Edible Spring Flowers and Belgian Endive Salad
Author: Nancy Baggett
It's not always easy to find red Belgian endive, but if you can, the leaves add great color and form to a plated salad. Taste-wise, they are indistinguishable from the regular kind. BTW, always use the red variety uncooked. When heated, it loses that bright hue and looks just like regular Belgian endive!
Ingredients
  • Vinaigrette
  • ½ cup safflower oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil
  • ¼ cup (unseasoned) rice vinegar, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped or snipped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
  • ½ teaspoon each prepared mustard, preferably Dijon-style and granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon each fine sea salt and black pepper
  • Salads
  • 2 to 3 cups mixed greens, preferably including baby beet greens, red leaf lettuce and small romaine leaves
  • 2 small heads each white and red Belgian endive (or 4 heads white if necessary)
  • ½ to ¾ cups halved yellow cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup fresh picked unsprayed or organic baby pansies
  • 8 whole chive blooms, plus 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
  • 4 whole purple basil blooms, optional plus 8 or 12 small basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped beet leaf stems, optional
Instructions
  1. For the vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients in a jar. Cap tightly; shake well. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving. Taste and add more vinegar for a zippier dressing. If desired, refrigerate up to several day, then let warm up slightly before using.
  2. For the salads: Arrange the greens, endive leaves and tomatoes on four plates, using the photo as a guide. Just before serving, drizzle the plates lightly with vinaigrette. Garnish the plates with pansies, chive blooms, chopped chives, purple basil blooms (if using), basil leaves, and chopped beet leaf stems (if using). Serve immediately, passing the remainder of the dressing so diners can add more to their liking.
Recipe by KitchenLane at https://kitchenlane.com/2016/06/edible-flowers-and-herb-blooms.html