How to Make Winter Salad With Apples, Pecans and Stilton Cheese

This is a wonderful salad to show off the produce available to us in winter. The mix of peppery watercress, assertive escarole and refined Belgian endive is both elegant and satisfying. Makes two large or four small salads.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 crisp apple
• 1 head Belgian endive
• 1 large head escarole (about six cups)
• 1/4 cup light olive (not virgin) oil
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 small shallot - thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 1-2 oz. Stilton cheese - crumbled
• 1 small bunch watercress
• Groceries
• Chef's Knives
• Cutting Boards
• Mixing Bowls
• Salad Bowls
• Salad Spinners
• Salda Utensils
• Wire Whisks
• Mixing bowls

Make the Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette

1. Combine the sherry vinegar, shallot and salt.

2. Whisk in the olive oil.

Assemble the Salad

1. Use only the tender, light green inner leaves of the escarole.

2. Discard the small sprigs, long stems and bruised leaves of watercress.

3. Wash the greens and dry them in a spinner.

4. Separate the endive leaves and cut the larger ones in half lengthwise.

5. Cut the apple into quarters, remove the core and thinly slice.

6. 

   Place the greens, apple, pecans and cheese in a bowl.

7. 

   Toss with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Tips & Warnings

• Toast the pecans by placing them in a 350 degree F oven for eight minutes or until they smell toasty (you'll be able to tell).

• Try the Sierra Beauty, McIntosh, or Granny Smith varieties for the apple.

• Stilton cheese is a strong English blue-veined variety.