At the first farmers’ market of
the new year, one of the growers brought mâche…a beautiful and delicious
lettuce that has at times and by some been considered a weed (because of its
tendency to spring up in the fields where corn and other cereal crops are
grown). As with most things food, the
French know better and have been eating it for a long time. Patricia Wells tells us in her book At Home in Provence that it was shepherds who first brought it to the
table—having observed their flocks nibbling on a patch with gusto and having decided
to give it a try. Two of the other
names for mâche reveal these interesting bits of lore: corn salad and lamb’s lettuce. By whatever name you know it, if you have
tasted it, you probably think it is delicious—slightly nutty, with a soft,
buttery texture.
As I think about it, I am
surprised this is the first time I have noticed it at the farmers’ market—I
assume anything that could be construed as a weed would not be too difficult to
grow. It is of course possible that I
have just missed it. Mâche is a
cold/cool weather crop and this is the first year that I have regularly
patronized a winter market.
When I saw it, even though I didn’t
really know what I was going to do with it, I grabbed a box. I love mâche…and this was a pristinely lovely
example of it. It is true that I
occasionally see a box of Organic Girl mâche at the grocery store. But it is not regularly available. And while it is generally a good product, as
with most things, it can’t really compare to what a local grower can
provide. Whereas the mass produced stuff
can be flimsy and succumb to decay fairly rapidly, the rosettes I purchased had
a substance and life that kept them in fine condition for more than a week
(stored air-tight, with a barely damp paper towel)… Plenty of time to decide how I was going to
best enjoy it.
In the end it was a salad in
Patricia Wells' aforementioned book that provided my inspiration. I was thinking about the mâche…and what I was
going to make with it…one evening while I was shopping. In my mind’s eye I saw a picture from her
book. It included mâche rosettes, along
with the classic trio of Belgian endive, walnuts, and Roquefort. I had everything but the cheese, so I grabbed
a wedge.
When I finally made my salad, I
decided it needed a bit of apple, so I diced up a Pink Lady and added it along
with everything else. Pink Ladies are my
favorite snacking apple…and thus something I always have on hand…but
Honeycrisps would be equally good. The
crisp, juicy, sweet-tart apple was the perfect touch. Patricia Wells uses a cream based dressing
for her salad, but I chose to use a tangy mustard vinaigrette that I already had
on hand (you may have it too, if you have made the other apple and endive salad I posted a month ago…).
If you have never tasted mâche, I
hope you will seek it out. If you are
unable to find it, I think this salad would be delicious with arugula
instead. Many people suggest
substituting watercress for mâche. But I
think the nutty character of arugula is more in keeping with the flavor profile
of mâche. Watercress can be quite
peppery—and I don’t find mâche to be peppery at all (slightly bitter,
perhaps…but not peppery). That
said…watercress would probably be delicious in this salad…different…but
delicious. To be honest though, I hope
you won’t have to find a substitute. I
hope that a grower at your market has some exceptionally beautiful mâche…so that
you will have the chance to experience this delightful little green at its
best.
Salad of Mâche, Belgian Endive, Apple,
Walnuts & Roquefort
For the vinaigrette:
2 T. Champagne vinegar
1 small shallot, peeled and finely minced (1 1/2 to 2 T.)
1/4 t. salt, or to taste
1 t. Dijon mustard
6 T. extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad:
3 1/2 to 4 oz. mâche rosettes,
washed and spun dry
1 large (7 to 8 oz.) apple—choose
something juicy, crisp and sweet-tart (like a Pink Lady or Honey Crisp)
2 heads Belgian Endive (about 8 oz.)
1 c. (4 oz.) walnuts, lightly
toasted and coarsely broken
4 oz. Roquefort
 |
| From top and moving clockwise: an intact rosette.... a rosette flipped over to show the root/core....bits of the trimmed root/core....trimmed leaves |
Remove any bruised outer leaves of the endive and discard. Halve the endive and remove the cores (by cutting a "v" shape around the core on each half with the tip of a paring knife). Place each half face down on a cutting board and slice 1/4-inch thick on a short diagonal.
Place the mâche, apples, endive and
walnuts in a large bowl. Crumble
in the Roquefort. Drizzle with some of
the vinaigrette and season well with salt and pepper. Carefully toss so
that all of the ingredients are thoroughly coated with the vinaigrette.
Add more vinaigrette as needed. Taste and correct the seasoning. If
the salad seems well-seasoned and well-dressed, but still tastes a bit flat,
give it a squeeze of lemon and toss again. Mound the salad on a platter
or divide among individual salad plates. Serves 4 to 6.
Note: The mâche and walnuts may be prepared ahead. The apples and endive must be cut right before serving as they will both oxidize after being cut.
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