I have a gardening question, and no time to join a gardening forum: I have a row of curly endive...

J

joe

Well-known member
I've been harvesting it by thinning it out for salads. Now I have about a dozen mature heads. If I harvest them by cutting off the leaves, leaving the roots in the ground, and mound soil over them, is there a chance I'll grow those bullet-shaped Belgian Endives? I've heard they're the same plant, but that the compact Belgian endives are forced in boxes of sand.

Gardeners?

(I have a recipe for braised escarole with garlic, Romano cheese and breadcrumbs that I want to try with the curly endive).

 
Here is the original recipe: REC: GRILLED CHEESE WITH ONION JAM, TALEGGIO, AND ESCAROLE

GRILLED CHEESE WITH ONION JAM, TALEGGIO, AND ESCAROLE

MAKES 2 SANDWICHES
ACTIVE TIME:15 MIN START TO FINISH:15 MIN
FEBRUARY 2008

4 (1/2-inch-thick) center slices sourdough bread (from a 9- to 10-inch round)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons onion or fig jam
12 to 14 oz chilled Taleggio or Italian Fontina, sliced
1/4 lb escarole, center ribs discarded and leaves cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

Brush 1 side of bread slices with oil and arrange, oil sides down, on a work surface. Spread jam on 2 slices of bread and divide cheese between remaining 2 slices. Mound escarole on top of cheese and season with salt and pepper, then assemble sandwiches.
Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat until hot. Cook sandwiches, turning once and pressing with a spatula to compact, until bread is golden-brown and cheese is melted, 6 to 8 minutes total.

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/02/grilledcheese

 
This is from my favorite, albeit old gardening book. Do you have a local extension

service you can call? They might be more helpful for what would work in your area.

From my book "When The Good Cook Gardens".

All varieties of chicory can be used for forcing to get what is called Belgian Endive. The Witloof variety is the best choice. Commercial growers grade the roots by size, finding that 1-1 3/4-inch diameter produces the heaviest yields.

To get this size, seed is sown in May or June. If sown too early, the roots will be too large for forcing. The roots are dug in the fall and the tops cut off 2 inches above the crown to prevent injury to crown buds. The roots are stored in a cool place and subsequently forced at room temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees as follows: The tip of the root is cut so it is uniform in length about 6-9 inches. They are set in an upright position in a trench or box with the crown up. The space between the roots is filled with soil. After thoroughly wetting the soil, the entire vegetable, root and crown , is covered with sand to the depth of 6-8 inches. The soil should be kept moist. The sand keeps the heads compact and excludes light, to cause blanching. If you have a cool, but not dark place, turn a clay flowerpot over each root to provide individual, dark forcing chambers. 3 to 4 weeks are required to produce good heads weighing 2 to 3 ounces and measuring 4 to 6 inches tall.

 
Hmmm, this is indeed more complicated than I thought, and you've answered my main question...

my curly endives look nothing like the plain-leafed type in the photo in your link. It must be a different variety.

I had hoped they could be forced in the garden, like white asparagus.

Thanks Curious, you're an information whiz!

 
Thanks anyway, Sylvia. I think I will try a few. With Belgian Endive at $4.99/lb., what's to lose?

 
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