Escarole and Endive Salad with Kaltbach™ Le Gruyère®

By Chef Elizabeth Falkner

This deceptively simple salad hits all the right notes with escarole and endive for pleasantly bitter freshness, sweet crisp Asian pears, perfectly toasted hazelnuts, and a brightly balanced vinaigrette. A generous shaving of Kaltbach™ Le Gruyère® AOP Cheese cheese adds a whole new dimension of earthy complexity.
Yield
4 servings
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hazelnuts, roasted and lightly smashed or chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup fruity olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon hazelnut oil (optional)
  • 4 cups escarole leaves or radicchio cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 heads endive cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 Asian pear, skin on, cored and cut in thin slices
  • 2-4 ounces Kaltbach™ Le Gruyère® AOP Cheese cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread hazelnuts onto rimmed sheet pan in single layer. Bake 10-15 minutes, until nuts are lightly browned. Remove from oven and wrap in towel. Rub with towel to remove as many skins as possible. Once cooled, roughly chop; set aside.
  2. In large bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, honey and salt together in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the oils slowly while whisking.
  3. Add escarole and endive and sliced Asian pear to the vinaigrette along with the hazelnuts and toss together.
  4. Divide the salad on 4 plates. Shave or grate Kaltbach™ Le Gruyère® AOP Cheese over each salad. Finish with a little cracked pepper. Serve immediately.