Endive Pesto Recipe
INSPIRED BY BELGIUM
SA
Endive is a young member of the vegetable family. In 1830, a farmer in Brussels, Belgium created it by accident. He was storing chicory roots in his cellar because his plan was to dry and roast them to make coffee. But he left to serve in war for several months and returned to find something new sprouting in his cellar: endive. The new member of the chicory family hit grocery store shelves 16 years later and now is grown worldwide.
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The ironic part about the creation of endive is that this young vegetable grew from chicory, one of the earliest plants mentioned in recorded literature.
SAVE FOR LATER
Makes 1 1/4 cups
Ingredients
1/4 cup shelled chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups chopped endive
1 cup chopped D'Anjou pear (or 1/2 pear)
1/3 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
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Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until the desired consistency forms.
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If using a mortar and pestle, crush the walnuts until a fine crumb forms. Add the endive and pear, and mash until smooth. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Mash until the desired consistency forms.
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Store pesto in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Use throughout the week in the next two recipes. Pesto can last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months.
Uses
Beet Brownies
Throughout Belgium, there are more than 2,000 chocolate shops. What sets Belgian chocolate apart from others is a high cocoa content. Belgium is also a place where sugar beet crops thrive. These root vegetables are used to produce beet sugar, a less processed type of sugar.
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Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Although Brussels sprouts were first grown elsewhere, they were named during the 16th century when these mini-cabbages were being harvested in Brussels, Belgium. A couple centuries later, French settlers brought Brussels sprouts to the United States.
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