Dandelion Chicory

(variety Red Rib Puntarella)

It has been a few years that we have been able to grow and harvest dandelion chicory. Just look at the picture with me harvesting the crop and that was 2011! So excited to have found the seed back in a seed catalogue!

This Red Rib Puntarella is a delicious vegetable that is often mistaken for a weed., the one after which it is named! Long, thin and spiked in appearance, this vegetable is a common Italian ingredient in a variety of foods.

A member of the chicory family, puntarella has a bitter undertone and its stems are tender yet crisp. The flavour of this vegetable green is similar to chicory and endive with a somewhat bitter and peppery-like overtone.  As a fresh vegetable, the shoots are tender and crisp textured, tasting much like fennel.  When cooked (warmth), the bitter taste and texture softens as the flavour mellows. It is suggested that slicing the stalk and leaf into strips lengthwise and then soaking for a couple of hours reduces the bitterness as well.

Punterella can be eaten raw as a salad vegetable, added sliced to stir-fries, or braised and served with different sauces. It also makes a yummy soup when teamed with tomato and chicken stock.  Punterella is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C and beta carotene.

Storage & General Use:  Use the puntarella within a few days after it is bought.

Refrigerate in crisper or wrapped in a plastic bag to keep fresh and use within 2–3 days.  Wash the leaves thoroughly in cold water before use.  Puntarella Chicory is most often served as a fresh salad green or as a vegetable that is stir-fried with other ingredients. It is often paired with other strong and rich flavours such as anchovies or an anchovy dressing, olive oil and garlic when serving as either a fresh or cooked vegetable.

Recipe Ideas:

Sautéed: Wash punterella just before cooking.  Remove root ends, chop coarsely, and sauté in olive oil with garlic and onions until tender.  Do not add any liquid as the greens will melt and produce their own water.  When cooked add lemon juice.

Soup: Place the punterella into boiling water for 2 minutes to blanch them.  In a hot saucepan place a little extra virgin olive oil and combine punterella with chopped tomato and chicken stock and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve with toast.

Salad: The tender young leaves of the punterella can spruce up any mixed green salad.  My favourite salad recipe is to mix 1 cm of olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, sea salt, garlic and honey.  Courtesy of Pia Maria, a lovely lady, who owned an Italian Restaurant in Wellington a decade or so ago.  Just beautiful with any pasta dish!

Puntarella Chicory Salad with Anchovy’s

Ingredients

• 1 head puntarella.

• 2 cloves garlic, mashed

• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar, red or white

• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 anchovy, minced)

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cut the long stalks into 5 cm long pieces and soak the pieces in ice water for 15 minutes (or up to an hour). Most will curl up.

• Whisk remaining ingredients together to make the dressing.

• To serve, drain puntarella pieces and spin or pat dry. Toss with dressing.

Spaghetti with Puntarella and Mushrooms

• https://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/2751371427154095/Spaghetti-mit-Puntarelle-und-Pilzen.html

• Cut the large leaves into 5 cm long pieces.

• Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.

• Finely dice the shallot, cut the garlic into fine slices, core the chili pepper and dice finely. Heat the olive oil in a pan, sauté the shallot and garlic for a few minutes, but do not brown. Now add the leaves of the puntarella and the chili and fry gently for about 10 minutes.

• Cut the mushrooms into not too thin slices and place them in the pan. Fry for a few more minutes and season with salt and pepper.

• Put the pasta on a plate, spread the vegetable mixture on top and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.