Give Me Some Food

I have never been a great fan of arugula. Until now. Before, I thought it was too bitter, too strong; it took any dressing I made and beat the crap out of it during recess (for those of you who missed that comparison- it means I could only taste arugula no matter what I put with it). But now I have found that with a certain dressing, arugula can chill on the tire swing with other flavors without being constantly watched by the teacher on yard duty. Or at least the September '06 issue of Gourmet has found this dressing and they shared it with me...and I changed it to suit my needs. I think it's the honey and the lemon juice that do wonderful things for this leaf.

This recipe had pancetta. I didn't feel like dealing with pancetta- so I didn't and the salad was still wonderful. Because of that, pancetta does not get to play on our salad playground today.

Pear and Arugula Salad
Serves 4 (as a side or first course)

1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 firm-ripe pears
4 c. baby arugula
3oz ricotta salata (I didn't find any so I went without and it was still great)

Whisk together first five ingredients. Whisk in oil in a slow stream until combined.  Toss with arugula, pears, and cheese. Enjoy!