Radish Salad with Blue Cheese 

These familiar round, red radishes belong to the Red Globe variety. They should be plump, firm, smooth, and free of cracks and blemishes. Smaller radishes are usually sweeter; larger ones can be sharper and more peppery.

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 2 carrots, trimmed and peeled
• 15 medium-size red radishes (about 6 ounces), ends trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, shallot, Worcestershire, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup cold water. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese, breaking up any large pieces with a fork; set aside.
2. With a vegetable peeler, peel carrots into long, thin ribbons; add to bowl with dressing along with radishes and lettuce. Toss to combine; season lightly with salt. Divide among four bowls; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Serve immediately.

 

 

Fennel, Apple, and Blue Cheese Salad 

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sherry-wine vinegar
• Pinch of coarse salt
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese, preferably Maytag Blue
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
• 1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed and very thinly sliced crosswise on a mandoline
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and very thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 1 head Boston lettuce, rinsed, torn into pieces, and spun dry

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk to combine vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar. While continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle in oil, until combined.
2. Add cheese, walnuts, fennel, and apple to the vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Add lettuce, and toss again. Transfer to a platter. Serve immediately.

 

Pasta with Beets and Blue Cheese 

You can substitute two 16-ounce cans of whole beets for the fresh ones. Drain them and pat dry, then cut into wedges; continue with step 2. To remove beet skins, wait until the cooked beets cool, then rub off the skins using paper towels to protect your hands from the beet juice.

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small red or golden beets, scrubbed well
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound gemelli, or other short tubular pasta
• 6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; add 1/2 cup water. Seal dish tightly with foil. Bake beets until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off skins. Slice beets into wedges.
2. In a large bowl, toss beets with garlic, orange juice, oil, and coriander; season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot; toss with half of the blue cheese and enough reserved pasta water to coat pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide the pasta mixture among plates; top with beets and remaining blue cheese. Serve immediatel

 

 

Wilted Escarole with Walnuts and Blue Cheese 

 

Ingredients

• 1 large head escarole
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Cut escarole into 1 1/2-inch wedges, leaving base intact. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium; add a few wedges and cook, turning, until escarole is wilted and light brown on all sides, 3 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a platter. Repeat twice with more oil and remaining escarole. Top with walnuts and blue cheese; drizzle with lemon juice, if desired.
   

 

Honeyed Fig and Melon with Blue Cheese and Almonds

• Photo: Christopher Baker

Slices of salty, pungent blue cheese are naturally suited for sweet figs, cantaloupe, and generous drizzles of honey. Serve a platter as an easy cheese course at the end of a meal.

Martha Stewart Living, August 2011

• Prep Time 10 minutes
• Total Time 10 minutes
• Yield Serves 4

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Ingredients

• 6 to 8 slices (1/4 inch thick) blue cheese
• 1 pint fresh Black Mission or Brown Turkey figs, halved
• 1 cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
• Best-quality honey, for drizzling

Directions

1. Arrange cheese slices on a serving platter, and top with figs and melon wedges. Sprinkle with almonds, and drizzle with honey.

 

Blue Cheese Dressing 

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Blue cheese is an ideal partner for crisp Boston lettuce, romaine hearts, or hearty endive spears. Thick and creamy, this dressing can be made with crumbly blue cheeses ranging from mild Danish blue to the more pungent Roquefort, Stilton, or Gorgonzola.

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Martha Stewart Living, August 2005

• Yield Makes 1 3/4 cups

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Ingredients

• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, and thyme in a bowl; stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette 

 

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This is a classic vinaigrette recipe with the addition of creamy blue cheese.

Everyday Food, January/February 2003

• Prep Time 5 minutes
• Total Time 5 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Roquefort

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar.
2. Slowly add extra-virgin olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Or shake the ingredients in a jar, or whirl them in a blender. Add crumbled blue cheese.