Pear & Endive (or Arugula) Salad with Lemon-Cardamom Dressing

Rather plain and sparse on the ingredients, I thought as I was making this. However, it didn't taste plain - it tasted extremely good and even Mr. Ferdzy went back for seconds; pretty amazing for a salad that contains Belgian endive, which is not his favourite thing at all. Perhaps it was because it has been a long time since we have had any pears. Their season is nowhere as long as that of apples, and they really are sugar in fruit form as well. Still, they are so good and I intend to eat a few this fall.

As usual I got sucked in by the fact that my hydroponic lettuce was amazingly pretty and I could not bring myself to just chop the stuff up. The pear slices on top were a bit pointless too, but even though I know better I just can't help myself. I should just chop everything up in advance then not have to supply a knife to eat the salad, but whatever. It did look nice for 30 seconds after it hit the table.

4 servings
15 minutes to make the dressing
15 minutes to make the salad

  
Make the Dressing:
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
5 or 6 pods of green cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt (but see notes)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons almond or other nut oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sour cream
the juice of 1/2 large lemon

Grate a little lemon zest into a small bowl. Crush the cardamom and remove the green papery husks, then grind the remaining seeds with the salt. Note, however, that if you are using roasted, salted pumpkin seeds in the salad I would suggest cutting the amount of salt way back. Add this to the lemon zest then grind in plenty of black pepper.

Mix in the oil, the mustard, the sour cream, and the lemon juice. The dressing is best if made at least half an hour to an hour in advance to allow the flavours to blend.

Make the Salad:
4 cups chopped lettuce (1 large head hydroponic lettuce)
1 large or 2 medium heads Belgian Endive
OR 2 cups chopped arugula
1 or 2 stalks of celery
2 medium firm-ripe Bartlett or 3 Bosc Pears
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Wash, trim, and chop the lettuce, the Belgian endive or arugula, and the celery. Mix them in a salad bowl.

Wash, core, and chop the pears. If you like, you can cut enough thin slices to form a circle over the salad. Mix the chopped pear into the salad and arrange the slices over the top, if that is what you are doing.

Note: If you are starting with raw pumpkin seeds, they should be toasted in advance in a dry skillet and then turned onto a plate to cool as soon as they are full and lightly browned. I recommend these over the ones bought already roasted and salted, but you have to use what you can get, of course.

Either toss the dressing into the salad, then arrange the pear slices and toasted pumpkin seeds over it, or sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds and pass the dressing separately.




Last year at this time I made Turkey & Mushroom Stuffed Leeks.

Posted in: Ontario Food