Recipe: Apple and Radicchio Salad with Maple Molasses Pecans

Makes 8 servings

- Maple Molasses Pecans (see related recipe)

Vinaigrette:

- 1 ½ teaspoons minced shallot

- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

- 1 ½ teaspoons honey

- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- About ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

- Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:

- 12 cups loosely packed arugula leaves

- ¼ head radicchio, leaves separated, washed, dried and cut into thin strips

- 1 Belgian endive, sliced in half, cored and cut into ½-inch strips

- 1 ½ medium apples (Granny Smith, Akane, Gala or Fuji), cored but not peeled

- ¼ lemon

1. Prepare pecans up to 4 days in advance of serving.

2. To make vinaigrette: Combine shallot, vinegar, honey and mustard in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. (The vinaigrette can be made a few days in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.)

3. To make salad: The morning of serving, prepare arugula and radicchio and keep refrigerated, covered with a damp paper towel.

4. Up to an hour before serving prepare Belgian endive. Wrap in a paper towel and refrigerate. Just before serving, cut apples into thin slices. Combine arugula, radicchio, endive and apples in a bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat everything lightly and season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

5. Divide the salad among plates or pile into a large shallow decorative bowl and garnish with some of the pecans.