With the holidays now here, the appetizers will be flowing
at my house. The holidays are a time to
celebrate with friends and family. It is
a time to be thankful for what we have, to celebrate what is important and to
kick off a new year. We continued the long standing tradition of having Thanksgiving
at my parent’s house and it was a full house for sure. All four of my darling nephews were there and
they are getting so big and so old. They
range from a junior in high school to the littlest one in second grade. I just adore them.
The food was flowing all day long. My contribution to this years feast was this
appetizer, a large platter of handmade Spritz cookies and a sweet potato
casserole with pecan oatmeal brown sugar topping. I have to say that my Mom was spot on this
year with the turkey – that bird was so juicy and moist – utter perfection. I believe you will all be in shock when I
tell you that I have NEVER roasted or cooked a turkey. The closest I have gotten is numerous roast
chickens. Isn’t a turkey just a chicken
on steroids? Seriously, why learn when I have my lovely Mom to keep the tradition going. I know one day, I will need to, but until then I will continue to enjoy my Mom's turkey.
After a day of nibbling, eating and sitting I vowed to
lighten up the Friday Night Bites for the next week. With that, I created this little ditty I
title – Orange , Pecan &
Parmesan Endive Bites. The combination
of winter citrus, earthy pecans and rich parmigiano reggiano with a hint of
scallions and flake salt was a bite of pure flavor and texture. They were incredibly easy to make and the
presentation looks like you slaved for hours in the kitchen.
A Total Wine, Spirits, Beer and More store recently opened
and it about a 15 minute drive from our house.
I ventured into this super adult libation meca last weekend. I have to say I was overwhelmed by the
selection but was impressed by the vast selection of wines. Everything is laid out by varietals and
region. I was running low on my French
Rose back stock so I headed to that section first. The choices were great and I picked up a half
of a dozen different ones. In addition,
I spied a Vermentino from the Tuscany
region in Italy .
It was from Fattoria Casa di Terra Bolgheri and displayed hints of white
flowers, citrus and minerals which paired perfectly with my endive bites.
Makes 16
2 Large Naval Oranges
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
2 Tablespoon Scallions, finely chopped
¼ Cup Toasted Pecan pieces
16 Endive Leaves
Flaked Salt
Cut the oranges in half, and then use a sharp knife to
extract the segments and place into a bowl.
To assemble, lay the endive leaves onto a platter. Place 3 orange segments into each endive
leave. Lay a few pieces of shaved Parmigiano
reggiano onto of the orange segments.
Sprinkle a few pecan pieces onto each and sprinkle a few scallions. Add a pinch of the flake salt to each and
serve.
Love these lighter bites for the holiday season, Lisa! Just perfect when I need a little something without overdoing it before the meal, and the presentation is so lovely!
ReplyDelete