Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 6 ripe Seckel pears or another small variety, halved through the stem ends 
• 1/2 cup pear nectar
• 1/4 cup pear balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons honey, or more to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 heads endive or radicchio di Treviso, or 3 of each
• Six 1-ounce wedges of Gorgonzola dolce or your favorite blue cheese

Directions

Step 1

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts until fragrant, and then transfer them to a small bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and heat the oil. Use a small melon baller to remove any seeds from the pears and then place them, cut sides down, in the oil and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and reserve. 

Step 2

To make the vinaigrette for the salad, use the same pan, increasing the heat to medium high. Add the pear nectar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the mixture is reduced by half, then whisk in the honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the 1/3 cup of olive oil. Taste, adding more vinegar, honey, salt, and/or pepper as needed. 

Step 3

Trim the endive and remove the leaves from two of the heads; arrange them on 6 salad plates. Slice the 4 remaining heads crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and divide among the plates. On each plate, arrange 2 pear halves, a wedge of Gorgonzola, and a few of the walnuts. Lightly drizzle each dish with the vinaigrette. 

Ingredients

• 3 ounces thinly sliced Jamón Serrano
• 2  pounds fresh fava beans, weighed unshelled
• 3  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, or more as needed 
• Crusty bread, for serving 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place an oven-safe wire rack on top of it. Arrange the slices of jamón on the rack in a single layer. Bake the jamón just until crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

Step 2

Shell the fava beans. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the shelled beans. Cook for 2 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice water bath. Remove the outer skin from each bean. Set aside. 

Step 4

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until both are translucent but not browned. Add the fava beans and the wine and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the stock, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the fava beans are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated (add more stock if they need more cooking time). Transfer the fava beans to a shallow earthenware dish, such as a cazuela. Crumble the crisped jamón over the beans. Serve with crusty bread.