2621 Ringold Road * Eltopia, WA 99330 * 509.266.4348 * contact@schreiberandsons.com
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ENDIVE |
Endive is a member of the chicory family, which includes radicchio, escarole and curly endive. It is often called the queen of vegetables and is prized the world over. It has a crisp texture and a sweet, nutty flavor with a pleasantly mild bitterness — great served raw or cooked. Endive is one of the most difficult vegetables in the world to grow, requiring a two-step process before it is ready to be enjoyed. The first growth takes about 150 days in the field, where the chicory plant grows from seed into a deep root. Tops of the leafy plant are then cut off, roots dug up, and placed in cold storage, where they enter a dormancy period. As demand necessitates, roots are removed from cold storage for their second growth, which takes 20 to 28 days in dark, cool, and humid forcing rooms, similar to mushroom growing. Thus, endives are available year-round.
I ENDIVE HISTORY
n 1830, Jan Lammers returned from the Belgian War of Independence to his farm near Brussels. He had stored chicory roots in his cellar while he was away, intending to dry and then roast them and use them for a coffee substitute. This practice, common in 19th century Europe, is the same one that resulted in the creation of world-famous New Orleans style coffee. But Farmer Jan's chicory roots, resting for months in the dark, damp environment, had achieved a different result. They had sprouted small white leaves. Curious, he tried the leaves and found them to be tender, moist, and crunchy, with a pleasant, slightly bitter taste. "Witloof" (white leaf) chicory was discovered and a new farming industry was born. It took another 16 years before witloof cultivation was refined enough to grow the vegetable commercially. This labor of botanical love is attributed to a gentleman named Brezier, head of the Brussels Botanical Gardens, and resulted, in 1846, in "Brussels endive" displayed for sale in the market stalls of the city. Endive took the world by storm when it was introduced in Paris in 1872. It quickly became so popular that it was nicknamed "white gold." About a century later, a young American named Richard Collins, bent on becoming a specialty farmer, made his own discovery of endive while working in the kitchen at a California/French restaurant called La Salle in Sacramento. By 1983, Rich had begun commercial production of endive in Vacaville, CA, launching California Vegetable Specialties and a new tradition in the rich history of this elegant vegetable. Today, endive is grown on almost every continent, and worldwide production exceeds a half million tons annually. California Vegetable Specialties remains the only American producer, and a leading innovator in refining the complex process of growing the highest quality endive.
ENDIVE NUTRITION
Endive is a versatile performer in the kitchen, enhancing hors d'oeuvres, starring in salads, and playing a strong supporting role as a hot side dish or component of the main dish. More Than a Dozen Healthy Reasons To Enjoy Endive
ENDIVE FACTS
Buying and StoringAlways In Season Look For No Need To Wash — Great Raw Or Cooked If you are using the endive raw, you may want to remove the slightly more bitter core from the head. You can do this easily by cutting the endive in half lengthwise and then cutting away the core. If you are cooking the endive, it is not necessary to remove the core, as it will soften and sweeten with cooking.
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