From gourmet to staple

Goat cheese used to be a gourmet specialty item, but its popularity with high-end restaurant chefs over the past decade has quickly turned it into a supermarket staple.

Roasted Pear With Toasted Goat Cheese Salad takes its cues from popular restaurant salads that combine the tangy flavor of warm goat cheese rolled in panko with delicate salad greens. Goat cheese has a rich taste but is usually lower in butterfat and contains more vitamins and minerals than cow's milk cheeses. Like produce, fresh goat cheese has a season and is at its best from April to November.

Other fall flavors include pears roasted in apple cider. Leaving the skin on the pears adds fiber. A sprinkling of tangy cranberries adds antioxidants, and walnut pieces -- with their rich tannic flavor and abundance of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid -- finish the dish.

Warm goat cheese is a luxurious -- and nutritious -- addition to a salad featuring roasted pears, cranberries and walnuts.

Shopping tip: Look for panko, a Japanese-style bread crumb, with the stuffing mixes.

Cooking tip: To toast walnuts, spread them in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted.

Storage tip: Goat cheese, typically called chevre, can be stored for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. The cheese is spoiled when it tastes sour.