ENDIVE, APPLES AND GRAPES...OH MY!

I just got a new cookbook. I was reading about it on the Internet and read that the author has a website where you can talk to her about the recipes and share your opinion. I thought that was really cool so I ordered the book.

Around my french table by Dorie Greenspan. I love the recipes in this book and will be cooking my way through it in the next few months.

The first recipe I tried was Endives, apples and grapes. The fruits and endive are cooked slowly in salted butter until soft and caramelized. This is really good.

                                     ENDIVES,APPLES, AND GRAPES

2 plump endives, trimmed

1 tart-sweet apple, such as Fuji or Gala

1 1/2 TBSP. salted butter

4 small clusters white or green grapes

4 small rosemary sprigs

Salt, preferably fleur de sel

Freshly ground pepper

Cut the endives lengthwise in half. Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core. Peel off a thin strip of skin down the center of each quarter

Put a large skillet (nonstick is best) over low heat and toss in the butter. When it's melted, put the endive into the pan cut side down and the apples skin side up. Add the grapes, scatter over the rosemary, and cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes, at which point the underside of the endives will have caramelized and the apples and grapes will be soft and perhaps browned. Gently turn everything over, baste with any liquid in the pan, and cook for 20 minutes more.

Transfer the ingredients to a warm serving platter or to individual plates and, using a sturdy wooden or silicone spoon, scrape up the cooking sugars sticking to the bottom of the pan. You might want to pour a few spoonfuls of water into the pan to help you nab the sugars and make a spare amount of sauce. Season the endive with salt and pepper, spoon over the jus, and serve.

Recipe from AROUND MY FRENCH TABLE by Dorie Greenspan.

The endive, apples and grapes as they started to cook.

The beautiful finished result.

OOOhhh...these were so good! I thought the grapes were to die for. The slow cooking in the butter brought out such a sweet, caramely goodness. I would love just the grapes as a side dish or on a cheese plate. You could also toss grapes with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven and get a similar yummy result.

I served this as a side dish but you could serve this as a main course for a nice vegetarian dinner.

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 for a main course.