Crunchy and colorful, they perfectly match the intense autumn flavors. As soon as they are rinsed or blanched for a few minutes in boiling water, the salads (those to be cooked) are enriched with soft sauces, croutons, seasonal vegetables, cold cuts or cheeses, turning into delicious but healthy dishes, to be served as appetizers or strictly cooked side dishes. Let's get to know all the varieties better together
Chicory
Chicory belongs to the family of Asteraceae or Compositae, the same as for different types of salads, radicchio and vegetables. All the various types have a slightly bitter taste due to the content of chicoric acid. They can be eaten raw to prepare rich salads, or cooked in water or steamed, but also to prepare delicious savory pies.
All white chicory
One belonging to this category is the Belgian endive it's a variety of chicory white which is collected betweenAutumn and thewinter, and to be precise between September and the end of November. Its origins are Nordic, its more common name reveals it, such as for example chicory from Brussels or Witloof, which literally means "White leaf". This last and unmistakable peculiarity is due to the cultivation technique to which it is subjected: the Belgian endive is in fact grown in the dark, so that the fibers of the leaves can remain candid, soft and certainly more palatable. Very tasty if sautéed in a pan with which you can try your hand at delicious recipes:rack of lamb with endive with cider or roasts with Belgian endive. It can also be a very good accompaniment for lasagna, curry stew or for a vegetable stew
How to prepare it
Remove the piece of core at the base of the head with a small knife or a digger. Remove the whole leaves if you want to enjoy them stuffed or in pinzimonio, or cut the head into strips and serve in a salad. For an elegant presentation, you can line the salad bowl with whole leaves and collect the fillets in the center.
Sugar Loaf
The Sugar Loaf it is also a vegetable of the chicory family and not of lettuce as one might think. Typically winter, thanks to its particular resistance to frost. One of its particular characteristics is that of having large leaves that form a cylindrical cap. These cooked and boiled, seasoned with oil and lemon are very good. Even stewed, however, it can be a very simple side dish, but at the same time very tasty and ideal for lovers of vegetables with a bitter aftertaste.
How to prepare it
Trim the head by cutting off the ends of the leaves. Open it slightly and wash it under running water. Drain it well and cut it "into slices" eliminating the final hard part. Unroll the strips obtained and pass them to the salad spinner to dry them well.
With the same procedure it is possible to prepare another variety of white chicory: "The White of Milan" which, however, is usually more suitable to be eaten raw rather than cooked.
The escarole
This is another variety of endive which belongs to the chicory family. The tufts have broad leaves of a intense green outwards up to the very light green soft heart. The escarole that we find on our markets and is entirely an Italian product. The crops are concentrated in Puglia (30%) followed by Marche, Campania, Abruzzo and Lazio. In the north the most important region is the Veneto. The cultivated varieties are hybrids, different from each other in size and harvest times, but similar to those common in our national territory: Giant of gardeners and Fiorentina (with broad leaves), a A croissant (with clenched tufts) e Blonde (with large head and light leaves). The escarole holds up particularly well when cooked: in fact it is excellent cooked in a pan, baked or au gratin.
An absolute goodness that you cannot give up and that you absolutely must try? The endive pizza or focaccia. This is in fact one of the typical dishes of Neapolitan gastronomic tradition, a green variant of pizza that is prepared with stewed escarole, raisins, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, anchovies and a few other ingredients. A real highlight of Neapolitan cuisine, now very popular everywhere.
Contrary to what the name might suggest, this has nothing to do with Spain. It is always a type of chicory, more precisely chicory asparagus, grown in Veneto and Lazio during the autumn period. Catalonia tends to be consumed cooked: first thing you need remove the outer leaves if withered or damaged. Then you have to eliminate the base is cut the leaves into pieces, even large and rinse it under water current, moving the vegetables with your hands in order to remove all the earth present. The easiest preparation requires the catalonia to be immersed in cold water, brought to a boil and left to cook for about 15 minutes. After having drained it well, you can taste it seasoned with a little oil, a little lemon juice, finely chopped garlic, a little salt and some capers.
One of the best known and most widespread varieties in Italy is the Catalonia of Chioggia, characterized by wide and white ribs with the typical serrated leaves. While the catalonia of Gaeta, from Lazio, is characterized by jagged leaves with slightly longer stems. Some tasty recipes that we can recommend are: the Crupa with catalonia, spicy pie with catalonia and anchovies.
Radicchio
A variety of chicory it produces "Rosettes" compact with red leaves or variegated in red and with white ribs. The best known are the chicory of Chioggia PGI, with a large and round head, and the radicchio di Treviso IGP, with an elongated and thinner head. Its use with salmon is highly recommended. Obviously also cooked on the grill or in the company of a nice risotto is a great delicacy. Excellent on salads, to be munched on its own or mixed with other varieties and of course it can also be grilled or used for a very particular flavor risotto. You can indulge yourself with radicchio because it is suitable for many recipes: rolls with late radicchio in balsamic vinegar and honey, radicchio cannelloni with bacon and hazelnuts , Smoked scamorza cheese and radicchio studel
Do you need some advice on how to clean a radicchio? Do not hesitate and click here.
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