Endive, Cichorium endiva, is part of the chicory family. Other members of this plant family include radicchio, Belgian endive, escarole, and even the blue-flowered chicory seen growing along the side of a road. 

Très Fine Maraîchère endive has attractive, finely-cut, frilly leaves that grow in a similar way to many lettuces—forming a rosette of leaves. The leaves taste slightly bitter and are delicious mixed with other salad greens. It also works well in a wilted salad or as an addition to soups. Très Fine Maraîchère endive and citrus combine well for a tasty salad.

Plant your endive in a sunny spot in the garden in well-drained, fertile soil. You can grow it in a container—one about 8 inches in diameter should be big enough. Make sure your seedling and plant stay well watered, but don’t overwater. Leaves can be harvested from the outside of the plant once it’s established (don’t harvest more than half of the leaves at a time). Très Fine Maraîchère endive can withstand a light frost.

Jessica Hicks, MBA, RD, LDN, NorthShore Dietitian, shares one of her favorite ways to incorporate endive into a meal. 

Tres Fine Maraichere Endiva Tuna Steak Salad (Recipes makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 head of Tres Fines Maraichere Endive, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled in ribbons
• ½ cup Radicchio, sliced thin
• ½ cup asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1 small green apple, cored, sliced thin
• 1 green onion, sliced small
• 8 ounces Ahi tuna steak, sliced ½ inch thick
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
• 1 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons wasabi, as desired

Directions:

1. Chop the endive and add to a medium sized bowl.
2. Before peeling the cucumber, cut off the ends first and use a peeler to evenly slice or peel the cucumber into ribbons. You can rotate the cucumber every few peels. Add this to the bowl.
3. When cutting the radicchio, cut into small ribbons as well and add to the bowl. Add the asparagus, green apple, and green onion to the bowl and toss.
4. Mix the dressing in a small bowl and drizzle over the endive mixture OR keep it on the side and top off the tuna steak. You may toss the salad a little more to help evenly mix the dressing.
5. Have a pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of coconut or canola oil to prevent sticking and add the raw tuna steak. You may cook to your preference, but for keeping the inside pink, avoid cooking longer than 3 minutes per side. Flip once to cook both sides. You may season with salt & pepper.
6. Remove the cooked tuna steak and place on a cutting board. Slice the steak into ½ inch thick slices and serve on top of the bed of endive. Drizzle with dressing if you have not used it yet. Top the salad off with sesame seeds as a garnish.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 340
Fat: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Protein: 33.6 grams