11/5/25 Chicories!!
This year we’re excited to have a lot of amazing Chicories… so what are Chicories?
Cooked or raw, chicories are rich in super healthy substances. They have a distinctly bitter taste but so many good attributes… They are high in fiber to satiates the appetite. Polyphenols like gallic acid and quercetin are abundant - and maybe more so in ours since we have proven higher polyphenols in carrots, spinach and cabbage due to our high soil health. They are high in vitamins A, C and B9 plus minerals like potassium, calcium and phosphorus.
If you’re new to Chicories or don’t like their flavor I do recommend you give them a try. People often find that after a bit they love them. Personally, I think my body craves all those amazing nutrients. If it’s still too much, add some heat… by cooking it will mellow out the sharp flavor (just like cooking mellows hot peppers). Alternately, I haven’t done but they say soaking a chicory in cold water with a little acid (lemon juice or vinegar) also reduces the bitter.
Chicories are native to the Nile River Valley and have been in cultivation for more than 5,000 years, and so it’s not a surprise that many forms exist through human choice and intervention. There are five main groups: Endives which includes Frisée, Escarole (sometimes called broad-leafed endive), Raddichio, Belgian Endive and Forage chicories which are so strong they’re not palatable to most humans but can include dandelion.
Singing Frogs this year is growing the following:
Escarole (Classic Boxes have this today). The wide leaves really give you a good head. We are able to grow these year round but they really shine in the winter.
Frisée (not today but I’m sure soon). These also big light green heads have frilly leaves. You absolutely have had this many a time mixed into a lettuce mix.
Radicchio (Family Boxes have this today). These have beautiful redish heads. Depending on the variety this can grow into round or more elongated heads. Today’s variety is Indigo (redish roundish heads) but we also have Fiero with more elongated open heads and Perseo also with round heads. It’s always good to have a variety as they’ll do different and hopefully provide us a bounty. Radicchio gets more red with frosts and it’s ben very mild so the color is mild thus far as well. Unfortunately our Radicchio has had a really hard time germinating this summer/fall.
All Chicories can be used raw in salads or cooked. In salads we like to pare a stronger dressing with them to balance things out, like a balsamic vinaigrette. It’s also great with fruit like apples, pomegranates, persimmons, or pears for a little sweet counterpoint.
We also love Escarole and Frisée in souls and sautés and Radicchio we prefer grilled and roasted although it can absolutely be done sautéed and braised.
White Bean and Escarole Soup with Garlic (Bon Appetite)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 c chopped onion
1 large carrot, cut into small dice
5 large garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
3 c (packed) 1-inch pieces escarole (about 1/2 large head)
4 c (or more) vegetable broth or low-salt chicken broth
3 1/4 c cooked Great Northern beans or two 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and sauté until onion is golden and tender, about 7 minutes. Discard garlic. Add escarole; stir 3 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, beans and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until escarole is tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Thin with more broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
Lade soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Garlic!! 🧄
This week not only are we giving out our first garlic BUT we’re also planting 2026’s garlic!! Yay! It’s just in time for the first major cold that seems to be hitting my family and many around me. ;)
They call Garlic the Holliday vegetable because you plant it at Halloween, you weed and fertilize on Valentine’s Day and harvest on the 4th of July! Silly but it makes it easy to remember. Then from July until now it’s curing and being stored. We save it for the winter when there’s less diversity in the boxes.
We’re anticipating giving out Garlic 3 times this winter but we’ll have it on our add-on list until we run out.
This year we have the hardback Chesnok Red (what you have today). It is an heirloom variety with purple striping and blotches and very flavorful. It’s won taste tests for best-baking garlic from Sunset Magazine to Rodale and Martha Steward. This is our 2nd year of growing and we love the bold flavor.
Focus Group
Elizabeth is looking for a small focus group of engaged members to chat with one by one to get your opinions on some changes we’re thinking of with the CSA this winter into next year including a different way to pack boxes (no names on them), potential for fully customizable boxes, different add ons and more. If you want to give your input I’d love to hear from you. Likely we’ll schedule a short phone call to go over ideas and for me to listen.
This Week’s Box
Escarole (Classic) OR Radicchio (Family)
Kale: Curly (SR) OR Rainbow (WC)
Carrots
Cauliflower (SR) OR Broccoli (WC)
Chesnok Red Garlic
Bulb Fennel
Bulk Basil
Family: Heirloom Pomegranate & Lettuce Mix
More Produce Notes & Recipes
Bulk Basil: Last week we were realizing the basil is almost done but we needed to clear the bed… we thought… what about giving you the final bounty of Basil. So everyone has 3-5 full plants. If it were my box, I would make a round of pesto along with today’s Garlic.
We also have a lovely Bulb Fennel and Carrots in today’s box… they go so great together.
Roasted Carrot & Fennel Sheet Pan Salad (Healthfully Ever After)
1 medium bulb fennel, cut in half, thinly sliced (greens reserved)
5 carrots, peeled and trimmed
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbs Maille Old Style Mustard
1/2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
1 small handful tarragon leaves
2 Tbs roasted sunflower seeds
2 Tbs pieces of breakfast cheese (or mild brie)
Thinly slice fennel. Reserve half and set aside. Add carrots and half of fennel to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. Cook at 425 F for 20 minutes or until fennel is browned and carrots can be pierced with a fork.
In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add garlic so as not to burn.
On a large platter, layer the carrots and roasted fennel with fresh fennel.
In a small bowl, stir together Maille Old Style Mustard with lemon juice. Add dollops of dressing.
Add remaining herbs and toppings. Serve immediately.
NOTE: If I had Radicchio, I would quarter and add to the pan as well, maybe part way through.
Families today have Pomegranates. They are not your typical dark red but both white and heirloom varieties, we’re too cold to do them well but have 5 small trees. Enjoy them alone or to top a salad.
Enjoy more of our fall Brassicas love this week with either Cauliflower or Broccoli! This is the time of year to love these guys. Steam them, turn them into soup or roast them Both Broccoli and Cauliflower do amazing roasted with simply olive oil, salt and pepper… last night our family topped some roasted Broccoli with Gomasio and it was divine alone.
Extra Shares
Lettuce Share: Lettuce Mix 🥬
Bunched Greens Share: Toscano Kale