WINTER GREENS
SALAD
WITH WALNUTS, APPLES, AND
PARMESAN-ANCHOVY
DRESSING
Ever since I tasted April Bloomfield’s awesome fall green
salad at The John Dory, that combination of crisp, bitter
greens and savory anchovy dressing has been one of my
favorites.
Winter greens by their very nature are hearty in both
texture and flavor. Radicchio, with its dark purple, frilly,
cabbage-like leaves, is the bitterest of the lot, so I like to
cut it with sweeter greens like Belgian endive. The latter
are grown completely underground to induce a process
called etiolation, a natural occurrence in plants that grow
in low-light conditions. In their effort to reach the light,
rapid growth takes place, resulting in weaker cell
structure and no chlorophyll formation. This is good for
us when more tender leaves and a less bitter flavor are
what we’re after. Tight pale yellow or pure white endives
are what to look for.
Similarly, frisée (or curly endive) is sweetest at its core,
which was protected from sunlight, so the small leafy
stems are still pale yellow and tender. For the best-tasting
frisée salads, discard the tougher dark green outer leaves