Topic: Witloof

[ina]

Emma Jane asked on another thread if she should lift the witloof roots yet.

Some of the other allotmenteers at our complex are starting to lift them now but I plan to wait till the beginning of november. Having said that, if the plants are starting to look very sad, I may get them out earlier or at least part of them.

The others are forcing them in a hole in the ground, I have never done that. They dig them in, cover with straw and then soil on top. I like them clean and easy access in a container at home.

Good luck EJ and post some pictures of the results please.

[Hot_Potato]

I'm intrigued to know what this Witloof is......so yes, some pictures please.

Got a vision in my mind that it's like 'horseradish' but don't know why tho. Seem to think I read somewhere (probably on another thread) that it's a very tiny veg. (and fiddly I should imagine to prepare)

H.P.

[Mrs Ava]

Here you go Hot P.  Chicory or Witloof.  I have only ever known it eaten raw as a salad veg, but I have learned recently through peeps here, and some online googling, that it make a rather tasty hot dish to!

I have a couple of plants that were munched by something, so I might take them out next week and see how I get on.  Some of them have huge roots, I am impressed considering I have totally ignored them whilst they have been growing!  ;D

[Hot_Potato]

Hey thanks E.J. - realise now I've always known it as chicory. Didn't realise they were one & the same thing.

Back in 1990 (when I had a cook/housekeeper job in a lovely old house in Finchingfield - totally alien to my normal mode of work I might add but necessary at the time) I always had to prepare chicory for the salads that accompanied many of their meals - they (the elderly couple I worked for) very rarely ate 'normal lettuce' (altho the lady of the house did grow some of the newer varieties that were coming in)

I personally found the chicory could be rather on the bitter side.

Let us know how you fare with yours.

[ina]

It used to be much more bitter. When I grew up we usually ate it cooked, often with some cheese grated over it or, if Mom wanted to be really fancy, whole, wrapped in ham slices, in the oven and served with cheese sauce over it. It still feels like a sunday veggie to me hahaha.
When it was cut to be boiled, we used to have to take the core out of the slices closest to where the root used to be. that was really bitter but nowadays there seems to be hardly any hard core anymore.
I normally eat it raw as a salad but it's good cooked too.

[Hot_Potato]

Ina - I love the idea of using is as a veggie as you've described, especially the one where it's wrapped in the ham! Think I'll have to give it a try sometime.

Presume it's of dutch origin then.

Maggie

[ina]

Or Belgian? I don't know.

[ina]

I dug up the first load of witloof roots today as the plants are starting to look a bit sad and I'm not happy.

I showed them to a knowledgeable fellow allotmenteer and he said they have a disease, he also has it in his. The stems of the leaves start rotting and get all slimey, when it gets into the roots, they also will rot but he told me I was in time. I better get the rest out soon.

The real reason I was not happy was that most of the roots are very forked and gnarled, last years were much better. I was told they will do fine anyway.

I will leave them to dry for a week, cut the leaves off and plant the roots in a container to force the chicons. I'm thinking about saving a bunch in the fridge to plant at a later date to stretch harvest time.