Arugula and Asian Pear Salad

Arugula in our boxes, two weeks in a row. Hooray! I love this peppery green, but it can be really bitter. When you’re getting ready to use it, nibble on a leaf or two. If it’s tasting really young and sweet, the less you do to it, the better. I love it tossed with a vinaigrette and then put on top of hot (homemade) pizza.

If it’s more on the bitter side, you might give it sweeter accompaniments.

I love salads with fruit (you may have noticed this already) and believe it or not, I just ate my first Asian pear this week. I’m not sure why I never tried them – just happy with “regular” apples and pears, I guess, and maybe that rusty-looking skin meant I’d have to peel them, and I absolutely hate to peel anything. Turns out the peel is just fine, no need to pare these pears.

What a revelation. Juicy and sweet, I was an instant convert. Locally grown Asian pears are at farmers markets right now, so how about pairing them with the arugula? (ok – way too many puns. sorry.)