Endive with Pear and Blue Cheese makes an elegant appetizer for any special event or gathering. It has a bit of crunch, creamy and punchy vinegar deliciousness! This recipe is vegetarian + gluten free.
This past week, I tried a new veggie. Well, new to me. It was at the International Food Bloggers’ Conference in Seattle where food bloggers gather once a year to learn, mingle with chefs, sommeliers and authors, sample a wonderful assortment of food and connect with other bloggers. California Endive Farm was there and offered a sampling of their delicious endive. Just when I thought I had met every vegetable, I’m introduced to a new one!
Since pears are in season and I had this lovely endive on hand, I thought I would pull together a fresh appetizer utilizing both ingredients. While endive with pear and blue cheese makes an elegant appetizer, this recipe can easily be turned into a salad by simply chopping the endive.
Endive is a sturdy and crunchy leafy vegetable that has a slightly bitter flavor. Because endive leaves are so sturdy, they make a good vehicle for dips and hold added ingredients in place. Since endive is slightly bitter, it pairs well with various cheeses, fruits and nuts.
Endive is available year round too adding crunch and flavor to salads.
For this recipe, I used d’Anjou pears. They’re in season and pair well with the slight bitterness of endive. d’Anjou pears are sweet and juicy and offer a hint of citrus flavor.
You’ll notice pears in stores are generally firm to the touch. This is because pears are harvested before they’re ripe. To ripen, place pears in a brown paper bag at room temperature and check them each day. You’ll know the pears are ready when the surface, near the stem, yields to gentle pressure.
Pears are mild, succulent and sweet, a perfect pairing with sweet and savory foods.
My favorite ways to enjoy pears is on a salad or in a smoothie, and now, with endive!
Endive with Pear and Blue Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 Heads of Endive, ends trimmed and separated
- 1/8 C Walnuts
- 1/4 C + 2 Tbs Blue Cheese, small crumbles or chopped
- 3/4 C Pear, small dice (about 1 pear)*
- 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar, high quality
- 2 Fresh Thyme Stems, , leaves removed
Instructions
To Prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 350. Place walnuts on a sheet pan in a single layer. Toast for 8-10 minutes. They should smell fragrant. Remove from oven and pan by placing the walnuts on a cutting board or on a plate. Set aside to cool.
- Trim the end of the each endive and separate the leaves. Use the largest leaves for the appetizer and save the smallest ones for your next salad. Set aside.
- Add the chopped blue cheese and pear to a small bowl and mix gently. Set aside. Chop the walnuts to a fine chop.
To Assemble:
- On each endive leaf, spoon about 1 1/2 tsp of the pear/cheese mixture on the blunt end of the leaf. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of finely chopped walnuts over the pear/cheese mixture on each leaf. Drizzle 1/8 tsp of balsamic vinegar over the walnuts on each piece of endive. Sprinkle each piece with fresh thyme leaves.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from California Endive Farm.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
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Disclosure: I attended the International Food Bloggers Conference at a reduced rate in exchange for writing three posts about the conference. All opinions are my own. This is my first post.
This is a go to for me. Made it for French friends the other night. Everyone loved it. Anjou pears were perfect.
Love hearing this, Nancy! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! SO glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!
Simple and delicious! Love the addition of thyme, many compliments from my guests.
Love hearing this Sarah! Thank you so much for your note and recipe rating!
Could you email me the number of servings the Endive with Pear and blue cheese will make? Thanks
Hi Lisa! This recipe makes 20 pieces, so for two pieces each (and this depends on how many pieces each person eats), it’ll serve 10.
Can’t wait to make this. My husband is a blue cheese fan, not so much me.
Without breaking any “bloggers” code and you please recommend what blue cheese you use?
Waiting for an answer ASAP. Thank you oh so much.
Hey Lexy! I love this simple recipe. I like Organic Valley Blue, but it can be hard to find. Otherwise I get Point Reyes Blue from our local cheesemonger. I hope this helps!