Curly endive, a dark green leafy bitter green used in salads and other dishes, is high in folate, fiber, and vitamins A and K. It can be used raw or briefly wilted and served hot, but doesn’t do well with prolonged cooking. When purchasing, look for a well-wrapped, crunchy specimen with a fresh appearance. It can be grown at home by planting seedlings or seeds after the last frost.
Curly endive, also sometimes called frisee or chicory, is a dark green leafy bitter green used in salads and other dishes. Like other endives, curly endive has a typically sharp, bitter flavor that greatly enhances the flavor of green salads, although some consumers find it off-putting.
The outer leaves of curly endive are dark green and lacy, enclosing a tightly wrapped pale heart of leaves. The darker the leaf, the more bitter it tends to be, which is why some cooks prefer to use the paler inner leaves. The distinctive lacy, ruffled greens also add an interesting visual contrast to salads, as well as a healthy dose of nutrition. This green is high in folate, fiber, and vitamins A and K, making it a great addition to any diet, especially for pregnant women.
Most people use raw curly endive in salads, usually in small amounts so the bitter flavor doesn’t become overwhelming. The green can also be briefly wilted and served hot. As a general rule, it doesn’t do well with prolonged cooking, so if it’s added to a dish like soup, it’s tossed at the end. Plan to use curly endive within five days, as it will start to go bad after that.
To find curly endive in the store, look for a well-wrapped, crunchy specimen that has a fresh appearance. Avoid those with slime spots or extreme discoloration, which indicate the greens haven’t been handled well. May through November is the season for this green salad, view this green at other times of year with suspicion, as it may not be of the highest quality. Once purchased, keep vegetables tightly wrapped in fruit and veggies.
To grow curly endive at home, plant seedlings or seeds after the last frost. Some gardeners like to create a mixed bed of salad greens, harvesting and replenishing as needed. In temperate climates, salad greens can continue to grow for six or more months of the year, bringing a fresh, clean flavor to green salads. For classic white endive, blanch the nearly ripened heads by covering them for 3 to 5 days, but be sure to keep the leaves dry so they don’t suffer rotting.
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