Have you tried Witlof? You
should
PRO Brian Berkman invited us to
lunch this week at Den Anker in the Waterfront as he is promoting Witlof, also
known as Belgian Endive and to some of us as white Chicory. It is often confused
with the lettuce-like curly endive a.k.a. escarole or chicorée frisée in French
which is grown outdoors
This is Witlof. It has a
very interesting life and is rather complicated to grow, which makes it a
little expensive. Growing endive is a two step process that straddles the
seasons. The first step, which begins in the spring, is to cultivate it in
fields for the roots, which need frost for the next process to occur. The
second step, which takes place in the late autumn and winter, is to cultivate
the heads, (called chicons) indoors under moist, total dark conditions so they develop
into the classic white rocket shaped vegetable tipped with yellow. The ones we
are sold in the Cape are grown near Ceres on Bronaar Farm, and spend their second
growth in a hydroponic growing medium. They are much sweeter for it and have
lost some of the traditional light bitterness. They are available all year
round in good supermarkets and specialist delis. Bronaar is the only grower
able supply Witlof in South Africa for 12 months of the year
It is a vegetable that is
regarded in Europe with the same fervour and enthusiasm as fresh asparagus and
artichokes. It is seasonal and fairly scarce in the Cape, but we buy it whenever
we see it and make one of our favourite dishes
Den Anker has it on its winter
menu and served us two very good dishes
The bar
Witlof goes very well with beer
and that is what we had with our lunch. Den Anker has an excellent selection of
Belgian beers
Grower Fanie van der Merwe
describes the drought in the Op-Die-Berg area of the Koue Bokkeveld region of
the Western Cape farming area, as the worst in a hundred years. While water is
used in the hydroponic production of Witlof, it is less than a few
householders' consumption. More threatened, as they are thirsty crops, are the
onions, apples and pears he also grows
Our starter was a lovely salad
of crisp fresh Witlof leaves topped with a crumbed ball of cream cheese and a
fresh herbed ball of goats cheese, Small slices of pear and walnuts were added
for flavour and texture. Lynne enjoyed this so much it has inspired her dish of
the week for MENU
The main course was cooked
Witlof topped with a creamy cheese sauce, a blanket of ham topped with grilled
cheese and a shard of crisp ham. It was accompanied by mashed potato. Witlof is simmered in water until tender and needs to be well drained before
wrapping in ham. This is our favourite way of eating it, but there are many
others
The fresh Witlof. It seems this
humble vegetable appears to have seriously good health potential, especially if
you are a follower of Banting. Because it is grown in the dark and not affected by
photosynthesis, this means that there is very little starch and, consequently,
carbohydrate in the Witlof in its fresh state, and it is also among the highest
natural sources of the valuable B-vitamin, folate. Farmer Fanie van der Merwe
told us "that it may also hold the key to a rich supply of inulin, a
natural ingredient touted for its medicinal benefits and uses in the confectionery
industry as a sugar substitute. According to Dr Motlalepula Matsabisa, Director
of Pharmacology at University of the Free State, inulin, a pre-biotic,
currently imported at great cost, may play an effective role in managing diabetes.
The university is also currently researching the impact of inulin on cancer
cells as it is also believed that it might have a retarding effect on tumour
growth"
The salad Lynne made this week
with the witlof we were given. See the recipe in Menu this week
Another lovely winter's day in
the Waterfront with customers of Den Anker enjoying lunch on their quayside
terrace
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment