Endive

Endive is one of those great leafy vegetables that adds mega amounts of flavor and texture variation to salads. Not only that, but Endive, which is actually part of the daisy family and a form of chicory, is chock full of nutrients, including Folate, which assists in the synthesizing, replication and repair of DNA, Vitamin A, good for the retina, Vitamin K, helps blood coagulation, and the always wonderful- Fiber.

Endive comes in a few different forms- Belgian which is long and pale in color, but I love to used either chopped up in salads, or as a little vehicle of all types of fillers and salads making them finger foods. I love to fill the whole leaves of this variety with a seafood salad for a party- always an elegant presentation, and easy clean up :-). Curly Endive, also known as Frisee, is a but more "scratchy" than types of leafy vegetables, but when added in small clumps to salads they provide a bitter bite like no other.

Other members of this family include Radicchio, and Escarole.