Frisee for a Change

It seems to me that Friseé is in the middle tier of lettuce popularity. Not one of the popular kids like romaine or red leaf, but part of the in-between crowd searching for an identity - like arugula or boston bibb or endive. (Of course, we all know the popular kids are great to look at but not always the most interesting - and that the in-between kids tend to be underappreciated but end up being the true stars. I bet you can't guess which group I fell into.) Anyway, it is certainly not down at the bottom with nerds like iceberg or radicchio. (I'm sure there are those of you who love radicchio but I just cannot find it in my palate to love that stuff....and I'm not even going to comment on iceberg lettuce.) Friseé is kind of spidery-looking, crunchy and has a nice peppery taste to it. You should try it sometime - and I have just the right recipe to nudge you into taking the step.

We had this for dinner tonight and both Dave and I really enjoyed it. It's definitely an occasional indulgence, since the bacon and drippings are not something you want to eat on a regular basis. Trust me on the bacon drippings. I know it sounds like something that makes one nostril curl up into a sneer but just trust me. The mingling of the saltiness of good bacon (from Whole Foods...not the Oscar Mayer chemicalized stuff) with the sweetness of the dates and the acid in the white wine vinegar - not to mention the tartness of the goat cheese - is really delicious. The friseé adds a nice crunch to pull it all together. So enjoy.

(p.s. for some reason the goat cheese I had on hand was very, very creamy - as you'll notice in the picture. I'm not sure why this is, but when you go to add your goat cheese to the salad it will no doubt crumble as instructed in the recipe....not glop on like sour cream. It tasted good though, so I guess I shouldn't complain.)

Friseé Salad with Bacon, Dates and Goat Cheese

3 bacon slices, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tablespoons Sherry- or White-wine vinegar

1 large head of frisée, washed, dried and torn (about 4 cups)

2 1/2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (about 1/2 of 5-ounce log), crumbled

1/3 cup walnut halves

Cook the bacon in heavy small skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in skillet - discard the remaining drippings. Add olive oil, honey, dates and onion to skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes until onions start to soften. Stir in vinegar. Continue to cook 2 minutes longer until flavors come together. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Place frisée in medium bowl; add dressing and toss. Divide salad between 2 plates. Sprinkle with bacon, cheese and nuts.

Makes 2 fairly large servings.