White leafy vegetables from the dark
As a child, were you horrified by the chicory cooked to snot that your mother put on the table? Give the white bushes another chance. Most varieties no longer taste as bitter as they used to and you can do a lot more with them than just cooking.
Chicory (also: Brussels lof) is a leafy vegetable that belongs to the chicory family and is a relative of endive. The Dutch eat an average of 3 kilograms of chicory per year.
Just like all other vegetables, chicory contains hardly any calories, but many nutrients such as fiber, vitamins and minerals. Chicory, for example, contains a lot of potassium and vitamin C.
Cultivation in two steps
The shrubs are grown in two steps. In the spring, seeds first go into the ground from which roots grow. The roots are lifted in the fall and stored in a dark cold store until needed.
If chicory is needed, it’s time for step two. The roots move from the cooling to so-called forcing trays in which they continue to grow on water. A growing point is formed on the roots: the beginning of a stump. About three weeks later, the chicory is ready for harvest.
Because the chicory roots enter a resting phase in the cooling, the growers can use them whenever it suits them. With proper planning, chicory is always available.
Prefer no light
Chicory does not like light. Under the influence of light, the leaves turn green and take on a bitter taste. Cultivation takes place in the dark so that the plant cannot form a green dye, chlorophyll.
You should therefore also store chicory at home in a dark place, for example in the refrigerator or in a paper bag in a cool place. If you don’t, the white stumps can already be green on the outside a day later. In that case, remove the outer leaves before use. Do you want to keep chicory nice and light in color while cooking? Add some lemon juice to the cooking water.
Cooking with chicory
Buy white, intact chicory without brown spots. Calculate 325 to 375 grams per person to get 250 grams of vegetables per eater. Remove any unsightly leaves and cut a slice from the bottom. Finally, wash the vegetables and cut them into smaller pieces if necessary. Chicory is cooked after 12 minutes of cooking. You can also grill, bake or process the vegetables raw in a salad. Chicory with ham and cheese from the oven is also a real classic.
Although today’s chicory is much milder than it used to be, it is usually not the favorite vegetable of children. It makes a difference if you cut out the cone-shaped core. Stir-frying or stir-frying also makes the taste milder. Or combine chicory in a salad with fruit, such as sweet apple, pieces of mandarin or kiwi.
Recipes
- Chicory salad with cranberries and grapes
- Stir-fried chicory
- Stuffed chicory leaves with feta
Sources):
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- Nutrition center
