Fresh-Picked Butter Lettuce

At the Goodman household, our new favorite salad features fresh-picked organic butter lettuce. It’s so good — tender yet crispy, succulent yet delicate, and very beautiful (especially the red butter) — that we’re even willing to wash it, which is no small thing for a family that’s been eating pre-washed lettuce almost exclusively for over 20 years!
Here’s the salad we’ve made three times in the last week. These are just general guidelines — adjust to your taste or to what’s fresh in your area right now.

• Wash and dry two heads of organic butter lettuce and tear into pieces.
• Peel and thinly slice a pear, and cut the slices into bite-size pieces.
• Toss the lettuce and pears with a dressing made with:
  
• Dijon mustard
  
• Good balsamic vinegar
  
• Half toasted walnut or pecan oil, and half good extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Top with a handful of coarsely chopped toasted pecans (I toast mine in the microwave on a paper towel on High for 1 minute) and a few ounces of crumbled blue cheese or firm goat cheese (we use Bucheron). Enjoy!