This appetizer was inspired by a beautiful salad I enjoyed in Treviso, in Northern Italy. It was made with long spears of a variety of radicchio known as Tardivo and sweet red beets in an orange dressing. Since I don’t often see Tardivo here, I came up with the idea of substituting crunchy boats of Belgian endive. They are convenient little containers to stuff with the salad and crumbled Gorgonzola. These are light, colorful, and easy to eat, three things I look for in an appetizer, in addition to deliciousness.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 navel orange, scrubbed
- 2 medium beets, cooked, peeled, and cut into matchsticks (about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 endives, trimmed and separated into leaves
- 1 ounce Gorgonzola dolce, crumbled
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Grate ½ teaspoon zest from the orange. Cut the orange in half and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice into a medium bowl.
- Add the beets to the orange juice, along with the zest, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir well. (The beets can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour.)
- Just before serving, drain the beets, then scoop them into the endive leaves. Sprinkle with the Gorgonzola and serve.
NOTE:
- To cook beets, trim off the tops and stems. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and bake at 450°F for 45 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool, then peel off the skins.
