Endive

A beautiful winter-white salad; the natural bitterness of the endive is balanced by sweet roasted parsnips and a tad of sugar in the dressing.

Membrillo lends subtle sweetness to the dressing; look for it at any well-stocked cheese counter.

Feel free to substitute chard and radicchio for the endive.

Cutting endive into long, layered spears gives it an elegant look.

This simple, palate-cleansing salad looks great with different types of radicchio—some are deep burgundy and round; others have spotted, ruffled leaves.

Chef Ignacio Mattos says to get both the walnuts and the breadcrumbs very toasty and dark brown; he loves the contrast between the rich, crunchy bits and the bright, juicy endive on top.

This endive recipe with apples and grapes is a fresh, sweet start to any entrée.

Puntarelle are the inner hearts of cicoria catalogna, a kind of chicory — and one of the greatest treats of springtime in Rome. The hearts are trimmed out of the large heads and cut into thin shreds that curl up when immersed in ice water. Since puntarelle are not easy to find in this country, a mix of Belgian endive and celery serves as a wonderful substitute: Together, they have the same addictive bittersweet-crisp quality.