Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme Verjus Dressing

Name: Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme Verjus Dressing
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 1/3 cup verjus or 3 tablespoons white grape juice and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1/3 cup grapeseed oil; 1 large shallot, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves; 3 bunches fresh thyme sprigs; 4 ripe but firm Bartlett pears (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved, cored; 1/4 cup honey; 1 head of butter lettuce, coarsely torn; 4 ounces baby arugula; 6 ounces blue cheese, sliced or coarsely crumbled; 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

Verjus is a tart grape juice made from unripe wine grapes. Milder than vinegar, it can be used in salad dressings without competing with an accompanying wine the way vinegar does. Look for it at specialty foods stores or online at chefshop.com and terrasonoma.com. What to drink: Pour an Oregon Pinot Noir with the salad and the Herbed Lamb Chops with Pinot Noir Sauce.

October 1, 2005

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Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme Verjus DressingGary Moss

Ingredient tip:

Lane Crowther uses and Oregon blue cheese from Rogue Creamery, but other good choices are Point Reyes (from California's Marin county) or Maytag blue, which is sold in many markets.

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