Escarole, endive and chicory

Nutritious, tasty, healthy and cleansing, these three delicious vegetables offer a lot of color to winter dishes, especially salads. All three are rich in carbohydrates and fiber, and are also low in calories. They are an invaluable source of essential minerals, such as phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium. They also provide considerable amounts of vitamin A and folic acid. Escarole is especially rich in folates, which favor healthy pregnancies, but chicory and endive exceed it in provitamin A contribution.

Although they look quite different, endive, chicory, and endive all come from the same botanical ancestor and share some properties and characteristics. Belonging to the Asteraceae family, these three vegetables offer a wide variety of culinary possibilities, alone or combined with vegetables or fruit. Escarole is found all year round in the markets thanks to its different varieties. Chicory and endive are winter vegetables, although the natural season for the latter extends from September to May.

Characteristics and cultivation

• Chicory: its color varies from very light green to dark red and there are multiple varieties. He radicchio, Purple in color, it is the one with the most bitter taste. Chicory has historically been used as a coffee substitute.

• Endive: it is easy to grow, takes up little space in the garden and only needs heat, water and total darkness.

• Endive: Although it is bitter by nature, it is not so bitter when grown protected from light. Endives can be had all year round, but are tastiest in winter. Its leaves, curled or smooth, are often used in salads.

purifying plants

Chicory increases the bile production, It is ideal for those who suffer from dermatological problems, it has anti-inflammatory effects and is a great help in diabetes because it contains insulin. The escarole is a good source of folic acid and flavonoids, that protect against cancer, thrombosis and arteriosclerosis. endive contains significant amounts of fiber (prevents colon cancer) and potassium (important for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system).

In the kitchen

They can be kept for a week in a cool place. Raw they can be used in a salad, with a vinaigrette. An original and very tasty mixture is endive with orange. Chicory can be roasted, but also fried or boiled. The bitter taste of endive is accentuated in cooking, so it is advisable to add a few drops of lemon beforehand and change the water when it has boiled for a few minutes.