Radicchio Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Radicchio Salad 
Serves 6

• 3 cups frisee leaves, cores and ends removed

• 6 cups radicchio, core removed and sliced into 3 cm strips

• 1 cup walnut halves, toasted

• 6 ea dates, halved and cut into thin strips

• 1 ea small shallot, sliced thinly

• 9 oz flank steak, cooked rare, sliced thin on bias

• salt and pepper, to taste

• blue cheese vinaigrette (see below)

Add frisee, radicchio, dates, shallot, blue cheese dressing, walnuts. Mix gently but thoroughly, coating all of the leaves evenly the dressing. Add the sliced flank steak to the salad and mix, distributing evenly. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Makes 1 pint. Need 1/2 pint needed for salad

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 t Dijon mustard

• 1 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup (scant) whole almonds, toasted

• 3 oz buttermilk blue cheese

• 2 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• water as needed

Puree all ingredients in blender. Thin as needed with water, tablespoon by tablespoon until dressing is thick enough to coat leaves of lettuce, but not act weighty.