Scarola (Cichorium endivia var. latifolium)

Scarola (Cichorium endivia var. Latifolium): variety of endive with smooth leaves, short stem, and compact heart. To facilitate the bleaching of this part of the head, also known as grumolo/core, sometimes the heads are tied up about two weeks before harvest. It is sown from spring and throughout the whole summer to be harvested from autumn to the end of winter, depending on the weather. The scarola is the most important of the Endives thanks to its organoleptic characteristics and versatility in cultivation.

It is mainly consumed cooked.

One of the best known (and tasty) recipes is the "drowned Scarola".For two servings, a 250 gm head, capers, black olives, garlic and chilli pepper is enough. As always, vegetables harvested in the vegetable garden should be thoroughly cleaned. Detach the leaves from the stem, removing the hardest ones, rinse them carefully, several times.Put some garlic and chilli pepper in a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil. The garlic can be browned and removed, it should just provide the oil with a delicious scent and avoid the burned after taste.The Scarola leaves should be added to the pan, slightly lowering the heat, cover until half cooked, for 10 minutes. The olives and capers should be then added, to finish the cooking process for another 10 minutes, the lid should be removed just before the end. The dish is ready, anchovies can be added to the preparation to make it tastier, or according to a traditional Neapolitan recipe, pine nuts and raisins. Scarola has it all, it is tasty, very easy to prepare, fast and inexpensive. Synthesis of traditional Italian cuisine.

Just as the Raddichio from Treviso the Scarola can be bleached too. It is, however, less necessary in this species, it is more commonly done for commercial purposes rather than for self production. However, it improves the quality of the harvest, making it more tender less bitter and therefore tasty, it even improves its aesthetics. For the bleaching of Scarola it is necessary to make sure that the central part of the head does not take light in the last days before the harvest, so that inside it grows tender and white. About ten or twenty days before the harvest, depending on the temperatures (avoid the colder days) it is necessary to tie the head tight the head closed on itself, making sure the leaves are not wet, to avoid rottenness. At the time of harvest damaged leaves should be removed and a white/yellow head will show up in the middle.