Endive And Pear Salad With Oregon Blue Cheese And Hazelnuts Recipes

Steps:

• Puree 1/3 cup blue cheese, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt and 3 tablespoons milk in a blender. Stir in some chopped chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slice 4 heads endive lengthwise; toss with the dressing. Top with toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and more blue cheese and chives.

Steps:

• In a small bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Halve and core pear and thinly slice lengthwise. Cut endives crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices and tear chicory into bite-size pieces. In a bowl toss greens with pear and vinaigrette.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in the oven until skins begin to split, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. While still warm, rub nuts vigorously with a clean kitchen towel to remove skins. Discard skins, and return nuts to baking sheet. Return to oven, and continue toasting until they are fragrant and golden, 1 minute more. Remove from oven, and let cool completely. Coarsely chop, and set aside.
• Make the vinaigrette: Place sherry and balsamic vinegars in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in olive oil and then hazelnut oil in a steady stream until mixture is thick and emulsified.
• Discard large outer leaves of endive, and separate interior leaves. Place in a large salad bowl. Quarter the pears, discarding core and seeds. Using a sharp knife, cut each quarter into 1/8-inch-thick slices, and add them to the bowl.
• Drizzle endive and pears with half the vinaigrette, and gently toss to coat. Add toasted hazelnuts, half the cheese, and the remaining vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; gently toss again. Crumble the remaining cheese on top, and serve. Alternatively, divide salad mixture among serving plates, and crumble blue cheese on top of each.

Steps:

• Whisk together garlic and yogurt in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and whisk together. Add blue cheese or Roquefort and Dijon mustard and whisk together until mixture is fairly smooth, with a few lumps of cheese.
• Trim away the very end of the endives and cut lengthwise into quarters. Arrange on a platter or on individual plates and spoon on dressing. Top with chives and finely diced apple, and serve.