Aside from the endive, cilantro, radishes, and feta, the list of ingredients below is a rough sketch. I’ve been known to substitute fennel for radicchio, and occasionally I add a few nuggets of Parmigiano Reggiano, some meaty flakes of smoked trout, or even just a few canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried. The key, in any case, is the quality of the ingredients. For salads like this one, I like a Hass avocado that’s on the firm side of ripe: not hard, but solid, with just a hint of give—the potential for softness, you could say. I buy my endive on the small-to-medium size—no larger than 3 ounces each—with no bruises, brown spots, or other blemishes, and I look for tight, compact heads of radicchio, each about the size of a large man’s fist, with smooth, shiny leaves. I serve this salad on its own, as the center of the meal, with a hunk of crusty bread or a few roasted sweet potato “fries” on the side.

Per serving: calories 206, fat 13.1g, 54% calories from fat, cholesterol 15mg, protein 10.3g, carbohydrates 14.6g, fiber 2.4g, sugar 3.8g, sodium 352mg, diet points 5.2.

No pears? Then use a tart apple instead. This is a salad that I sometimes eat as a main course, adding shavings of a firm British cheese, such as nutty Wensleydale, Appleby’s Cheshire or a mild Caerphilly. Serves 2.