Chicory : Cicoria Orchidea Rossa

Vegetable/Salad Vegetable

• Crops in : June to November

Description

The ennis ball sized, round red, white veined, crisp heads of Chicory Cicoria Orchidea Rossa add colour to salads or cooked vegetables. Boil leaves to remove bitterness, fresh leaves add zest to a mixed salad.

Culinary note: Some parts of these flowers are edible. For more details about edible flowers click here.

Sowing Instructions

Sow seeds thinly under protection in February to April for earliest harvest in summer, or May to August outdoors to harvest from October. Sow in rows, 13mm deep, 30cm between rows.

Growing Instructions

First thin the young seedlings to 10cm apart, then later to 25cm apart. Can also be left unthinned for 'salad leaves'.

Aftercare

At all times keep weed-free and well watered. Mulching with black polythene or straw between rows conserves moisture and suppresses weeds. In late autumn and winter, when temperatures are low, the outer leaves will close together tightly to form heads and at the same time the red colour will intensify. Can also be sown thickly under glass all year round for 'salad leaves'.

Kitchen Notes

Blend radicchio with summer vegetables on the grill or in a marinated salad or a panini/ciabatta sandwich for a tasty meal in minutes.