Escarole: “No I’m not bitter, YOU are!”

From the desk of Chef Todd Heberlein

Dear VF Friends,

We need to have a talk.  About the very misunderstood escarole, floating somewhere between a lettuce and a cooking green.  As a member of the endive family, it can get lost next to its fancier cousins that are different shapes and colors.

Like many foods, having it prepared poorly once may turn you off from it completely.  But trust me, this one is worth another go.  Since it straddles being wonderful raw or cooked, it can be used in so many ways.  Yes, “store bought” escarole can be extremely bitter, but the fresh-picked homegrown escarole that our farmers bring in from the fields are not as bitter – and they’re packed with flavor.

Classically, you’ll find this Italian patriot lazily floating in a braise or soup, with white beans and pork.  My favorite dish currently is fresh pasta, escarole, prosciutto, peas, and Romano cheese. This simple preparation tames the twang of this impressive green and adds depth to the dish. This is an easy starter dish to help you explore escarole.

Now, time to expand.  As summer comes around, let’s think salads.  My favorite you ask? It happens to be featured in our cookbook on page 76: Escarole Salad with Grilled Peaches. This salad also incorporates wax beans, aged goat cheese, and a basil vinaigrette.  The peaches help balance the mild bite of the escarole, plus the smokiness from the grill is a bonus.  And don’t even get me started on the texture party going on here!

Another favorite way to prepare escarole is kimchi.  I know, it sounds weird, but it works.  Fermenting really is easy and YOU control how fermented you want it to be.  Follow a basic recipe like we have on page 169 of our cookbook (I like to add radishes, carrots, and scallions, plus a pinch of sugar helps) and you will have a new respect for this beauty.  With the vegetables just mentioned, remember this saying: “If it grows together, it goes together”.  That one sentence has influenced my cooking more than you could imagine.

So, for all of you cooks, go grab that head of escarole and join our journey of fun cooking with amazing vegetables!

-VF Chef

Follow Chef Todd on instagram @vf_chef

Escarole Kimchi, page 169, A Century of Growing: The Volante Farms Cookbook