Endive Spoons

Makes : About 40 spoons

These little “spoons” are easy to make, easy to eat, and a delight to the eye. If they’re too fussy for you, simply toss everything together into a salad: grated beet with crisp endive leaves, spicy, crunchy nuts, and creamy, tangy blue cheese.

Ingredients
For the pecans
1/2 cup (60 g) pecan halves
1 teaspoon (5 mL) butter
2 teaspoons (10 mL) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) paprika
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) cayenne pepper
Salt

For the beet
1 medium beet (yellow if possible), scrubbed clean
1 tablespoon (15 mL) grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper

To assemble
About 4 endives, trimmed
About 4 ounces (110 g) blue cheese, crumbled

Preparation
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Toast the pecan halves 5 minutes, then remove and turn off the oven. Put the nuts in a frying pan with the butter, sugar, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Toss over medium heat so the butter and sugar melt and together coat the pecans with the spices. Remove to paper towels to drain, then chop.
Grate the beet. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and toss the beet in it. Season with salt and pepper and pour over a few spoonfuls of water. Cook, stirring, until just tender, about 5 minutes.

To assemble, peel the leaves from the endives and arrange on a serving platter, cup side up. Put a spoonful of beet in each, followed by some crumbled blue cheese and a scattering of the spiced nuts.