Scarola (Cichorium endivia var. latifolium)

It is mainly consumed cooked. One of the best known (and tasty) recipes is the affogata escarole.

For two servings:

a 250 gm head, capers, black olives, garlic and chilli pepper is enough. As always, vegetables collected from the garden must be cleaned.

Detach the leaves from the stem by removing the hardest ones, rinse them carefully, several times. Then, sautée the garlic, and chili on a pan with extra virgin olive oil. You can leave the skin on the garlic and remove it later (when it has browned and given the oil its aroma, so it does not make the dish bitter if burned).

Lightly fry the scarola leaves in a pan, slightly lowering the heat, cover it until half cooked for 10 min.  Add the olives and capers and  cook for another 10 min, making sure of removing the lid shortly before the end.

When it is done, you can add sautéed anchovies or, according to the traditional Neapolitan recipe, pine nuts and raisins. This meal is filling, tasty, easy to make, quick, and inexpensive.

A synthesis of traditional Italian cuisine.

The Bleaching:

As with The Late Raddichio from Treviso, the Scarola can be treated to bleach the central part. It is not as necessary in this variety,  mainly used for trading than for consumption in self-production.

However, the process improves the quality of the harvest, making it more tender and less bitter, therefore, tastier. 

To bleach the Scarola it is necessary to ensure that the central part of the head does not receive light during the last days before the harvest, so that it grows tender and white inside.

About 10 or 20 days before harvesting, depending on the temperature (the lower the temperature, the more days) it is necessary to tie the leaves and make sure they are dry, to avoid rotting. At harvesting, eliminate the damaged leaves and you'll get a beautiful white/yellow heart.