Grilled Endive with Arugula Pistachio Pesto

This recipe is kind of like a pesto pizza with a grilled vegetable crust (use your imagination a bit!). If you prefer not to fork and knife these, just pick them up with your hands and deliver to an open mouth.

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• Extra-large handful wild arugula, about one cup

• 1⁄3 cup shelled roasted pistachios or untoasted pine nuts

• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (the amount will depend on whether or not your pistachios are salted)

For the endives:

• 4 Belgian endives

Directions

For the pesto:

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor. (See Note)

2. Pulse until well amalgamated. Depending on your taste, you can leave it with more or less texture.

Note: A microplane grater will create the right measurement. If your cheese is already grated or you’re using a box grater, use 1⁄2 cup to start and add more if desired.

For the endives:

1. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat and let it get hot for 7 minutes.

2. Slice each endive in half, vertically. (You will need the core at the bottom to keep the endive intact.)

3. Once the pan is very hot, place the endive cut-side down on the grill. (That’s right, you are not using oil to grease the pan, as it distorts the flavor.) Grill until you have nice dark grill marks and the endive is cooked but still crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Top with the Arugula Pesto.

Variations: Make the pesto with pine nuts as a variation for this dish. You can also simply top the endive with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper.