Fennel Grape And Gorgonzola Salad Recipes

BAKED FENNEL WITH GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Rinse fennel. Trim off stems, and reserve about 1 cup of the tender green leaves. Trim any bruises or dry looking areas from fennel. Cut each bulb in half from stem through root end.
• Lay fennel bulb pieces in a 10 inch frying pan, and add broth. Cover, and bring to a boil on high heat. Simmer until fennel is tender when pierced, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer fennel to a shallow casserole, 9 to 10 inched wide; lay cut side up.
• Boil broth, uncovered, on high heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in about half the fennel leaves. Spoon mixture evenly over fennel.
• Mash cheese with bread crumbs. Dot mixture evenly over fennel. If making ahead, cover and chill up to 1 day. Also wrap remaining fennel leaves in a towel, seal in a plastic bag, and chill.
• Bake casserole, uncovered, at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until cheese begins to brown and fennel is hot, about 20 minutes. Tuck remaining leaves around fennel. Season to taste with salt.

GORGONZOLA AND GRAPE SALAD

Steps:

• Dressing: Place red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and garlic cloves in a blender and pulse on high speed. Add the shallots and slowly incorporate the extra-virgin olive oil while blender is on high speed. Finish seasoning with black pepper and allow the dressing to sit for 24 hours, refrigerated, before using.
• For the candied garlic: Coat a sheet pan with oil for the finished garlic. Place the garlic and water in a large saute pan over medium to high heat. Boil the cloves until they are cooked through but still firm to the touch and still maintain their shape. This takes about 8 minutes. By this time the water should be all the way or close to being evaporated. At this point, add the sugar in with the garlic cloves and continue to cook over medium heat while stirring occasionally. After a couple of minutes the sugar will begin to caramelize. At this point it is important that the garlic be stirred constantly so they become evenly coated with the caramelized sugar. Continue to caramelize the garlic until golden to dark golden brown. This process happens very quickly so stay alert. Turn the garlic out onto the greased sheet pan and cool.
• For the salad: Place the grapes, Gorgonzola and candied garlic in a large mixing bowl. Add 3/4 cup of dressing. You want enough dressing in the bowl to fully saturate the cheese and grape mixture. Add the lettuce and toss your salad. Taste for seasoning.

ARUGULA SALAD WITH GRAPES, FENNEL, GORGONZOLA, AND PECANS

Steps:

• Whisk jam, vinegar, oil, shallot, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Toss fennel with vinaigrette; let stand 15 minutes.
• Add arugula, fennel fronds, and grapes; toss and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
• Top with gorgonzola and pecans.

ROASTED FENNEL AND GRAPE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Once heated, place walnuts on a sheet pan and cook until toasted and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a cutting board to cool. (You'll use the sheet pan in the next step.)
• Cut the fennel bulbs in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 1-inch wedges (you'll have about 6), taking care to include a bit of core in each slice to hold it together while cooking. Arrange the slices on the sheet pan, ensuring they do not overlap. Add the grapes to a corner of the sheet pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the fennel and grapes. Season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, flipping the fennel and shaking the grapes around at the 20-minute mark. When done, the fennel should be tender and browned; the grapes should be a bit withered and caramelized in some spots. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roughly chop the cooled walnuts, and set aside while you prepare the dressing: In a small glass jar, combine the shallot, sherry vinegar, orange zest and juice, mustard, salt, black pepper and olive oil. Cover and shake well to combine. Set aside.
• Assemble the salad: Transfer the roasted fennel and grapes to a platter. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the dressing over the roasted fennel and grapes, ensuring the shallot rings are evenly distributed. (Extra dressing can be served alongside.) Top with chopped nuts. Just before serving, grate the Manchego cheese on the largest hole of a box grater. Top salad with Manchego, reserved fennel fronds and a few more cracks of black pepper. Serve immediately.

FENNEL, APPLE, AND GORGONZOLA SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together lemon juice and oil in a large bowl. Add apples and currants and gently toss.
• Trim fennel stalks flush with bulbs, discarding stalks, then quarter each bulb. Thinly slice bulbs with a mandoline or other manual slicer.
• Gently toss fennel with apples and season with salt and pepper. Serve salad topped with Gorgonzola.

STEAK SALAD WITH GRAPES, WALNUTS, AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Heat oven broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat.
• Season steak with salt and pepper; place on a brolerproof pan. Broil 4-6 minutes, without turning, for medium-rare. Let rest 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine well.
• Add spinach; toss to coat.
• Thinly slice steak crosswise.
• Place spinach, grapes, and steak on a serving plate. Sprinkle with cheese and walnuts.