Escarole is a member of the chicory family, a form of endive with broad green leaves that look a lot like curly lettuce. Like other chicories – radicchio and endive – those lush leaves come with a bitter edge.
Celia Barss manages Woodland Gardens, a certified organic market garden in Winterville, about 10 minutes from Athens. She sells her produce through a CSA in the Athens area, to restaurants and at the Morningside Farmers’ Market each Saturday morning. Escarole is one of her favorites.
“Escarole, like other chicories, is at its best in cool weather. When it gets warm, the leaves can get really bitter. I do a main fall planting in the field at the end of August, beginning of September, and sow more in our hoop houses later in the year. That way we can offer escarole from November through March,” she said. She plants at least five 500-foot rows of escarole each year.
Barss prizes escarole for its bitter quality and appreciates its versatility. “A comfort meal for me in the colder months is to cook a couple strips of bacon, add some chicken broth, chopped escarole and white beans and simmer it all together. More broth makes it soupier, less broth makes it more of a stew. It’s one of my favorite quick midweek meals,” she said.
Her market customers sometimes confuse escarole with lettuce, so she makes sure to have each clearly labeled. Escarole is a great addition to a salad, as long as her customers know to expect that slightly bitter edge.
Cooking tones down the bitterness, so she suggests that customers who are new to escarole start by sautéeing it. “We sell a moderate amount at the market, but restaurant chefs are crazy about it. You’ll find our escarole on the menu at Cakes and Ale, Empire State South and many other places,” she said.
A small head of escarole will yield about 5 cups of torn leaves that will cook down to a fraction of their volume. A cup of escarole has only 20 calories, and a head should hold in the refrigerator for about a week.
What’s happening at local farmers markets
Local markets with winter hours
Dacula Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays. ranchoalegrefarm.com
Decatur Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays; 3 -6 p.m. Wednesdays. decaturfarmersmarket.com/wordpress/
Dunwoody Green Market, some vendors take pre-orders and deliver on Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon. www.dunwoodygreenmarket.com
Emory Farmers Market, noon-5.p.m., Tuesdays during school year. www.emory.edu/dining/emory_farmers_market.php
Morningside Farmers’ Market, 8-11:30 a.m. Saturdays. www.morningsidemarket.com
For sale
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, endive, fennel, lettuce, mache, microgreens, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, sunchokes, sweet potatoes, turnips
From local reports
Spicy Sausage and Escarole Stew
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage, meat rolled into balls
2 (15-ounce) cans canellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 small head escarole, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender 4 to 5 minutes. Add sausage, increase heat to high and cook until sausage balls are browned, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add beans, broth, vinegar and garlic. Heat through, about 5 minutes; then add escarole to pot, stirring as escarole cooks down. Simmer until escarole is tender, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve hot.
Per serving: 609 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 28 grams protein, 36 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 40 grams fat (13 grams saturated), 86 milligrams cholesterol, 1,284 milligrams sodium.
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