Asparagus, Cucumber & Radish Salad in Endive with Mustard Tarragon Vinagrette

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound asparagus
• 1 medium cucumber,
• 3 red radishes, sliced thin
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 6-8 endives, bottoms trimmed
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 3 strips of bacon, crisped and chopped into bits
• mustard tarragon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• “croutonettes” (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Have ready a medium bowl of iced water and a colander.
2. Slice asparagus stalks into thin rounds, saving the tips for another use.
3. Blanch the asparagus rounds by plunging them into the boiling water, bringing the water back to a boil and then draining it in the colander and plunging it into the iced water to cool. Drain again. Place asparagus on her towels or a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water.
4. Peel, seed and halve the cucumber and slice it very thinly with a knife or a mandoline.
5. Slice radishes very thinly with a knife or a mandoline.
6. Separate egg yolks from the egg whites and press them both through a semi-fine strainer and mix them together.
7. In a medium bowl, mix asparagus, cucumber and radishes with salt, pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
8. Place endive on a plate or sheet pan and carefully fill with asparagus salad.
9. Top the salad with a sprinkle of egg, then bacon. Drizzle with Mustard Tarragon Vinaigrette and top with “Croutonettes”.

Notes

Vegetarian version: leave off the bacon.
Vegan version: leave off the bacon and egg.