Monday, September 24, 2012

Escarole

We got some reports that the Escarole was so bitter it was inedible.  I happen to love love love it!  Mix it with other salad greens if you are not fond of it.



Escarole:  Escarole is a variety of endive whose leaves are broader, paler and less bitter than other members of the endive family. The ends of the outside leaves are a little bitter, but even those ribs are sweet!  The hearts are really sweet. In taste -- but not color -- it is almost indistinguishable from radicchio.

Like radicchio, kale and chard, escarole is a hearty green that thrives late into the growing season. The heart of an escarole head is less bitter because the leaves haven't gotten as much sunlight. (Some farmers even cultivate these pale leaves by covering the plants and depriving them of sunlight.)

High in folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A and K, escarole can be eaten raw or gently cooked. Try tossing a few escarole leaves into a mild salad, serving some quickly wilted with lemon juice, or stir chopped escarole into soup.

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