Veggies, Salads, and Big Bowls

By Deb Jenkins
Staff Writer

I love my greens at all times, but who is going to argue that in the summer salads and veggies are the CAT’S MEOW?

When I first started working in a kitchen here in Fargo, it was under Andrea Baumgardner, co-owner of Green Market Kitchen. She was at the time the executive chef for the Hotel Donaldson.

One of the salads that I was introduced to under her had endive in it. Man, I have been hooked ever since. It is such a versatile veggie, and I had only used it sautéed before that. I have always loved it but when chopped and in a beautiful BIG bowl with walnuts and apples or pears, my taste buds are very happy.

Now the kicker here is the salad dressing. I like it with a sweet dressing on it, like poppyseed, but I have found that a creamy blue cheese takes it to another level. So I try not to dress the salad and give choices of maybe two or three dressings that I think people may like.

One of the other fun things you can do with this veggie is of course stuff it! YES, I was beating my head against a wall trying to think out of the box for veggie trays a few years ago, and there it was all the time right in front of me, Stuffed Belgian Endive! I love it that I can use so many different things to stuff into them.

This veggie comes apart very nicely too, by simply cutting off the end and separating the leaves. I always wash them and pat them dry. They look like cute little sail boats, YES, ready to sail directly into your mouth! So of course I have a recipe for you from Emeril Lagasse on the Food Channel. I usually find his recipes long and, well, too much work, but when I saw this I was all over it, so enjoy.

Belgian Endive Stuffed With Crab Meat Ravigote

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/4 cup seeded, small diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons small capers, drained
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
4 heads Belgian endive, cored, leaves
1 head radicchio Treviso, cored, leaves separated and wiped clean
2 bunches fresh watercress, garnish

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, hot sauce, and salt. Whisk to combine. Fold in the green onions, tomatoes, capers, shallots, and parsley. Gently fold in the crabmeat, turning to gently coat with the dressing and being careful not to break up the lumps. Adjust seasoning, to taste.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the stuffing into endive and radicchio leaves. Arrange the watercress and stuffed endives and radicchio decoratively on a platter and serve as an hors d’oeuvre. Alternately, place the watercress on 8 small plates and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Until next week, eat well and stay safe. Any questions or comments email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)