Endive & Escarole
(Cichorium endivia) A long appreciated European delicacy, these crops add a lightly bitter piquancy to salads. All are best grown in rich soil, and cooler weather; in most of the country, this makes them best-suited to the fall garden. Grown in about the same way as lettuce. Usually sown in mid-summer to mature in cool autumn weather. Germination may be improved by starting seeds indoors, sheltered from the intense summer's heat. Do not let young seedlings become root-bound. Set plants into the garden when they've reached a convenient size. Some gardeners tie the outer leaves around the inner heart to blanch, which makes the crop milder; other folks prefer the slight bitterness as a counterpoint in their salads.
