Endive Roots - Cichorium intybus

The chicory, known as 'Witloof' or Belgian endive, is a winter vegetable to be consumed raw or cooked. The roots are forced to grow in darkness, either in trenches in the vegetable garden or crates of soil, in a cool and dark place. Harvest takes place from January to March.

The chicory develops, as a result of forcing, on a wild chicory root. Forcing involves cultivating the roots in darkness in order to blanch the leaves by depriving them of light. The roots are protected from light either in the vegetable garden by placing them in a trench or crates of soil placed in a dark room.

The chicory contains 95% water and is a light and easily digestible winter vegetable. It can be consumed raw in salads or cooked, in gratins, juices, braised, or accompanied by a béchamel sauce.

Harvesting: chicory is harvested from January to March, as needed. Remove the protection and break off the chicory by hand at the neck. Immediately cover them with opaque paper to prevent them from turning green, which makes them bitter. Leave the roots in the ground to hope for a harvest of smaller chicory heads a few weeks later.

Storage: chicory should not be exposed to light after harvesting, it should be protected from it. Leave them in the ground if you don't need them immediately.

The gardener's tip: for forcing in crates, tilt the crate on its side to fill it; this will optimise the adhesion between the soil and the roots. Alternate layers of soil/sand and the roots placed flat, then straighten the crate.