Incredible French Endive Salad With Aged Herb Goat Cheese Toasts Recipes

HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Find a small, wide-mouth canning jar or small glass vase (3 1/2 inches in diameter by 4 inches high), just large enough to hold the two goat cheeses on top of each other with a little room to spare. Cut each cheese in half horizontally, making 2 rounds from each. (A piece of dental floss makes this easier.)
• Place half of the first disk flat in the jar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon basil, and a few red pepper flakes, and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place another disk of cheese on top and repeat the seasonings, herbs, and oil. Continue with the remaining cheese disks, piling one on top of the other with oil and seasonings in between. When all the disks are stacked and seasoned, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve at room temperature with bread or crackers for people to help themselves.

ENDIVE SPEARS STUFFED WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream the goat cheese with the back of a kitchen spoon. Add the cream, rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives, and pepper and mix until smooth and creamy. Add more cream if the cheese is particularly thick. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before assembling.
• Core the endive and separate into spears. Spoon the filling into 20 endive spears, filling each spear about halfway. Assemble on a plate and sprinkle with the paprika, if using. Cover and refrigerate.

ENDIVE AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Sauté 2 or 3 chopped shallots in butter until soft. Tear 4 heads Belgian endive into pieces and arrange on a large plate; top with 3 thinly sliced pears, drained shallots and 4 ounces goat cheese. Dressing variation: Use red-wine vinegar.

SALAD WITH HERBS AND WARM GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Lightly toast the bread, then arrange the slices on a broiler pan lined with foil. Top each slice of toasted bread with a thick slice of the goat cheese. Brush the portions of cheese with half the olive oil and set aside until just before serving time.
• Rinse and dry the lettuce, tear it into bite-size pieces and arrange it on each of four salad plates.
• Just before serving time mix the vinegar and mustard together, then beat in the remaining three tablespoons of olive oil. Drizzle the dressing over the lettuce on the plates.
• Preheat broiler and broil the goat cheese until it is just beginning to color along the edges. Center a portion of goat cheese on toast on each salad, sprinkle with the herbs and pepper and serve at once.

ALMOND-COATED GOAT CHEESE, FRISEE, AND BELGIAN ENDIVE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place almonds and oil in separate shallow dishes. Using unflavored dental floss or thread, slice goat cheese into about 1-inch disks.
• Dip each disk into oil with one hand, and then into almonds with the other; press nuts into sides to adhere. Place coated disks on a small baking sheet (if not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator until ready to bake). Reserve remaining oil, and discard any remaining almonds.
• Just before serving, transfer baking sheet to oven. Bake until goat cheese is heated through and bottom edge is sizzling, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let disks stand on baking sheet at least 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, tear frisee into bite-size pieces, and cut the endive crosswise into 1-inch lengths. Place in a medium serving bowl; toss with reserved oil and the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving plates. Using a small spatula, place a warm goat-cheese disk on top of each. Serve immediately.

INCREDIBLE FRENCH ENDIVE SALAD WITH AGED HERB GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan to medium high. Turn on the broiler and place a rack at least 10 inches from the heat.
• In a blender, combine the garlic, lemon juice, a little salt, and the parsley. Turn the blender on the "puree" setting. Stream the EVOO into the blender and puree the dressing until smooth and emulsified.
• Trim the endives of tough ends and peel away any dry or badly scarred outer leaves. Place the endives in a shallow dish and pour the dressing over them. Turn them in the dressing to coat them evenly. Place on the hot grill pan and gently cook the endives for 6 to 7 minutes, until tender, turning frequently.
• Lightly toast the bread under the broiler on each side and remove. Cut the bread corner to corner to make 16 triangles. Trim the ends off the logs of cheese and cut each log into 8 disks. (Cut across the middle of each log, then keep halving the sections until you have 16 equal disks from the 2 logs.) Scatter the Herbes de Provence onto the cutting board. Gently turn each disk of cheese in the dried herbs and situate a disk on each toast. Return the toasts to the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to warm the cheese through and darken the toast to a light, even golden brown.
• Remove the endives 3 at a time to a plate. Carefully halve them lengthwise with a small sharp knife and fan the halved grilled endives across the plate. Add 4 triangles of toast with warm goat cheese to the same plate and serve. Repeat with the remaining portions.