Endive and Apple Salad

(recipe from Food & Wine magazine)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
3 heads Belgian endive, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup torn escarole leaves
1/2 medium Fuji or Braeburn apple, cored, cut into 6 wedges, thinly sliced crosswise

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set vinaigrette aside.  Mix endive, escarole, and apple in a large bowl.  Toss salad with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette, or to taste.

A Good Winter Salad

(recipe from 101 Cookbooks)

1 delicata squash, seeded and sliced into thin crescents
6-8 heads little gem lettuces, leaves separated
2 endives, shredded
2 medium cloves garlic
1/8+ tsp. fine grain sea salt
5 Tbsp. melted butter (I used coconut oil)
big squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 cup toasted pepitas
2 ripe avocados, slivered

Heat the oven to 375F.  Toss the squash crescents with a splash of olive oil, and roast until deeply golden.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Crush the garlic with the salt into a paste with a mortar and pestle.  Work the melted butter into the garlic paste, and finish with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Taste and add more salt if needed.

When you're ready to serve the salad, arrange the little gems and endives in a large bowl.  Drizzle with half of the butter and give a good toss.  Add the pepitas, avocados, and squash, and some dressing, and give another gentle toss.  Taste, and add more salt, and more dressing if needed.

Belgian Endive and Apple Salad

(recipe from Cooking Light magazine)

2 Tbsp. minced shallots
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper (this seemed like a lot to me, so I used only 1/8 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. walnut oil or olive oil
4 cups julienne-cut Golden Delicious apple (about 2 large)
3 heads Belgian endive, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise (about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Combine first 5 ingredients; add oils, stirring well with a whisk.  Add apple, tossing well; cover and chill.

Combine apple mixture, endive, and parsley in a large bowl; toss well to coat.  Serve immediately.

[Note:  You can make the dressing early in the day and toss the apples with it to keep them from browning.  Wait as long as you can to cut the endive because it discolors where touched with a knife.]

(A simple but delightful salad!  I mixed the dressing and apples and kept them in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week.  Then, when I wanted a salad, I sliced some endive, chopped some parsley, and mixed them with some of the apples and dressing for an individual portion.  Really yummy.  I also added some cubed avocado.  Tangy and tart.)

Bitter Greens Salad with Walnut-Shallot Vinaigrette

(recipe from Christina Cooks)

Vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. walnut oil
1 tsp. brown rice syrup (I used agave syrup, and also made with no sweetener - both fine)
1 shallot, very finely minced (I also used red onion, with success)
1 clove garlic, very finely minced
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2/3 tsp. salt
cracked black pepper

Salad:
2 belgian endive, halved lengthwise, sliced into long ribbons
2 cups hand-shredded escarole
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup hand-shredded watercress
1 cup finely shredded radicchio
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly pan toasted (optional)

Prepare vinaigrette:  Whisk together ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified (or shake in a small jar).  Set aside for flavors to develop.

Make salad:  Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss gently with dressing to coat the leaves.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.

(Nice, substantial salad.  I find that the greens keep for several days if cut and tossed and stored in an airtight container, undressed.  I just love a simple, bitter greens salad!  I actually added an extra tablespoon of vinegar to my vinaigrette.)

Braised Endive and Pear Slices with Lemon

(recipe from Christina Cooks)

2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt (or less)
4 Belgian endive, bottom trimmed, halved
2 ripe, but firm, pears (Bosc or red are best)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat oil, vinegar, and salt in a flat-bottomed skillet over medium heat.  Lay endive, cut sides down, in the pan.  Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the endive wilts and the cut sides brown, about 20 minutes.  When the endive is about 80 percent cooked, halve pears and cut each half lengthwise into thin slices.  Lay pears on top of endive, cover and cook for 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat, arrange endive halves, cut sides up, with pears laced through the dish.  Drizzle with lemon juice.  Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

(Um, this is delicious.  It says 4 servings, but I couldn't stop eating it.  Really, really good.)

Pear, Endive, and Watercress Salad

(I think this recipe is from Bon Appetit)

6 servings

3 Tbsp. sherry wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. chopped shallot

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

6 Tbsp. walnut oil

2 heads endive, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips

1 large bunch watercress, trimmed

1 medium head of radicchio, torn into small pieces

1/4 c. fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 ripe pears, cored, thinly sliced

1/2 c. walnut halves, toasted

Whisk vinegar, shallot, and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in walnut oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Combine endive, watercress, radicchio, and parsley in large bowl. Add sliced pears and walnuts. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Divide among plates and serve.

(Made this for Justin.)