Growing Belgian Endive

Last year I made my first attempt at growing Belgian Endive on the farmlet. I made a video of a few clips I took along the way to show you the process. It sure is way more steps and time than any other crop you can grow on the farm, but unique and inspiring for sure! The same system could be replicated for Treviso tardivo- a crop I am growing this season.

“N- dive” or “on- DEEV” (I think the latter is correct, but I find it hard to retrain myself!) is an edible chicory bud from the chicorum intybus.

The result of the process shown in the video is a delicately flavored, crunchy little boat-of-a-leaf that can be used in lots of appetizer type salad dishes, and is not bitter like the green leaves it grew in the summer.

You’ll see some mixed results in the video- which can sometimes be helpful in figuring out a new process for yourself. Not everything on a farm goes perfectly the first time, but everytime is still educational.