Endive Leaves stuffed with "Red Bread"
Makes 48 Appetizers
10 ounces (5 cups) Day old Como, crusts removed torn into small ½ inch pieces
1/4 to 1/3 cup Red Wine vinegar
2/3 cup Homemade or Best quality bottled Marinara sauce
1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp. Finely minced garlic
¼ tsp. Salt
To Taste Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup Capers, rinsed and drained
¼ cup Finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
6 or 7 heads Belgian Endive
Finely chopped chives or parsley for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
Put the bread in a bowl and toss with enough vinegar to cover. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the marinara sauce with a fork, and add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Work well with a fork or process quickly in a food processor to make a coarse paste. Do not puree. Remove from the processor and fold in the capers and the parsley. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To serve, cut the endive heads about 1 inch above
the root end and separate the leaves. Fill each leaf with about 2 teaspoons of the bread mixture.
Just before serving, garnish with parsley or chives and drizzle with olive oil, if desired.
