of this first day of fall I want to share with you my Autumn Salad recipe featuring SeaPak Butterfly Shrimp and those delectable fall pears.

This salad is really easy.  Start by popping some SeaPak Butterfly shrimp into the oven.  While those shrimp are getting all golden crunchy you can make the salad part.  Take your favorite variety of lettuce, add chunks of sweet juicy fresh pears (no need to cheat with canned pears this time of year!) and then sprinkle on some gorgonzola cheese crumbles and walnuts.  Top with those warm SeaPak Butterfly Shrimp and drizzle with your favorite dressing.  Blue cheese dressing is an obvious choice to accent the pears however I prefer a simple vinaigrette so it doesn’t over power the other flavors.  And the best thing about making the salad at home instead of ordering it out is you get to make it your way.  So if gorgonzola isn’t your thing, try shredded parmesan or maybe even some bite-sized cubes of a nice white cheddar.  Or you can go crazy with the nuts and sub in something different like pecans or pine nuts.  Of course no swapping out the SeaPak Shrimp or the pears because they are the best part of this salad!

So I have shared with you one of my favorite fall recipes tell me some of your favorite fall dishes.  What flavors really make you excited about this new season?