RECIPE ALERT: Red Beets and Pear Salad

6 medium-size beets
Kosher salt
2 unripe Bosc pears
1 lemon cut in half
1 whole clove
2 medium-size cloves of garlic, peeled
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Leaves of Boston lettuce
Zest of 1 lemon

Wash the beets very well. Bring a stock pot of cold water to a boil over medium heat, add the beets add salt to taste.  Lower the heat and simmer the beets until quite soft when pierced with a knife for 45 to 60 minutes.  Drain and cool under cold running water, the skin will come off easily.  Let the beets cool on a plate.  

Peel the pears, cut them into quarters, remove the cores and cut each quarter into 6 pieces. Place the pear pieces in a small bowl of cold water with a few drops of lemon juice.  This will help them from turning brown.  In a small saucepan, bring two cups of cold water to a boil over medium heat. Add salt to taste, then a large piece of lemon rind and the whole clove.  Simmer for two minutes.  Drain the pears and add them to the boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes.  Pears should be very crunchy.  Drain the pears again and transfer them to a small bowl.

Cut the beets into 1/2 inch slices and add them to the bowl with the pears. Mince the garlic clove very fine and sprinkle over the pears and beets.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle all the olive oil and red wine vinegar over.  Mix very well and refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour before serving.  Arrange the salad on a bed of Boston lettuce leave and top with lemon zest. Serves 4-6.