Endives!

I had no idea of the fantastic journey these compact buds of red or white leaves make from seed to market. Had I known, I would have happily paid double the sales price for this "white gold".

Briefly, endives (pronounced AHN-deevs) start out simply enough as seeds planted in rows that eventually bloom into large leafy chicory plants. The plants have a deep root (over a meter long) that is the size of a double-wide carrot. At harvest time, the plants are topped, a short segment of the root is retrieved, and the leaves are recycled. The retrieved roots then go into cold storage, where they remain until they are needed. When ready, the roots are placed in large trays (so large they must be moved with forklifts) and are constantly bathed in water for a period of hydroponic sprouting. As demonstrated in the picture above, the root begins to sprout and this is what we have come to known as endive.

You can see pictures of the process, get endive recipes, and more at California Vegetable Specialties. I met the couple who run this organization and they were a true delight. I vow to buy more endives!