Endive Salad

I served this salad alongside the pasta dinner I served for a couple friends. Considering the sweetness of the pasta sauce, the tangy, somewhat bitter Belgian endive was a nice accompaniment. Thanks to Ina for the initial idea...I just added a few extras for taste and texture.


Ingredients
3 heads Belgian endive
3 ripe avocados
1/2 red onion
Handful of pine nuts
Parmesan cheese, shaved


Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper


Directions
1. Chop off the core of the head of each endive and separate the leaves. Rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
2. Thinly slice the avocados and red onion.
3. Shave the parmesan into thin strips.
4. Assemble the vinaigrette by first combining the lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Then, while whisking, add the olive oil to make an emulsion.
5. Arrange one head of endive leaves on a plate, followed by the slices of one avocado.
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the red onion, pine nuts and cheese on top.
7. Pour 1/3 of the vinaigrette over the top.
*Note: this makes enough salad for three people, as that is how many I was serving. You can just increase all of the ingredients equally to make it for more.