Frisée and Endive Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese

• Recipe by Lee Hefter

"Frisée and endive," Hefter says, "taste best after the first frost." This salty, sweet and crunchy salad is a light and delicious start to the holiday meal.

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2. 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3. 1 tablespoon minced shallot
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
5. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6. 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
7. 2 tablespoons walnut oil
8. 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 3 heads of frisée (about 1 1/4 pounds), torn into bite-size pieces
11. 4 large endives (about 1 pound)—halved, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
12. 2 ripe Bartlett pears—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
13. 1 cup crumbled blue cheese (5 ounces)

Directions

1. In a large salad bowl, whisk the balsamic and sherry vinegars with the shallot and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then the hazelnut and walnut oils. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Add the frisée and endives and toss to coat. Add the pears and blue cheese and toss gently. Serve the salad right away.