Escarole & Pear Salad

A member of the endive family, escarole has larger leaves and a milder flavor than curly or Belgian endive. I stumbled across this delicious, healthy recipe on the Martha Stewart website. It's the perfect snack or side salad for a dinner party. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices peasant or sandwich bread, crusts removed
1 head escarole, stem end removed
1 ripe Bosc pear
3 stalks celery, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard and red-wine vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside.

Heat the broiler. Toast the bread slices until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set toast aside.

Separate the escarole leaves, and rinse well under cold running water; pat dry. Roughly chop leaves, and transfer to a large bowl.

Cut the pear in half lengthwise; using a melon baller, remove core, seeds, and stem. Thinly slice pear halves lengthwise; add to bowl.

Add celery pieces, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. Toss gently to combine. Divide among four salad plates; serve with toast. (recipe via Martha Stewart)