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Endive (Cichorium endivia var. crispa) and escarole (Cichorum endivia var. latifolium) are, respectively, the curly leaved and flat leaved varieties of a leafy annual (sometimes biennial) in the sunflower family that is closely related to the perennial Cichorium intybus, which includes chicory, radicchio and Belgian endive, also known as witloof. Endive leaves are dissected and curly, and escarole leaves are flat and broad, but both are rather bitter tasting salad greens popular in Europe and in trendy American restaurants. Endive is a low growing, ruffled little plant, most cultivars just 6-10 in (15-25.4 cm) tall, whereas escarole has a central "head" of smooth fleshy leaves and is larger and more upright, some cultivars to 2 ft (0.6 m) in height. The leaves of both endive and escarole are a little more thick and chewy than those of lettuce, which is also closely related. Endives and escaroles produce attractive pale blue flowers on stems that stand way above the leafy foliage. Most endives and escaroles are bright green, but there are some cultivars that are bronzy brown, and some with red midribs. Cornucopia II lists 18 cultivars of endive and 8 of escarole and another 4 that are intermediate in leaf shape and habit.
Location
Culture
Escarole, and to a lesser extent, endive, should be blanched to reduce their bitterness. Cover the plants with inverted bushel baskets, boxes, clay pots or a temporary plywood A-frame, and leave them covered for 2-4 weeks. The leaves will turn creamy white and will lose their bitterness. You also can blanch endive and escarole by tying up the outer leaves so that the inner leaves and hearts are protected from the light. Be sure the plants are dry before covering them or they will likely rot. In fact, they should be uncovered (or untied) for a while to dry out after rain. Endive is used almost exclusively raw in salads. Restaurants often use endive as a garnish around salad bowls. Escarole is also a fine salad green, but it also can be braised in olive oil and garlic, or steamed or boiled like spinach. The slightly bitter flavor of endive and escarole are much appreciated by European salad lovers; Americans are just beginning to appreciate bitter tastes in salads. Adding something sweet or oily to a salad balances the bitterness of endive and escarole; sweet peppers, chopped hard boiled egg, and olive oil fulfil this function nicely.
Features Steve Christman 5/13/01; updated 9/21/03
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