Chicory Salad
This is a simple delightful late-summer salad
recipes.
When everyone needs a break from tomatoes and leaf lettuce, offer the
bittersweet goodness of chicory and endive. Perfect for a meal of cold
roast meat such as chicken, veal tonnato, or pork, I also think this
simple salad recipes goes well with grilled shrimp. I even like it as the one side
dish with mouth-burning Old Bay-seasoned steamed crabs.
Makes 6 servings
1/2 large head of chicory (curly endive),
separated into leaves and cut into bite-size pieces
1 large or 2 medium-size heads Belgian endive, trimmed and cut across
into 1-inch rounds
1 small head radicchio, separated into leaves, trimmed and cut into
bite-size pieces
1 large ripe red onion or green Bartlett pear
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Maytag, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola
1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus additional sprigs for
garnishing
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon walnut oil (toasted walnut oil will be more intense if
available)
1/4 cup mild vegetable oil, such as
peanut, corn or canola
Pile the chicory in a large chilled salad bowl. Arrange the endive and
radicchio on top.
In a small bowl, quickly toss the pear slices with the lemon juice and
arrange them on the greens like the spokes of a wheel. Sprinkle the
blue cheese and walnuts over all.
In a small bowl, beat together the chopped parsley, vinegar, salt,
pepper, ginger, and oils. Pour this dressing over the salad and garnish
with the parsley.
Just before serving, toss the salad and divide between six chilled
salad dishes.
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