French Fridays with Dorie: Endives, Apples & Grapes

Friday, September 28, 2012



Well I am at a loss here.....I don't know what to write about this week's recipe for French Fridays with Dorie, Endives, Apples & Grapes. It's not that I hated it, but I didn't love it either. This is the first time, I think, that I feel so ambivalent about one of Dorie's recipes. 
Undoubtedly, this is a very easy recipe for a gourmet side dish. Sauté the endives, apples and grapes in butter (I used olive oil) and wait until they become tender and caramelise. I liked the sweetness of the grapes and the apples. Their sweet juices and aroma blended heavenly with the earthiness of the rosemary, but the endives were a touch too bitter for my palette. My main dish was calamari sautéed with onion, garlic and basil. Simple but quite tasty.

I have to apologise about the shortness of today's post. I have nothing more to say other than I will keep the apple and grape part of the recipe and try to combine it with another vegetable (courgettes or fennel maybe?). I don't think endives are going to make any more appearances in my kitchen any time soon...



24 comments:

  1. My favorite part was the grapes. It seems to me you either love or dislike endive. I hope you have a nice weekend:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Geraldine! The grapes were wonderful. I am going to make them again...just the grapes hi hi :)

      Delete
  2. Sorry you didn't like the endives, they do have a distinct flavor that's not always a favorite! I like your idea of finding a substitute that you enjoy with the delicious grapes and apple slices;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can admit it now... endives are not for me. The apples and the grapes were really yummy!

      Delete
  3. Your side dish sounds excellent. I've never tried cooking calamari. Sorry this recipe wasn't a favorite. Hopefully you'll like next week's better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes Jora! I will like next week's for sure...I'm afraid that I am going to like it very much :)

      Delete
  4. I'm glad you're going to experiment with other veggies. Look forward to reading your results!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Yummychunklet! I will keep everyone posted :)

      Delete
  5. Oh, fennel...now there's a thought! I think I would like that version as well. You have such pretty dishes and linens, very nice photos with it all. The grapes are worth knowing alone, right? I might be slightly addicted to those.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kayte. The grapes are surely addictive. I think I will make them again this weekend no matter what :)

      Delete
  6. I'm sorry you didn't love this as I did. I think fennel would be goon too but since this has my beloved rosemary in it I will love it. I would love just about anything with that herb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also love rosemary. I have rosemary planted in my small "windowsill garden" and use fresh every time I need it. I like your Rosemary Crackers I will try them soon and your blog is to fun to read :) :)

      Delete
  7. I think trying this recipe with fennel might be quite interesting. Endive does have a bitter flavor and it's true, you either
    love it or hate it. Even though you did not care for it, your dish looks good, especially paired with that calamari.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Maria, fennel does sound like a terrific alternative to the endives in this dish - I am sure that combination would work very well! Lovely presentation of your apples, endives and grapes even if you were not all that much inspired by the final outcome!

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fennel! That's it! I've been trying to think of something to replace the endive, which I also found too bitter. Fennel would be perfect. Thanks for the inspiration!.

    Your calamari looks great, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awwww that is a shame. As you say, it may work better with another veg.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ambivalence is fine. There are hundreds of recipes in the book, and they can't all be winners for every palette... That said, fennel sounds like a perfect match for the other flavors. Great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Maria, I have never tried endives but now I guess I won't reading your post. I imagine something like broccoli would go well with the fruits?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think it would be lovely with fennel.
    I think we all have come across a few that didn't just quite work out the way we wanted :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Fennel sounds like such a delicious choice! I really enjoyed this dish….but I would love to give fennel a try! Sorry this wasn’t a hit, but then there is always next time!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I totally agree with your assessment of this dish!!! On to hummus :)

    PS...thanks for your sweet comment on my blog!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I totally get what you mean! The endive tasted... not that great. I think the rest of the ingredients really made it (as well as the pork I served mine with!) Your calamari sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  17. WoW thank very much for the invitation! I added my blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I thought it was too bitter as well, not even much less bitter with apple and grape in the same bite. Great effort though! :)

    ReplyDelete

Please share with me your thoughts about this post. Thank you for visiting.