The Endive Blog

Endive Nachos with Black Beans & Feta

As many of you know, we love the idea of using endive leaves as a healthy, gluten-free crunch in replacement of chips and crackers. We've taken that idea to the next level with this dish: Endive Nachos! It's a tasty summer snack loaded with black beans, feta, corn and salsa. We got the idea for the dish from a friend who paid a visit to our farm last year. While she was touring our facility we (of course) mentioned the idea of endive as an ideal replacement for the calorie-heavy chips and crackers most common in appetizers. A few days later she sent us back a photo of her inventive creation - brilliant! This would serve as a great appetizer* for a summer BBQ or as a quick, healthy week-day dinner. Whenever you choose to make this dish, we promise, it will satisfy even your most intense cravings for nachos!

*To turn this dish into an appetizer, simply place endive leaves on a dish and individually portion the black beans, feta, corn and salsa into each leaf OR layer the ingredients in the center of your dish and stick endive leaves around the layers (see here for an example).

Endive Nachos with Black Beans & Feta

Ingredients

3 California endive

1 cup black beans, drained

1 cup corn, drained

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup feta

Instructions

Separate whole endive leaves. Place leaves on a plate and layer black beans, corn, salsa and feta on top of leaves.

Endive, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

California avocado season has arrived, my friends. If you couldn't already tell, we are slightly obsessed with this delicious and versatile fruit (Avocado & endive appetizer, Shrimp & Avocado Ceviche in Endive, Avocado, Endive, Pistachio Salad). Avocados' rich flavor and creamy texture pairs perfectly with endive's refreshing crunch and slightly bitter taste. The combination is ideal for salads during the upcoming summer months. For this recipe, we've integrated grapefruit for a sweet and tangy addition. Throw the salad together, pop a bottle of bubbly and enjoy a delicious summer meal al fresco!

*Another option, you could turn this into an appetizer by filling whole endive leaves with the Endive, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad. Just slice the avocados and grapefruit into slightly smaller pieces and voila - finger salads!

Endive, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Ingredients

2 grapefruit

3/4 teaspoon white-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 California endives

1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

Instructions

1. Peel and cut grapefruit over a bowl to catch any juices.

2. Whisk together vinegar, honey, sour cream, salt and 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice in a small bowl. Season with pepper. While whisking, add oil in a slow steady stream; whisk until emulsified

3. Julienne endive leaves in long, thin 1/8” strips. Cut avocado into ¼” slices. Add grapefruit segments. Toss endive, avocado and grapefruit with dressing. Serves 4.

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Endive, Avocado and Red Grapefruit Salad.

The Endive Smoothie

Here in Northern California the summer months bring two things: an abundance of fresh produce and (really) warm temperatures. Luckily for us, the two coincide. The sunny weather prompts us to reach for more seasonal fruits and veggies and has us searching for ways to incorporate them into our diet. Our ideal solution? The endive smoothie. We combined an assortment of fruit (apple, banana, pineapple, berries, peaches) with endive, coconut milk and walnuts and the result was a fresh & flavorful smoothie. It serves as a great mid-day snack or as a light breakfast or lunch. Here's to summer eating!

The Endive Smoothie

Ingredients

½ cup raw walnuts

2 heads California endive

1 apple, cored

1 banana

1 cup pineapple, fresh or frozen

1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup sliced peaches, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup coconut milk

3 cups water

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for approximately 1-2 minutes.

Adapted from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom’s Anti-Ovarian Cancer “Green Smoothie”.

 

Cauliflower, White Bean, Endive & Feta Salad

Spring is upon us here in Northern California and the change in season has us craving fresh, simple meals. Cauliflower seems to be popping up just about everywhere lately and we are here to proudly jump on the bandwagon and share one of our favorite new salads - Cauliflower, White Bean, Endive & Feta Salad. This meal makes a great main or side dish and keeps well for leftover lunches since the dressing is not very heavy. Cheers to spring-time eating!

