OK. Enough with gray skies, cold winds and snow. It’s times like this that I crave (well, yes, chocolate, of course) but anything that tastes green, crisp and fresh. And I’ve found my favorite cure for the winter funk in Janet Fletcher’s recipe for Escarole and Gruyere Salad with Walnut Oil.
Gruyere and walnuts are a wonderful pairing. And crisp escarole leaves add some snap to these dreary days. Now is the best time to find escarole on the produce shelves.
The recipe comes fron Fletcher’s book “The Cheese Course.” A food writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, Fletcher also writes a weekly column on cheese for the paper. –jh
Escarole and Gruyere Salad with Walnut Oil
1/2 cup walnuts
2 heads of escarole, pale heart only, trimmed
1/3 pound Gruyere, trimmed of any rind and cut into matchstick-size pieces
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
Vinaigrette
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons walnut oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 large shallot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, vinegar, shallot and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 30 minutes to allow shallot flavor to mellow. Taste and adjust the balance as needed.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet until fragrant and lightly colored, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Break any large pieces up by hand.
In a large salad bowl, combine the escarole, walnuts, Gruyere and parsley. Add enough of the dressing to coat the salad lightly; you may not need it all. Toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.
