Exploring endives.

I enjoy eating vegetables.

I want to enjoy eating vegetables.

I really should eat more vegetables.

Stated above is the thought process that usually overcomes me while in the produce department of the supermarket. A process, that usually, ends with me picking up a head of broccoli and calling it a side dish. There is nothing wrong with some steamed broccoli on the side of a tender steak but, holy moley, how boring can we get here?

Last night I tried to be a little more inspired. When I'm in the supermarket things have voices, not in a, 'you should see someone about that' way, just certain ingredients will shine brighter than others. The endives were calling me.

Have I ever used an endive? Have I ever eaten an endive? The answer to both those questions being, no, i wasn't sure how the endive knew my name but, it did. Going from there, I picked up up an especially nice bushel of beets, a cucumber and a lemon.

Here's what happened:

I ripped the roots off the greens and put them to boil for 20 minutes. I like to peel the skin off with my hands under cold water; it feels, primal. After boiling, the skin will come right off; this leaves your hands looking as if you just did something grizzly. (Think shower scene from Psycho.) I diced up the beets and cucumber and ran under cold water. Dressed the veggies with a squirt of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and spooned the mixture on to the endive. I poured on a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top.

The endive was crisp, bright and bitter against the delicate sweetness and clean taste of the cucumber. 
I will be experimenting with endives more in the future but the beets are what really grabbed my attention here. They are a really great veggie. I saved the beet greens to have an adventure with them later.

I would suggest for next time:

Adding apples would add a really nice sweetness.

Serve as an hors d'oeuvre.

Omit Parmesan, sprinkle goat cheese on top.

Use the same mixture but over baby spinach for a nice salad.