Chicory

Well...much more "homogenized" than I would have liked...but I didn't think even PENN 
STATE could argue with THOMAS JEFFERSON!!!!!

An Herb to Invite

Mostly Chicory seems to mind the boundaries of one's property, choosing to greet 
travelers along roadsides and paths with bright blue flowers that open on a regular 
schedule. In days of old the blossoms which would open and close five hours later were 
often included in clock gardens because of their predictability. The blossoms also 
retire at night and wisely close when heat is extreme. While one might pass these blue 
gems without notice, the blue flowers were once thought to be the transformed eyes of a 
young woman, weeping for her lover's return. The leaves can be broadly oblong or 
raggedly intented lanceolate that tend to always allign with the North.

Native to Europe, chicory was imported by the colonist. Thomas Jefferson planted the 
herb at Monticello in 1774 and wrote to George Washington about its success. He regarded
the herb as "one of the greatest acquistions a farmer can have."  The plant made an 
excellent ground-cover, was useful as fodder for cattle, and made in Thomas Jefferson's 
opinion "a tolerable sallad for the table..".  Once accused of some dubious contact with
the British just before the War of 1812, Jefferson proclaimed he was only trying to 
acquire Chicory seed for George Washington. Jefferson's promotion of the plant brought 
prolific planting around the Philadelphia area by 1818.

The only surreptitious quality the plant might harbor is the usefulness hidden in its 
modest beauty. Besides the extraordinary flavor of the roots that are often used instead
of coffee or in addition to coffee, the leaves do infact provide a food source. Used in 
salads and cooked like spinach the flavor is much like that of dandelion. The leaves are
also a bitter Passover herb. Whole or shredded leaves may be added to sautes or stir 
fries. Mostly it is suggested that only the fresh young leaves be used in this way. 
Sometimes the roots are cooked much like carrots. If used as coffee, clean the roots and
allow to thoroughly dry.

Perhaps the best kept secret of this useful herb is held by those industries that would 
have you pay hgih prices for designer greens. Endive is simply chicory leaves that have 
been "forced" in trays from the roots that were topped and kept in cold storage until 
needed. The resulting head is called chicon. And, radicchio and Teviso are only 
specialized varieties of chicory.

The leaves are very high in iron and calcium. Beside the nutritional value some folks 
through time have used the leaves as a poltice to ease skin inflammation. Additional, 
medicinal uses have come down through the centuries.