Endive – the Perfect Green Party
Good holiday food can be eaten without plates or utensils. This means it must be piercing, pokeable, or supplied pre-loaded into an edible delivery system. The endive leaf will not pierce anything, but it will make a great scoop and a really elegant delivery system.
If you’ve never enjoyed endive, this is quite fun when it comes to non-psychoactive leaves. It is crispy at the base and tender at the tips, with a light, slightly bitter flavor that goes well with cheeses, spreads and salads. Its natural boat-like shape makes it a worthy boat for any of the above, plus it just looks pretty. If that wasn’t enough, you and your guests can feel virtuous by eating a bunch of endive-based snacks – whatever you add becomes a salad! (It’s also easy to prepare; just wipe the outermost leaves with a damp towel.)
As far as toppings go, you can’t go wrong with cheese. A personal favorite is Pimento cheese sprinkled with a little honey ( garlic honey, if you have one) and garlic topped, as is blue cheese with pecans and dried cranberries. For something more meaty, try a spoonful or chicken salad, chicken liver mousse, or smoked salmon paste. If you want to switch to a vegetarian meal, try adding a spicy salad or sliced salad to it; just make sure you include one non-vegetarian ingredient – like sprinkled cheese, crunchy prosciutto, or roasted nuts – to balance all the freshness. You can also flip through a whole bunch of leaves next to the sauce bowl. After all, this is a party.