Endive and Pear Salad

This salad might seem trivial to those who tasted any version of it. But, last time I served it to my friends, it turned out that it was completely unknown to them. It also earned many compliments. It is one of my favorite fall salads so I decided to post this recipe today, as fall is definitely here.

It is easy to make if you only have the right ingredients. The neutral taste of the endive is enhanced by the sweetness of the pear, the strong taste of the blue cheese and aromatic walnuts. Once drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, the salad should be gently tossed. All the flavors infuse and with each bite you taste them blending in your mouth.

This salad can be served as a dinner entrée or, as it is often in France and Switzerland, as a lunch dish, accompanied by a fresh baguette.

Endive and Pear Salad
(Serves four)

Ingredients: 3-4 endives,
1 ripe but not too soft pear,
1/2 cup toasted walnuts quarters,
1 thick slice of Roquefort or any hard, good quality blue cheese,
juice from 1/2 lemon,
2-3 tbsp olive oil,
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Preparation:
1. Cut endive diagonally into thick slices and place in a large shallow bowl.
2. Peel off the pear and remove seeds. Cut in four and slice. Scatter on top of the endives.
3. Cut the piece of blue cheese into small cubes and toss on the salad.
4. Finish with walnuts.
5. Make a dressing; in a small bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle the salad on top. You can toss the salad gently or serve in layers for a better presentation.
 

String Beans with Peanuts--Something Asian

In the food stores selling exotic vegetables you can spot sometimes beans resembling long pieces of string. They are popular in Asian and African culinary tradition. Intrigued by the look of these beans I bought them once and I have been buying them ever since, especially when they are fresh and green. I like these string beans because they hardly have any seeds, and rather thick, green flesh. They cook pretty fast but it also is easy to keep them al dente. They maintain their nice green color if cooked uncovered.

String beans can be prepared as traditional green beans but I like them most made the Asian way. So far I have tried only one such recipe, with soy sauce and peanuts. Thanks to peanuts the dish is so reach that it can be served alone, especially if you invite your vegetarian friends for dinner. A delicate taste of the beans and the crunchiness of the peanuts are even appealing to my very picky son.

String Beans with Peanuts

Ingredients:
2 lb long string beans,
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts,
3 tbsp soy sauce,
3 garlic cloves, chopped,
2 shallots, chopped,
2 tbsp lime juice,
2 tbsp rice bran or peanut oil,
2 chili peppers (optional),
salt if needed.

Preparation:
1. Cook the string beans for about 5-8 minutes (until soft) in a large pot of boiling water with a tbsp of salt. Drain them and wash with cold water to prevent further cooking. When beans are cold, trim the ends off, and cut the beans into the length of match sticks.
2. Crush peanuts or chop them roughly with a large knife.
3. In a large wok or heavy skillet heat the oil until very hot. Add garlic with chopped shallots and fry until gold. Add chopped peanuts and stir them continuously while frying them until gold. Add beans to the skillet stir-fry for about 3 minutes, to make sure they are hot, and stir them to get them coated with peanuts.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the soy sauce and the lime juice over the beans. Add salt if needed. Serve hot alone or with meats.

Roasted Garlic Spread--Another Flavor from Italy

A spread made form roasted garlic features in many culinary books or TV programs. The idea of this spread comes from Italian tradition and there are different methods of making it. There is even a special clay dish designed to bake garlic in it.

Since I am one to those persons for whom too much garlic is never too much, I have always been very keen on trying roasted garlic recipes.

I know from cooking a lot with garlic that, although very strong and aromatic when raw, cooked or roasted garlic can be rather mild in taste. I make a veal dish that calls for 40 garlic cloves and they just add a delicate flavor without killing the taste of the meat.

This summer when I bought a bag of beautiful and large garlic heads I finally decided to make this roasted garlic spread. I served it to my guests on which I always try my experiments and that easy dish earned many compliments, particularly from my vegetarian and vegan friends. I serve it with a warm ficelle or ciabatta bread. It tastes even better with a glass of red wine. So far, no one resisted it. Since a couple of friends already asked for this recipe I share it today.

Roasted Garlic Spread

Ingredients:
4 large garlic heads(the bigger the better),
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil,
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary,
2 sprigs of fresh thyme,
1/2 tsp sea salt,
1/4 tsp black pepper.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cut a thin layer off the tops of the garlic heads, so that the tips of the cloves are visible, and place them in a small oven-proof dish.
3. Sprinkle the garlic heads with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Put herb sprigs on top.
4. Cover the dish with a double layer of aluminium foil and roast the garlic for about one to one and half hour.

5. When garlic cools down a bit, squeeze the cloves out of the heads to the small bowl and mash well with a fork to make a smooth spread. If the spread is too thick add the olive oil remaining from roasting.

6. Drizzle gently on top with extra sea salt and serve with white breads.