Roasted Endive and Pear Salad

A refreshingly different salad! Pears are plentiful right now. You can use red Bartlett pears, leaving the skin on them for extra color in your salad, but many other varieties are available, too.  Roasting the endive in the oven adds a bit of caramelization to the greens. Use arugula for the base of the salad if you like the spiciness. If not, use a mixture of baby greens. Add some cubed cooked chicken to make a complete meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 heads of Bengian endive, cut in half lengthwise

Sea salt and pepper

1 cup pure apple cider (or apple juice)

1 teaspoon agave nectar

2 whole cloves

1 2” cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon nut oil (walnut, pecan, etc.)

4 cups lettuce mix

¼ cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1 large ripe pear, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Brush cut sides of endive with olive oil. Place cut side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour the apple cider into a saucepan.  Add the agave nectar, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Strain into a bowl, discarding the solids.

Brush the endive with some of the apple cider mixture. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the endive halves over. Brush again with some cider mixture.  Turn the oven to high-broil setting.  Broil for an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven.

Add the lemon juice, nut oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the remaining apple cider mixture, to use as the salad dressing.

Place a handful of salad greens on each serving plate. Top with several pear slices, walnuts, and an endive wedge. Spoon the dressing over the salad.