Blanch it, steam it, eat it raw or roll it – escarole is a versatile lettuce-like leafy green. A member of the daisy family, its cousins are chicory and endive. Escarole is less bitter than both. Here, it is blanched, filled with raw red pepper, rolled and topped with tahini and yellow pepper. Yum.
serves 2
INgredients
6 large escarole leaves
one half red pepper
one half yellow pepper
2 Tablespoons tahini
Process Wash the red and yellow peppers well. Slice each in half
and remove seeds.
Then slice into slivers and set aside.
Wash the escarole leaves well by immersing them in water.
Fill a wide pot or deep skillet with 3-4 inches of water and bring to a boil. When the water is bubbling, add the escarole leaves, one at a time. As soon as each one floats to the top of the water (about 10 seconds after immersion),
remove it carefully using a wire mesh skimmer. Place the blanched escarole leaves carefully in a colander to cool. When cooled, spread them out flat, carefully layering 3 of them together, one on top of the other, on a cutting board. Cut a “V” out of the crunchy “stems” of each leaf. Place 2 slivers of red pepper in the middle section of the leaves.
Roll up the leaves, enclosing the red pepper, starting at the crunchy stem and rolling upward.
Squeeze each one gently, wringing out any excess water. Slice each roll into 3 or 4 pieces
and arrange on a plate.
Spread a dollop of tahini on each section and then top with a piece of yellow pepper and serve.
©Nancy Wolfson-Moche 2014
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