Cauliflower, White Bean, Endive & Feta Salad

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets

1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, drained

3 heads of endive, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise

2 teaspoons fresh parsley

½ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Instructions

Combine oil and rosemary in small saucepan. Stir over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cool. Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, lemon peel, salt and pepper in small bowl. Combine cauliflower, beans, endive, chives, parsley and rosemary oil in medium bowl; toss. Mix in cheese. Add lemon juice mixture and toss to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s Cauliflower, White Bean, and Feta Salad.

Spinach, Citrus and Blue Cheese in Endive

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We are excited to kick-off our Tastes of Harvest (spring edition) with this Spinach, Citrus and Blue Cheese in Endive appetizer. This dish is super easy. Place spinach, citrus and blue cheese in an endive leaf and drizzle with dressing - no fancy equipment or large time commitment necessary. How much luckier could you get? Enjoy!

Spinach, Citrus and Blue Cheese in Endive

Ingredients

Dressing:

5 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 c. oil (canola or sunflower)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, crushed

Combine all ingredients in bowl and whisk together until emulsified.

Salad:

1 orange, segmented

California endives

2 cups Baby spinach leaves

1 cup Blue cheese

Instructions 

Cut orange segments into 2-3 pieces . Separate endive heads into single leaves. Place baby spinach leaves, orange pieces and blue cheese in each leaf and drizzle with dressing.

Red Endive Appetizers for Valentine's Day

Oh, Valentine's Day. It's here and we love it! If nothing else it serves as a reminder to tell those closest to us how much we care about and appreciate them. Why not also use it as a reason to eat a bit more extravagantly than normal? That's the best thing about any holiday, right? Here are a couple of simple, elegant appetizer recipes that use our red endive, the perfect way to implement a little V-day color into your meal! Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Shrimp and Avocado Spears

Ingredients

2 heads California endives

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound shrimp - deveined and peeled

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 large avocado - pitted, and cubed

salt

Instructions

1. Cut the ends from endive. Separate leaves and place onto serving tray.

2. Into a saute pan heat butter over medium heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until shrimp are opaque. Remove from heat.

3. Chop shrimp into bite sized pieces and place into a small bowl. Add cilantro, avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. Gently toss to combine.

4. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon onto each endive leave.

5. Garnish with lime slices and additional cilantro if desired.

 

Ricotta and Endive Appetizer

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 tablespoons craisins

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon thyme

salt/pepper

1 1/2 cups ricotta

2 endive heads

honey to drizzle - optional

Instructions

1. Into a small bowl add: almonds, craisins, oil and thyme. Season with salt/pepper.

2. Place a dollop of ricotta onto endive leaf. Top with approximately 1 teaspoon of nut mixture.

3.Drizzle with honey if desired.

Paula Jones is one of five food bloggers associated with our OnDiva ambassadorship.  She is the author behind the food blog, bellalimento.

Three Endive Appetizers For Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl 2014 is here! I love snacking as much as the next person, but when possible, I try to make healthy food swaps to avoid over-indulging. Swapping out chips & crackers for endive leaves makes snacking enjoyable and healthy! Here are three easy, delicious appetizers that will hopefully give you some inspiration for healthy snacking this weekend...enjoy!

 

Avocado & Endive Appetizer

Ingredients

2 medium sized avocados

1 T lime juice

2 T plain greek yogurt

1/2 t ground cumin

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

24 endive leaves

Instructions

Peel, pit, and mash avocados; set aside. Combine 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 tablespoons greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro in a small bowl; stir in avocados. Spoon avocado mixture evenly into endive leaves.

Adapted from Health.com’s Creamy Avocado Cups.

 

Ham and Cheese Endive Nachos

Ingredients

1 head endive, separated into leaves


2 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham


1/2 cup quartered plum tomatoes


1 ounce aged cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler (set on low heat for about 10 minutes).

2. Fan endive leaves out on a baking sheet. Place a small piece of ham inside each leaf. Fill each leaf with about 1 tablespoon of tomatoes, then sprinkle with shredded cheese.

3. Place under the broiler until the cheese has melted and the edges of the leaves are curling slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

Rachael Hutchings is one of five food bloggers associated with our OnDiva ambassadorship. She is the author behind the food blog, La Fuji Mama.

