Description

Chicory ‘Variegata di Castelfranco’ is an heirloom from northern Italy. It is a pretty leaf vegetable with mid-green leaves with red speckles. The head forms when the plant is mature. Eat raw or cooked – cooking reduces the bitterness.
Chicory is needed for the ‘bitter principle’ needed for optimum health which has been engineered out of modern food. Also essential for liver and the immune system. Use fresh and young in juices, or baked and caramelised in maple syrup.
To collect seed, cut the branches with seed heads when they turn brown and the flowers have no petals. Place upside down in a paper bag for a minimum of two weeks to dry thoroughly. Rub the stems between your hands or use a rolling pin to release the seeds; winnow as necessary.