Name: Escarole (Cichorium endivia var. latifolium) — a broad-leaved type of endive with wide, slightly crinkled, pale green to yellow leaves and a mild bitterness. It is milder than curly endive or radicchio.
Description
Escarole has been grown in Europe for centuries, and is a staple of Italian-American cooking, where it is cooked in soups and stews. The inner leaves are pale, tender and sweet, and the outer leaves are darker, tougher and more bitter.
In Italy, escarole features in minestra maritata (“wedding soup”) and in stuffed pizzas and sautés with beans and anchovies. Its sturdy leaves keep their texture when cooked, which makes it more versatile than lettuce.
Main nutrition value
Escarole provides vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, fibre and some iron, for very few calories.
How best to be consumed
Escarole can be eaten raw or cooked, and its bitterness mellows with cooking.
- Add to soups, especially with white beans and sausage, in the last few minutes.
- Sauté with garlic, olive oil and chilli flakes, and finish with lemon.
- Use the pale inner leaves raw in salads with a robust dressing.
- Grill halved heads for a smoky, slightly bitter side dish.
- Wash thoroughly, since the leaves trap grit.
Overconsumption could cause…
Escarole is safe in food amounts.
- Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the high vitamin K content, so keep intake steady rather than avoiding them.
- Foodborne illness from poorly washed leaves, so rinse well, especially bagged and ready-to-eat salad.
- Bitterness that some people find unpleasant.
- Allergic reactions in people sensitive to ragweed or other daisy-family plants.
Wikipedia — Endive, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endive
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