Apple-Pear Salad with lemon poppyseed dressing

INGREDIENTS:
Dressing:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size
pieces
1 cup cashews (I like roasted and salted to balance the other flavors)
1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and process just a few seconds more to mix.

2. In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.

Variation:
The original recipe called for 2 tsp diced onion, 1/2 c white sugar, and 2/3 c vegetable oil to make the dressing and added dried cranberries and 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese in the salad. I felt like the pear and apple added enough sweetness (thus omitting the cranberries) and I wanted the tartness of the fresh lemon juice to take center stage.

Another variation I saw increased the dijon mustard to 1 Tb.