 

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche in Endive

Ingredients

1 lb fresh shrimp, jumbo size, peeled and deveined

1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice

1 large tomato, chopped

1 or 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

4 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts only

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 ripe avocado, chopped

Half a lime

2 heads endive, leaves separated

Instructions

Chop shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces. In a deep bowl, combine shrimp and lime juice so that shrimp is completely covered by juice and pieces float freely so they can marinate on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. In a large bowl, combine chopped tomato, jalapenos, scallions, cilantro, salt and pepper. Drain shrimp in a colander and add to bowl. Toss to combine well. Gently toss in chopped avocado. Squeeze lime over. Spoon one or two tablespoons of ceviche into endive leaves and serve. Alternatively, you can put ceviche into a serving dish and place endive all around it for guests to serve themselves.

Carolyn Ketchum is also one of the five food bloggers associated with our OnDiva ambassadorship. She is the writer and recipe developer behind the food blog, All Day I Dream About Food.

ENDIVE WITH BEETS, WALNUTS & PARMESAN

A few months ago, I threw together some of my favorite ingredients in hopes of creating a yummy dish. I searched through my fridge and found beets, walnuts and parmesan cheese which I mixed and spooned into endive leaves, crossing my fingers that I had created something delicious! Thankfully, I had! In fact, this "recipe" has become an inspiration for one of our most commonly asked questions, "What can you do with endive?" I respond with, "Most anything!". You can fill it with your favorite cheeses (blue, gorgonzola, chevre, feta) and nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans) or your favorite salads (quinoa, tuna, shrimp). The easiest way to incorporate this healthy & delicious veggie into your holiday menu and beyond? Swap out the bread, crackers & chips and replace with endive leaves. Do you have a favorite holiday appetizer using endive? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We wish you all a healthy & happy holiday season.

All the best,

Molly

ENDIVE WITH BEETS, WALNUTS & PARMESAN

DRESSING

5 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 c. oil (canola or sunflower)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, crushed

Combine all ingredients in bowl and whisk together until emulsified.

SALAD

1 cup Roasted Walnuts

2-3 beets

6 California endives

1 cup parmesan

Roast walnuts at 325 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut beets into small pieces . Separate endive heads into single leaves. Place beets, parmesan and roasted walnuts in each leaf and drizzle with dressing.

Pomegranates, Gorgonzola & Walnuts in Endive

Tis' the season for festive colors & delectable flavors! For this appetizer we de-seeded a pomegranate for sweetness, crumbled gorgonzola for pungency, and roasted walnuts for toastiness. We combined them inside an endive leaf to create a festive appetizer, perfect for those upcoming holiday gatherings: healthy, colorful and delicious. Happy Holidays!

POMEGRANATES, GORGONZOLA & WALNUTS IN ENDIVE

DRESSING

5 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 c. oil (canola or sunflower)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, crushed

Combine all ingredients in bowl and whisk together until emulsified.

SALAD

1 cup Roasted Walnuts

1 Pomegranate or 1 cup pomegranate arils*

6 California endives

1 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled

Roast walnuts at 325 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut and de-seed pomegranate. Separate endive heads into single leaves. Place pomegranate arils, gorgonzola and roasted walnuts in each leaf and drizzle with dressing.

*For helpful suggestions, take a look at Simply Recipes step-by-step guide on how to cut and de-seed a pomegranate.

TASTES OF HARVEST - CAESAR SALAD IN ENDIVE

We absolutely love finger salads. (If you have been following our Tastes of Harvest blog, you know this.) They are a stress-free and gorgeous way to showcase a few ingredients and they are such pleasure to eat. This week, we decided to turn a classic caesar into a finger salad by eschewing the romaine and placing the main ingredients (parmesan cheese, croutons and caesar dressing) inside an endive leaf. Happy Thanksgiving!

CAESAR SALAD IN ENDIVE

DRESSING

1 small garlic clove

Salt and pepper

1/4 mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Mash the garlic with a pinch of salt. Whisk in mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

SALAD

6 California endives

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Croutons 

Separate endive heads into single leaves. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and croutons in each leaf and drizzle with dressing.

Adapted from Food and Wine’s Caesar Salad Spears.

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