A few weeks back I posted a “get out of your rut” salad recipe that shook things up with one of the lesser-known salad greens: Belgian endive. The premise of the post (besides sharing a kick-ass salad recipe) was that most of us unwittingly consume the same ingredients time and again, and the truth is, I’m as guilty as the next guy. Sure, my salad dressing might vary, but my choice of greens? Umm, not so much.
Determined to remedy that practice, my next trip to the market netted me a gorgeous head of curly endive, also known as chicory.
My first task was to make a salad. A lemony-vinaigrette worked well on the Belgian endive, so I mixed one up, threw in some walnuts, orange slices and avocado, and yowser, was it ever bitter. It was edible but nothing like my previous foray into the world of unusual greens.
A little research taught me that although Belgian and curly endive are both part of the chicory family (which also includes escarole, frisée and radicchio), the curly variety is known as the not-so-sophisticated cousin and is best when mixed with other greens.
Not willing to purchase more leafy vegetables (heck, it’s just the two of us eating at home), I searched out other uses for this nutritious green and found it to be fairly diverse. It can be simmered in soups, used in casseroles or simply blanched and sautéed, a la spinach, none of which sounded appealing this time of year.
Thankfully, this lacy lettuce can also be grilled.
Cut off core, then slice in half the long way. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
It only took a few minutes, but the flame performed a miracle. Gone was the vegetable’s characteristic bitterness and in its place a sweet, nutty flavor. It tasted good straight off the grill, but we tossed it with pastaand spicy sausage for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
Salad greens are popular the world over and there are virtually hundreds of hybrids. Seek out some of your local varieties; many are readily available at your neighborhood grocer. Mâche, mizuna and oak leaf can add interesting texture and flavor to your dishes. Just Google them first so you know what you are doing!
Do you frequently mix up your salad greens or are you loyal to just a few? —Karen