Evocative Endive - Old Glory Endive Salad

Yes, it’s late at night and your hungry…. You didn’t have time to grocery shop this evening and it’s now midnight in a town that rolls up the sidewalk at 11pm… Yes, San Diego is pathetic that way. For all it’s professed urban-ish-ness, after 11pm the only things open are the nightclubs and bars. And while you recognize that pretzels, peanuts and beer are all well and good, being responsible for some of the greatest advancements of humanity, you wanted real food.

Time to raid the refrigerator… Slim pickins, that’s for sure. Then in the crisper drawer, you find a small head of Red Endive (ON-deev) that you totally forgot about…(How long HAS that been in there? Still smells fine though, can’t be too long)… Hmmm and Pecans left over from the Coconut Pecan Pie… oooo and a little Gorgonzola… some Olive Oil and a little Fennel Pollen and Voila…!!

Something very reminiscent of either Endive Fennel Salad or Seared Prosciutto Wrapped Endive… Kinda patriotic too, with the Red Endive and White and Blue cheese…. Hmmmmm

Old Glory Endive Salad

Endive (Red or Green)
Blue Cheese (Gorgonzola)
Broken Pecans
Olive oil (Extra Virgin or Citrus Infused Oil)
Fennel Pollen

Break of the individual leaves of the endive and fill with crumbled blue cheese and broken pecans.

Sprinkle each filled leaf with a tiny amount of Fennel Pollen.

Drizzle with Olive oil and serve.

Awesome with Orange Muscat!!

Mangia!!
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Food Forward - Seared Prosciutto Wrapped Endive

I have suddenly noticed a trend in my food preparation... each consecutive night finds 1 ingredient from the previous night. Sort of a leftover carryover. It all started with the Fennel and Apple Salad. I had a part of a fennel bulb left over, so the next night, as posted in "Finocchio Reduex" I mixed that with Parmagiano-Reggiano and Pecans, then stuffed Belgian Endive leaves. Now I had Endive left over, which brings me to this evenings dinner of Seared Endive.

Now, I have to admit that I would love to sooth my conscience by stating that this is just another salad, but, lets call a spade a spade. After all, I stuffed Gorgonzola between the leaves and wrapped it into a nice tidy package with Prosciutto... I am thinking this is more of an appetizer than a salad, regardless of the fact that it is based on endive. I chose to pair this with a nice Muscat Canelli as I like the way the apple and pear flavors play against gorgonzola.

Now I must apologize, because I was so hungry while I was doing this, that I did not stop to take pictures during the process as I have on my other recipes.

Never the less, just as before.... The players:


2 Small Belgian Endive
2 oz Gorgonzola Cheese
2 TB Walnuts
8 Slices of Prosciutto
Olive oil for rubbing

Quarter the Endive lengthwise.
Dice Gorgonzola and place in a small bowl.
Mince walnuts and to the Gorgonzola; toss together.
Lift half the leaves of an endive quarter and stuff with a small amount of the walnut gorg mixture.
Press leaves back together.
Wrap each endive quarter with a slice of prosciutto.
Place a skillet over medium flame.
Brush with olive oil, or even better, with garlic infused or lemon infused olive oil.
Sear all three sides, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, just until the prosciutto starts to become crispy.


Serve hot as an appetizer for 4, with a nice well chilled Muscat Canelli.