Friday, January 16, 2009

The Endive

The Endive is a leaf vegetable belonging to the daisy family. Endive can be cooked or used raw in salads. Endive when picked from the ground with bare hands, is said to leave a rather sharp scent of "urine" or leave your hands smelling of "cabbage".

Endive is rich in many vitamins and minerals, especially in folate and vitamins A and K, and is high in fiber.

There are two main varieties of cultivated endive:

Curly endive, or frisée (var crispum). This type has narrow, green, curly outer leaves. Sometimes called chicory in the United States and is called chicorée frisée in French. Further confusion results from the fact that frisée also refers to a technique in which greens are lightly wilted with oil.

Escarole, or broad-leaved endive (var latifolia) has broad, pale green leaves and is less bitter than the other varieties. Varieties or names include broad-leaved endive, Bavarian endive, Batavian endive, grumolo, scarola and scarole.

Oops. Sorry not the vegetable, but the new Conservative Humor Magazine in the manner and style of The Onion.

While The Onion has been around for quite a while, The Endive is very brand new. With a quirky brand of humor that is bound to get your attention, The Endive takes on the new Obama Administration, Gun Control, Abortion, Gay Rights and other hot button issues in a way that will make you think and tickle your funny bone.

But don't just take my word for granted, check it out yourself and see.

And for the record, I love Endives in salads.

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