Rossa di Treviso has long pointed leaves that start off green but turn redder in the colder months to add even more colour to your meals along with a lovely flavour in the Autumn/Winter.This variety can also be forced for chicons. See below for a fab recipe idea Price for 40 seeds
SOW & GROW: from late June to July in modules or pots – germination is more erratic when sown in situ for harvest in autumn/winter. Space 20-35cm apart, they like moisture retentive soil and will tolerate light shade. Keep weeded and water in dry weather.
To force this chicory lift the roots in late autumn, trim the leaves to 2.5cm above the root and trim off any wispy sideshoots. Cover the stumps with a sand/light soil mix making a ridge over them. These ridges can be covered with cloches to bring the chicons on. They should push through in late winter/early spring depending on the weather. There are other ways of forcing chicory.
EAT: shred for your salad mix or braise small whole heads in butter.
For even more deliciousness try braised chicory with blue cheese crumb topping!!!!
You will need your oven at 180°C, allow ½ to 1 chicory per person. And we love leeks so we have about ½ to 1 leek per person too. You will also need some breadcrumbs, blue cheese, parsley, white wine and veg stock and onion (we are a bit approximate about quantities as we haven’t weighed this one we just make what looks enough! Sorry!!
Blitz the bread crumbs, parsley and blue cheese – makes a green bread crumb mix (if you make too much store in the fridge and use on top of another meal in the next few days!)
Lightly soften the leek and onion whilst you cut your chicory in half lengthways and dust the cut side with icing sugar and fry cut side down until lightly caramelised (2-3 mins). Add them cut side up, to your leek and onion and cook for another few minutes to soften. Pop into a dish adding a little wine and a small amount of veg stock – just enough to cover the base of the dish not to drown the veggies.
Spread the breadcrumb mix over the top, dot some extra lumps of blue cheese for extra melty loveliness, splash with a little lemon juice (you could add a few shavings of butter too)
Now bake for 10-15 minutes – until the cheese is all melted and the crumbs are a bit toasty.
And if you don’t like blue cheese just use you favourite cheese instead
