Frisee, Radicchio & Pear Winter Salad

I am so in love with Mark Bittman and his cooking escapades. I have all of his books, except the latest vegetarian one (hint, hint) and read his articles, recipes and blog posts regularly. Alas, he’s had other foodie-types posting on his blog as of late, which sometimes diverts my attention toward other foodie-type contributors to the The New York Times.

During my search, I’ve developed a little crush on Jill Santopietro. I’ve read her articles for a long time now, but she just started this video series called Tiny Kitchen which permits the viewer to watch as she tries recipes in her very tiny kitchen. It’s adorable. She’s adorable. In fact, I was even more thrilled to discover that Jill and I are connected via a mutual friend, so I plan to meet her someday and flourish these compliments directly. (hint, hint)

As I watched her series the other evening, I became inspired to make a salad from whatever I found in my fridge. While I’m famous for my Kitchen Sink Salads where I basically slice and toss all my remaining fresh veggies into a big bowl loaded with lemon juice and olive oil, I am still learning superior dressing-veggie combinations. Well, I may have figured out a winner here…

This salad combines delicate frisee, slightly bitter radicchio, parsley leaves and ripe pear chunks with a very young tarragon vinegar that I made and bottled during the Fall. A few turns from a pepper mill and a sprinkle of sea salt brightened all the flavors. (This salad would be equally delicious with a touch of champagne vinegar and/or a nutty olive oil like walnut or hazelnut.)