From The Spring Foraging Cookbook: Chicory and Cleavers
Chicory
Chicory is essentially interchangeable with Dandelion. Basically, it is a leggy Dandelion with a beautiful, blue flower. The flower buds are good, the greens are good, and the root is much better than Dandelion as a hot beverage. Some say that Chicory and Dandelion roots may be roasted to make a coffee substitute… I disagree. That said, I love good Creole style coffee that includes a small percentage of roasted Chicory root with dark roasted coffee. Frankly, some Louisiana coffees that contain Chicory are awful. But, Community Coffee is my favorite commercially available coffee brand. The trick is to prepare it Creole style – strong coffee with milk or cream and a shot of brandy or bourbon added. The liquor and dairy combination brings out wonderful vanilla and chocolate flavors that are not present in the coffee by itself. A natural sweetness is created so even those who like sugar in their coffee or flavored creamers will not find such things necessary. Creole coffee was traditionally sipped throughout the day, cold, when folks worked hard on farms and fishing the bayous. It is perfect for a weekend brunch… maybe not so much fit for morning commutes to office work!
As for the leaves and buds of Chicory, both are a nice addition to a salad in small amounts. But, it was the enjoyment of this plant as a cooked vegetable that inspired the intensive breeding that brought us the modern endive, which is an improved Chicory. The French, Italians and Belgians were particularly fond of this vegetable, and even the English fell in love with it, making it quite popular for farmers. The modern endive is kept in darkness, so the leaves do not become as bitter. This is a very popular side dish or bed for grilled fish, etc., in French cooking, simply pan cooked in butter with salt. The wild Chicory greens are still popular in Italian cooking, and are prepared much the same but in the style that is typical of many Italian greens.
Italian Style Chicory Greens (and buds)
Ingredients:
A quantity of freshly picked Chicory (where I come from, we call that a “mess of greens” which actually owes to the ancient Roman term for salad greens…. So, pick a mess!)
Olive oil
Crushed red pepper, cayenne or any dried hot pepper
Garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parm or other good grating cheese
White wine (optional)
Bacon (optional)
Gnocchi or cooked white beans (optional)
Obviously, this is a very versatile dish. Not only are several of the ingredients optional, but you can use any other greens you like, as well – wild or cultivated – from Dandelion to kale.
Heat about 1/4th cup of olive oil in a pan until it “shimmers”, to about medium/high.
Add the crushed red pepper and peeled, sliced garlic.
Cook only a bit – don’t let the garlic burn! A little brown is okay but be ready to toss in your washed and chopped greens quickly.
The greens will pop and spit in the oil, so stand back. Just turn them in the oil until they are wilted.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook tender enough to eat.
If you are using gnocchi, which are basically soft potato and flour dumplings, have them boiled and ready to go, then cook them with the greens in the oil, once the greens are wilted.
When using beans, I usually just serve the greens on top of the beans.
However you do it, top with grated cheese.
Bacon or sausage are both VERY good with greens cooked this way. Of course, you could use bacon fat instead of olive oil, or a little of each. With the fatty pork, I think a splash of acidic white wine is a nice compliment. Alternatively, you could add a little lemon juice.
Chicory, like Dandelion is an excellent liver herb.
Cleavers
There are a couple of varieties of Galium, and you may call them Cleavers or Bedstraw, etc. Like Chickweed, these are plants more often valued as medicinal herbs. But, do not over look them as wild edibles. We mostly use the tender stems, but the leaves may be included… they are just a bit clingy – cleavers are so called because they stick to your clothing as you brush past. Cleavers are much better gently cooked than raw. Either a quick blanch or the steam/saute method will give you a nice serving of vegetables. But, mixing them with Nettles is more traditional. Both of these herbs are very supportive of women’s reproductive health and nutritious for healthy blood. The fruits, or seed pods, are also edible but I would consider them more of a survival food. However, roasted Cleavers seeds are said to be the best coffee substitute.
A lot of old stories say that Cleavers are a favorite food of Geese, so I thought it might pair well with roasted goose… but, I didn’t have any on hand. But, I was able to find some nice duck breasts in the freezer. Duck is a lot easier to work with in small portions anyway. Although I prefer goose, it is a big bird and I can’t justify roasting one just for myself; I usually smoke large birds so I can take my time eating them. Duck, like goose, is very fatty but may be the healthiest of all fats. The easiest way to cook duck breast, saving the fat is to salt and pepper it, then make a few cuts through the skin and pan fry it, skin side down at a medium/high heat. Once the skin is brown, turn it over and finish in the oven. Remove the duck from the pan and let it rest, covered. In the pan, you’ll have a LOT of wonderful fat! Pour off and save all but a spoonful or two if you’d like to cook some veggies in it… less if you want to make a sauce. Often, I will simply cook diced alliums, especially ramps or shallots and a few herbs in the fat, add a half glass of pinot noir and a few dried cherries or raisins and make a pan sauce that way. Other times, I use equal parts fat and flour and make a roux based gravy with some alliums and herbs. But, cooking down a couple of handfuls of Cleavers and chives with water chestnuts, peeled and blanched wild tubers or even a few tree nuts and just a few dried persimmons has proven to be an excellent compliment, especially served along side wild rice! A splash of dry vermouth or dry sherry would probably be good added while the Cleavers are cooking, but I haven’t tried that…. It just occurred to me.
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