This Easy Fall Salad Deserves a Spot in Your Thanksgiving Spread—and in Your Weeknight Dinner Rotation, Too!

Ingredients (18)

• 1 cup blanched hazelnuts (4 ounces; 113g), coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (1 1/2 ounces; 50g)
•  1 tablespoon (15ml) water
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (40g) fig preserves (such as Bonne Maman), or other fruit preserves
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons (75ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil such as canola oil
• 2 medium ripe but firm d’Anjou or Bartlett or Bosc pears (about 7 ounces; 200g each), each cored and quartered (see notes)
• 8 cups chopped escarole (8 ounces; about 1 head)
• 4 cups roughly torn butter Bibb lettuce or baby butter lettuce (4 ounces; 115g)
• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate seeds (arils) (8 ounces; 226g), from 1 medium pomegranate
• 3 ounces (90g) aged gouda, shaved (about 3/4 cup)