Sweet Pear & Apple Salad with Endive

A longtime fan of British chef Jamie Oliver, I purchased his book, Jamie at Home, more than a year ago and have been working my way through it seasonally. (Everything I've tried has been delicious.) I'd been eyeing this salad for quite some time, so I was excited to find great-looking endive at the co-op. Of course, I've mashed up the recipe a bit, but there's only two of us, so we had to halve it and adapt for our lack of creme fraiche at the moment. In hindsight, I wish I'd added some walnuts over top, but I'll definitely be making this again (and again). If you like composed salads, this one is a beauty and would make a show-stopping centerpiece for a big dinner.


Sweet pear and apple salad with bitter endive and a creamy blue cheese dressing (for two)
Adapted slightly from Jamie Oliver's book Jamie at Home, page 298

2 heads baby endive, white or red or a combination
1 hard red apple like braeburn
1 slightly underripe bartlett or anjou pear
a handful of parsley, basil and chives, chopped

Dressing
1 ounce strong blue cheese (I used Point Reyes)
1 large spoonful sour cream
2 T EVOO
2 T apple cider vinegar
2-3 T water

Separate all the leaves of endive, then wash and spin dry. Quarter and thinly slice the apple and pear. Arrange a handful of the endive leaves on each of two plates, then layer apple and pear, then another few leaves of endive, and the rest of the fruit. Sprinkle half of the herbs over top.

Mix the dressing by using the tines of a fork to smash the blue cheese into the sour cream. Add the oil and vinegar, and mix together well. Add enough water to thin the dressing out to a pourable consistency. It will also help reduce the strength of the blue cheese, so add enough that it tastes good to you.

Pour the dressing over the salad plates, just enough to get little pools for dipping but not so much that the salad is drenched. You can always add more. Toss the remaining herbs over the entire thing, and serve with fresh pepper cracked over the top.