Bibb Lettuce Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Rosemary, Pears  and Rhubarb Vinaigrette


Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients

2 ½ teaspoons plus 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup small diced rhubarb

2 cloves garlic, minced

Zest of one orange

½ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons local honey

½ cup rice vinegar**

Dash salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 head of Bibb lettuce or Boston lettuce, gently torn for serving

1 cup toasted walnuts

1 bunch fresh rosemary, remove the stems, chopped

1 Bosc pear, diced

Sauté the diced rhubarb in the 2 ½ teaspoons of olive oil. Add garlic, orange juice, and stir. Let this simmer for a few minutes then pour into a medium size bowl. Stir in the zest, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the 1 cup of olive oil.

Place walnuts on a small baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, watch carefully! You want the walnuts nicely toasted but not burnt. Let cool.

Pour a little dressing over a salad of torn Bibb lettuce mixed with the toasted walnuts, chopped rosemary and diced pear. Serve extra dressing in a separate dish.

** Rice wine vinegar and rice vinegar are the same…the only difference is the wording…both are made by fermenting the sugars from rice