Riverford Farm Cook Book: Tales from the Fields, Recipes from the Kitchen. Jane Baxter

      Radicchio

      Dark red leaves with white mid ribs and veins. In Italy there are many different varieties but in the UK we normally see the cannon-ball-shaped chioggia type with its tightly packed leaves, probably because it will keep for weeks in a chef’s fridge. At Riverford we also grow the more upright and open form known as Treviso, which resembles a small purple or crimson Cos lettuce. Small amounts of radicchio bring another dimension of colour and flavour to salads, though in the UK, with our monochrome national palate, I suspect most is left on the side of the plate. It can also be grilled or, in one of my favourite recipes from Antonio Carluccio, used to make a wonderful risotto combining the bitterness of the leaves with the sweet richness of sausage meat.

      Curly endive

      Crunchy, highly indented green leaves that tend towards a white heart. The French eat huge quantities of curly endive and will often cover the heads with a cap in the field to blanch them. I’m afraid I think life is too short, so only the centre of ours will be blanched. Endive is less bitter than radicchio, especially in the heart. It is quite difficult to grow without some dead leaves, so expect to have to pick it over a little, and spare a thought for the grower before being too indignant over imperfections. The really fine-leaved varieties are particularly hard to grow to a high standard, though they are undoubtedly better to eat if you can manage it.

      Escarole

      Large, lettuce-like heads of smooth, slightly crunchy, bright green leaves. The central leaves tend to be paler, with more crunch and less bitterness, becoming less palatable (some of our customers have said leathery) as you progress to the outer leaves. Escarole is the least bitter of the family, being mild enough to eat on its own. Very frost hardy, and sometimes used to bulk out the cheaper salad bags sold by supermarkets.

      Chicory and chicons

      Chicory is grown in the field for its roots, which are harvested, packed in sand and sprouted during the winter in sheds lit only by a candle. The resulting, tightly packed, pale green chicons can be eaten raw in a mixed salad, often with boiled egg, or cooked. Confusingly, these chicons are also sometimes referred to as endives.

      Storage and preparation

      Don’t be put off by your first taste. Bitter leaves are always milder by the time they are dressed and reach the salad bowl, and if you cook them they are completely transformed. In a nation that measures quality largely in terms of sweetness, it is a challenge to persuade people of the virtues of bitter leaves, especially when the first taste typically produces a wince and a pucker, but judiciously combined with complementary ingredients, they have great potential. When serving bitter leaves in a green salad, soften their impact by combining them with blander leaves and accompanying with a sweet dressing. Try mixing with dried fruit (cranberries are my favourite) or fresh fruit (mango, peach, grapes, pears all go well). Blue cheese and cubes or slices of roasted squash can also be good in a salad. It is normally best to dress the salad before scattering the fruit or cheese on top.

      All the bitter greens have a good shelf life and should keep in the fridge as whole heads for at least a week and often two without significant deterioration. Radicchio and curly endive both have a tendency to die back from the tips if they suffer any stress in the field, requiring a fair amount of picking over at the sink.