The Food Trotter

It’s been a while since my last post but righteously so.  Everyday life has been keeping me busy!!  But back to The Food Trotter and on to the next recipe!

As promised on The Food Trotter “coming up” teaser, a trip to the land of cheeses is in store!  While some might dispute which land this could be, for me there is only one answer:  France.  (Although my Swiss neighbors might proudly beg to differ)  France boasts about 400 different types of cheeses, the exact number depends on how exactly one is classifying and counting.  Anyhow 400 is ALOT!  I’m not going to get into lists or specifics.  I’ll talk about just one cheese for today: Rocquefort.  Rocquefort is just one type of blue cheese and certainly one of the most popular.

So here’s some history and facts on our cheese of the day:

• Rocquefort is made from sheep’s milk.  Not just any sheep but only from the Lacaune race.
• Only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the south of France may bear the name Roquefort
• In 1925, the cheese was the recipient of France’s first “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée when regulations controlling its production and naming were first defined.
• Rocquefort has been documented back to the 7th century and was supposedly Charlemagne’s favorite.

This recipe was passed on from my Parisian friend Bénédicte.  It’s simple, no fuss, and has even won over the hearts of some of my friends who are not crazy about Rocquefort.  Give it a try and feel free to leave a comment to let me know if you also enjoyed it!  

Ingredients

3 heads of endive

1/2 package Rocquefort cheese

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

Instructions

1. Slice endive heads into 1 inch (2 cm) thick slices.  Place in a colander, rinse and let air dry or pat dry with a towel.  Place in salad bowl.
2. Crumble blue cheese over the top.
3. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on the salad.
4. Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil and pour over salad.

Bon appetit!

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