Recipes of the Week–September 12th

Endive Salad w/Hot Dressing
from: http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/12824/endive-salad-with-hot-dressing.html 
    
    6 c. endive, torn in bite-size pieces
    1 onion, sliced (red onion preferred)
    5 slices bacon
    2 tbsp. flour
    3/4 c. water
    2 tbsp. vinegar
    1/2 tsp. sugar
    1 tsp. mustard
    Salt and pepper
 
Wash endive and tear in bite-size pieces; add sliced onion. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove bacon. Add flour to drippings and then add water, vinegar, sugar, and mustard. Stir until thickened. Crumble cooked bacon on endive mixture, add hot dressing and toss well.

Sweet pepper and onion confit
from: http://justbento.com/handbook/johbisai/sweet-pepper-and-onion-confit
This makes about 2 to 3 cups, depending on how long you cook it. You can scale up the quantities if you want to make a big amount, though that will increase the cooking time.
   
2 medium onions
3 to 4 large sweet peppers (mixing red, yellow and green oneswill make it quite colorful)
    2 large garlic cloves
    Salt (about 1/2 tsp.)
    2 Tbs. light olive oil or other fairly neutral oil
Slice the vegetables very thinly.
Heat up a large pan or heavy pot. (I usually make this in a 5 quart cast iron enamelled pot.) Put in the oil and the garlic. Add the vegetables. Sprinkle with some salt (the salt will help the vegetables exude moisture).
Cook over a medium low heat, stirring sometimes, for at least 10 minutes, up to about 30 minutes. The longer you cook it the the more intense and sweet and brown it gets. The shorter cooking time will yield a still crispy and nice vegetable sauté mix.
It keeps well covered in the refrigerator for about a week. You can freeze it too.
When you use it, you can add your cuisine-specific herb and flavorings if you like, though it’s tasty as it is.
Variation: Add a thinly sliced fennel bulb for a slightly aniseedy version.

Just a few ideas for use:
    Mixed with pasta
    Heat up and add some cold rice; stir-fry for a quick vegetable fried rice. (No added oil needed since there’s enough in the confit)
    As an omelette filling - great for a Spanish omelette or tortilla
    Wrap with rice paper
    On a sandwich (e.g. feta or fresh goats cheese, the confit, and some arugula on a crusty roll)
 
For those of you getting Par-Cel
Spinach & Par-Cel Salad
 
1 tablespoons minced shallot (about 1/2 large shallot)
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups baby spinach leaves, shredded to size you like for a salad
1cups arugula leaves
½ cup Par-Cel, chopped
1 semitart apple,
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
 
Combine the shallots, salt & vinegar in a small bowl, and let stand about 10 minutes. Whisk in mustard and olive oil.

Combine spinach, arugula, and Par-Cel in a large bowl. Add apple and cheese. Dress salad with vinegar mixture, toss, and serve immediately.