Chicories

"Take the bitter with the sweet" is good advice. Europeans have long enjoyed the sophisticated, bitter flavour of chicories, appreciating the interest they add to salads and their ability to stimulate digestion. They're also rich in vitamin A, calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Fortunately, North American supermarkets are increasingly offering selections from the chicory group: Cichorium endivia species, including frilly endive and escarole, and C. intybus species, including Italian dandelion greens, striking red radicchio and Belgian endive, which are generically called chicories. Chicory's wild relative is the blue-flowered plant that proliferates along roadsides across Canada.

Growing
Choose a sunny location with good drainage and fertile soil. Chicories do best in cool weather so, although some varieties will tolerate heat, most are grown as spring or fall crops. Spring crops are sown mid-April, preferably using faster- maturing varieties so they can be harvested before hot weather. To decide when to plant fall crops, take the variety's number of days to maturity, add 10 more days, then count back from the date of your first fall frost.

Seeds can be sown directly in the garden. Work in lots of compost and plant seeds three millimetres deep, 2.5 centimetres apart. Keep seed bed moist until germination. As the leaves of the seedlings begin to touch, thin to 25 to 30 centimetres apart. Thinnings can be used in salads.

For optimal results, start plants in individual cell packs or five-centimetre pots. Plant three millimetres deep, two to three seeds per container, later thinning to the strongest seedling. If seedlings are grown indoors, place under grow lights or in a southern window. Before they're planted outside, harden off by gradually introducing them to direct sunlight and cooler temperatures. Hardened plants will survive a light frost.

Plant outdoors 25 to 30 centimetres apart. Dig a hole three times the size of the root ball and add compost. Firm the soil around the plant, then water. Whenever the soil surface dries out, water well. Rapid, continuous growth is necessary for good quality. In areas where slugs aren't a problem, a 10- to 15-centimetre layer of mulch (straw, hay, shredded leaves) will conserve moisture, keep the soil cool and control weeds. Midway through the plants' growth, carefully dig some compost or organic fertilizer into the soil around them.

Chicories generally have few pest or disease problems. Don't overcrowd the plants, keep well weeded and watered, and always clean up thoroughly in fall. Wait three years before planting chicories in the same place.

Endive and Escarole (Cichorium endivia)
The attractive frilly leaves, sturdy texture and sharp taste of endive adds interest to salads. The leaves of escarole, also called Batavian endive, are thinner, milder and more tender than those of endive. Leaves, especially those in the centre of the plant, can be used instead of lettuce.

Although spring and fall crops do best, sowing every three to four weeks until mid-July (mid-August in coastal British Columbia) will provide a steady supply throughout the season if kept well watered.

Blanching turns the leaves a creamy colour and makes them taste milder. Seven to 10 days before harvest, when the centres of the plants are dry, gather the outer leaves, draw them around the rest of the plant and tie with strips of cloth to keep the sun from reaching the inner leaves. You can harvest individual leaves at any time or harvest the whole plant by cutting the entire head just above ground level.

'Neos' endive (55 days) has medium-sized heads with extra-frilly leaves; 'Salad King' (95 days) has large heads about 40 centimetres across. 'Nataly' escarole (50 to 55 days) is heat-tolerant, grows under challenging conditions and is suitable for spring, summer or fall crops. 'Full Heart Batavian' escarole (80 to 85 days) is also adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. Both escaroles have partially blanched centres.