Endive & Carrot Salad with Hazelnuts & Cranberries

Well, what is there to say about this? Other than that it's lovely to have a crisp green salad in the middle of winter, which can definitely be a bit salad deficient if you aren't careful. I mean, if I'm not careful. You know.

Mr. Ferdzy liked this better than most things I make with Belgian endive (not a fave of his) because there were lots of other strongly flavoured, and sweet things to balance it out. I just thought it was very tasty and hit the salad spot perfectly.

2 to 4 servings
30 minutes prep time

Make the Dressing:
the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons hazelnut OR walnut oil

Wash the lemon and grate the zest into a small mixing bowl or a jam jar. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Set aside. 

Make the Salad:
1/3 cup hazelnuts
2 medium-large carrots
1 or 2 heads Belgian endive
1 1/2 cups chopped pea shoots or other micro greens
1 1/2 cups chopped hydroponic lettuce
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking or stirring regularly, until fairly evenly showing toasted spots all over. Tip them onto a clean but not elegant tea-towel, and let cool. Rub them in the towel until most of the skins have come off. Discard the skins.

Wash, peel, and grate the carrots, and put them in a mixing bowl. Wash, trim, and chop the endive. Wash and drain well the pea shoots and lettuce, then chop them and add them to the bowl with the other ingredients. Add the cranberries and hazelnuts. Toss well.

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or individual serving dishes. Drizzle the dressing evenly over them and toss gently. 




Last year at this time I made Ham, Cheese & Belgian Endive -bwahaha - in Buckwheat Crepes with Mushroom Sauce.

Posted in: Ontario Food