Back in the day, when there was Sally Wong, when there was yellow pepper, and when there was tuna, David was doing endive salad and roast chicken. Although nonrevolutionary, this salad is always delicious. It’s on the menu often, especially in the winter when the garden is under a snowbank and the Parc Vinet Salad (opposite page) is a distant memory. Use Stilton in this salad; it works much better than other blues.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　About 36 walnut halves

　　2 tablespoons canola oil

　　1 tablespoon salt

　　4 heads Belgian endive, white and plump

　　2 hard green apples, cored and cut into matchsticks

　　8 ounces (225 g) Stilton cheese

　　1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh chives

　　Apple Vinny (page 196)

　　Pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a bowl, toss the walnuts with the oil and salt. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, place in the oven, and toast for about 15 minutes, or until they take on color. Let cool.

　　

Step 2

Separate the endive leaves and divide them among 4 plates. You can place them casually or stack them like a game of Jenga. Next, add a handful of the matchstick-cut apples to each salad, followed by a handful of the walnuts. Crumble the Stilton and sprinkle it on top. Finally, add the chives, some dressing, and a twist of pepper.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan & Meredith Erickson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.