Bibb Lettuce Salad With Gorgonzola and Fresh Pear Dressing

Bibb Lettuce Salad With Gorgonzola
and Fresh Pear Dressing

Serves 6. Recipe is from the Heartline Café in Sedona, Ariz. In this salad, aromatic Bartlett pears are pureed into a sweet-tart dressing and tossed in with Bibb lettuce.

3 large ripe Bartlett pears, divided use

1 cup water

1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

½ tsp. fresh tarragon or scant ¼ tsp. dried

1 to 2 tbls. cider vinegar

1½ tbls. lemon juice

2 to 3 heads Bibb lettuce, rinsed and dried

4 ozs. (1 cup) crumbed Gorgonzola or blue cheese

1. Peel, core and chop one pear. Place pear, water, sugar and tarragon in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until pear pieces are soft, about five minutes, depending on ripeness of pear. Do not let all the water evaporate. There should be about ⅞7⁄8 cup pear and liquid. Cool.

2. Pour pear and liquid into a blender and blend until smooth. Add part of the vinegar and lemon juice to taste. Taste and adjust sugar and acid to make a sweet-tart dressing, adding a little water if needed to thin. Refrigerate until cold.

3. Core and thinly slice remaining 2 pears. For each serving, arrange 3-4 lettuce leaves on a salad plate. Top with 1⁄3 of a sliced pear, 2-3 tablespoons Gorgonzola, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing. Serve immediately.