Our 2023 Plant a Seed campaign celebrates greens and the communities who celebrate them. If you grew the our Plant a Seed kit in your garden this year, then you know that two greens in particular have been rockstar standouts deserving of celebration: fluffy Matilde Escarole and impressive Ultracross Collard!
This fall, we’re celebrating special greens friends through Chicory Week and Collard Week.
Click below to learn more!
Get chicory inspiration from Slow Food Cooks' Alliance
There’s no denying that chicories are a sight to behold — but their true goodness lies in their flavor. Do you need some suggestions on how to prepare these bitter, crisp greens? Look no further than these recipes from Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance members Abra Berens, Kären Jurgensen and Fernando and Marlene Divina.
Grilled radicchio with anchovy and cooked egg
by Abra Berens
This is one of my favorite summer salads. By the 4th of July, my desire for salad greens has been satiated by spring’s bounty. This salad is simultaneously filling enough to be a side but light enough to replace leafy lettuces. Radicchio can be replaced with any heading lettuce or baby bok choy. The bread crumbs and vinaigrette can be made a day or two in advance. In a pinch for time, like I often am, I will simply drizzle the grilled heads with a thick balsamic and call it dinner.
- 2 heads radicchio, cut into quarters, core left intact
- 4 eggs
- 4 anchovy filets, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- ¼ C sherry vinegar
- ½ C olive oil
- ½ C bread crumbs
- 2 T butter
- Place eggs in a sauce pan and cover with cold water by 1”. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water to stop the cooking
- In a medium bowl combine the anchovy, shallot and sherry vinegar. Let stand 10 minutes
- Peel the eggs and roughly chop (or grate on the large hole of a box grater)
- Whisk the olive oil into the anchovy mixture and then toss over the eggs
- In a medium frying pan, heat the butter and a good glug of olive oil. Add the bread crumbs and toss with 2 pinches of salt. Allow to cook until brown and toasty
- Grill the radicchio, cut side down, over high heat until the outer leaves are well charred. Flip to the other cut side and repeat
- Remove the radicchio to a serving platter and spoon the anchovy dressing over the radicchio. Top with the bread crumbs and serve.
Escarole and Apple Salad
Fernando & Marlene Divina, divinAmerica
Make this salad to your liking by swaping out all or part of the escarole with up to 1/3 tender greens and/or substitute robust, bitter greens like radicchio, kale or arugula. Use any nut but the best combiation is to use a corresponding oil if you have it. Some folk prefer to make the vinaigrette prior to tossing with the greens but we like it layered with the components as they randomly manifest over the palate playing sweet, tart, bitter, and savory as one enjoys the salad. Serves 4 as a starter or perhaps a few more as an accompaniment to simple grilled meats, mushrooms, or fish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 to 1 small head escarole (about 1 quart, once torn or chopped into bite-
size pieces) - 1 sweet apple, stemmed, cored, sliced in to matchsticks
- 2 tablespoons hazelnut, walnut or olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 generous tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoons sherry vinegar (more if you like it tart)
- 1 tablespoon honey (more if you like it sweet)
- 2 tablespoons toasted, hazelnuts (or other nuts), chopped coarsley
- 1/3 cup, finely grated aged cheese like Manchego, a local Tomme or Gruyère, and divided
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Mound the escarole among four dishes or on a platter. Mound the apples on the escarole. Drizzle the oil followed by the lemon juice and vinegar distributing evenly over the salad. Drizzle the honey over the salad with a fork or honey dipper. Top with the toasted nuts and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Orange Brûlée, Arugula and Escarole Salad
Fernando & Marlene Divina, divinAmerica
The oranges in this healthy salad recipe are caramelized in honey to give them the brûlée glaze. The result is a concentrated citrus flavor that’s more complex than just slicing the fruit onto your greens which, naturally, is a good alternative. Serve with pan-roasted fish, roasted chicken or turkey.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 T honey
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1⁄2 tsp cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 medium oranges, peeled and cut crosswise into 6 thick slices
- 3 cups torn escarole (about 1 head)
- 3 cups arugula
- 2 T slivered almonds, toasted
Preparation
Put the rosemary into a small saucepan. Add the honey and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Whisk the oil, vinegar, orange juice, shallot and salt in a large bowl to combine. Strain the rosemary from the honey and pour the honey into a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add orange slices and cook until they just start to brown, about 2 – 3 minutes. Carefully turn the slices over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the orange slices to a plate. Scrape the honey and juice from the pan into the dressing in the large bowl.
Add escarole and arugula to the dressing and toss well to coat. Serve the salad topped with the oranges and sprinkled with almonds.
Escarole, Saffron Ricotta, Shaved Fennel & Radish, Nigella Seed Bark, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
Chef Kären Jurgensen; Seattle Culinary Academy
Serves 10
Nigella Seed Bark:
- 2 T Nigella seed
- ¾ C Sunflower seed
- ¼ C Black chia seed
- ¼ C Pumpkin Seed
- ¼ C Black Sesame Seed
- 1 T Fennel seed, crushed
- ¾ C Water
- 1 tsp large flake salt
Oven 350 degrees. Assemble seeds and spices in a bowl, add water and stir. Let stand for 15 minutes, stir in flake salt and spread onto parchment lined sheet tray as thin as possible. Back until thoroughly dry, turning tray to lightly brown evenly. Cool and break into shards for service.
Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 oz shallot
- 1 preserved lemon rind, rinsed, insides & pith discarded
- 4 oz lemon juice
- 2 oz white balsamic vinegar
- 1 T orange blossom honey
- 1 C olive oil
- Pinch white pepper
- Splash of orange blossom water
Prepare in blender: garlic, shallot, lemon rind, lemon, vinegar and honey. Stream in olive oil to emulsify. Add pepper, blossom water and adjust seasonings, flavoring.
For the salad:
- 20 oz ricotta cheese
- Large pinch of saffron
- 10 oz fennel, shaved to order
- 10 oz shaved radishes
- Torn escarole
- Mint leaves
- Flake salt
Grind saffron in mortar, add a few ounces of the ricotta to the mortar to soak up the saffron. Stir that ricotta into the larger batch and refrigerate until service, stirring occasionally until saffron is fully bloomed.
Place 2 oz ricotta in each salad bowl, toss shaved vegetables with vinaigrette. Arrange escarole, herbs and vegetables on around the ricotta, drizzle with a bit more vinaigrette. Add flake salt and nigella shard.
Charred Chicories, Queso Oaxaca, Sweet Corn Vinaigrette
by Chef Kären Jurgensen, Seattle Culinary Academy
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 3 cups chicories of choice, cut as desired to char (smaller cuts = more char, larger = less char, more freshness)
- 1 yellow onion, sliced in rings
- 6 oz Queso Oaxaca, cut into pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
On a very hot comal or cast iron skillet, char the onion, seasoning as you go, until translucent and well charred, set aside. Char the chicories, seasoning as you go, remove and arrange on a plate, top with onions and Queso Oaxaca. Apply a torch to melt the cheese or place under a broiler until cheese is melted. Top with vinaigrette, add extra virgin
olive oil if desired.
Vinaigrette:
- 2 C fresh sweet corn kernels (cut from 4-6 ears and milk scraped from the cobs)
- 1 tsp minced shallot
- 1/3 C white vinegar
- 1 T fresh chopped marjoram leaves
- 2/3 C organic canola oil
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
