Weekend Cooking: Blue Cheese Salad on Endive

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I hope you're not too tired of being in the kitchen to play along this week. Between cooking for the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoying all those fabulous virtual cookies yesterday, what more is there?

I'm going to share an appetizer recipe that a friend of mine passed along to me. I don't know where she got it from. I've been making this for Thanksgiving for the last few years. (All measurements are in U.S. standard units.)

Apple, Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad on Endive Leaves

• 1 large (about 8 ounce) tart-sweet red apple such as Gala or Braeburn, cored and cut into ⅛-inch dice (that's 1/8-inch)
  
• 3 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled (to yield about ¾ cup)
• ¾ cup finely chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt, to taste (I don't add)
• 5 Belgian endives, leaves separated; smallest leaves saved for another use
• ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (I used toasted pecans)

In a medium bowl, combine the apple, blue cheese, celery, mayo, and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt.

To assemble, mound a small spoonful of the apple mixture onto the core end of each endive leaf. Sprinkle with the nuts and serve.

Note: I mix the nuts in with the rest of the salad.