Chicory season is that all too brief period between spring thaw and the heat of summer. A few days near 80 will turn what were mildly bitter greens into something inedible. A solid week of heat will cause the plants to bolt as they attempt to flower and reseed themselves for the fall crop.
The members of the chicory family range from maroon radicchios to yellowy Belgian endives. In between, you’ll find green curly endive/frisee and escarole, as well as wild and cultivated dandelion greens and dandelion stem/puntarelle.
When you’re looking for escarole and endive, choose ones with very pale yellow hearts. If you aren’t going to use your greens immediately, wrap them loosely in paper towel and place them in a plastic bag in the fridge. Plan to use them within two days.
The last few weeks took a toll on local spring chicory crops. So if you missed out on escarole, the next best thing is likely somewhere in your yard. Look for the thinnest, palest dandelion greens you can find. Look for ones growing in partial shade and avoid anything that is leathery.
Chicories are best paired with rich ingredients like sharp cheeses, smoked fish, ham, bacon, eggs, and croutons. Although more neutral ingredients like asparagus and beans like fava and chick peas also work well them. When it comes to dressings, it seems counter-intuitive, but those with vinegar, mustard, or lemon juice cut the bitterness of chicories.
You can actually grill quartered heads of radicchio and halved heads of escarole. Rub them with olive oil or marinate them for up to 15 minutes in a mixture of five parts olive oil and four parts balsamic vinegar. Grill radicchio over medium heat about six minutes. For escarole, leave it on only long enough for to get grill marks and no more. Less dense chicories like dandelion greens and puntarelle are best just wilted.
Regardless of whether you are grilling or wilting the greens, you’ll want to have the rest of your salad ingredients prepped so you can get the chicory to the table immediately after its comes off the heat so that it doesn’t turn to mush.
This recipe includes directions for a balsamic vinegar glaze which you can use over salads, on Parmesan cheese, and over the top of strawberry shortcake or grilled fruit. Add a dash of cayenne to it if you want.
Spring Dandelion Green Salad
Balsamic syrup:
- ¾ c balsamic vinegar
- For each salad you will need:
- 1 egg
- 3 – 4 spears asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 2 handfuls thin leaved dandelion greens, washed and drained
- For wilting greens:
- Enough canola oil to coat bottom of skillet or wok, approx. 1 ½ – 2 T
- Pinch of salt
- Dash of freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Put balsamic vinegar in a small, heavy pan. Simmer over medium heat until it is reduced by half to a syrup. Set aside to cool.
Peel bottom ends of asparagus spears to remove any stringy tissue. Soft cook egg by placing it in a pan with enough water to cover by it by one inch. Bring to a boil. Shut off heat. Cover pan with lid. Allow pan to sit for three minutes. Add asparagus and replace cover. Plunge asparagus and egg into ice water. Peel egg as soon as it is cool enough to handle. Drain asparagus and set aside.
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add oil. Add greens stirring until just wilted. Remove greens. Place on serving plate, sprinkle with salt. Add asparagus. Coarsely slice egg over salad as best you can with the semi-liquid yolk. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Drizzle with balsamic syrup and serve.
If you prefer hard cooked eggs, allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for 8 minutes prior to adding asparagus.