Mother Nature's Combo

[digitS']

Chicory plants are asters.

Unless you want to call them dandelions.

But, why would you want to do that? Such a diverse family, that chicory.

Steve

 

[canesisters]

Wait... what????
Chicory is dandelion??????

 

[Nyboy]

Do you make coffee with them

 

[digitS']

@canesisters , it's more like dandelion is a chicory ...

If you buy seed for "Italian Dandelion" and allow it to flower, you will discover that it has blue flowers, not yellow.

About 20 years ago, I decided that I wanted to grow Witloof chicory. Roots can be stored thru the winter and forced into growing this nice looking green. I had a great big box of the roots for the basement that winter.

Too bitter! I don't like another chicory: radicchio. Too bitter!

I used quite a few of those roots as a coffee substitute. It was in my early years of trying to reduce caffeine. That drink tasted okay to me at 50:50 mixed with a good ground coffee .

After that, I was willing to try dandelion roots, toasted in a cast iron skillet and run thru the food processor. Once again, it was fine! An okay way to reduce caffeine without resorting to yucky decaf .

@hoodat is the one who better knows about the chicory used in New Orleans and other places and how it is prepared for drinking. I was pleased that I didn't have any problems making something that I liked .

The wild chicory around here is a skinny plant with a scrawny root. I have pulled them up and decided that I wasn't quite willing to mess with them. The Witloof isn't really the right one but the roots are large. Dandelions need better care than I'm willing to give them to gain good size roots. Maybe I should grow the Italian Dandelion and see how they do, root-wise.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

We see a lot of chicory growing around here, always on the road right-of-way. Why does it not grow in empty lots and further off the road? I assume it likes exhaust fumes and alkaline soil. DH dug some up and transplanted it to a little patch of wildflowers he has. Don't know if it will thrive. It's not on the side of the road.

 

[so lucky]

Regarding mother nature's combos, there are some low fields near us that get covered in purple henbit every spring. If you squint, you can imagine it is lavender fields. Sometimes, maybe when the weather heats up fast, the yellow mustard there starts blooming at the same time. It really is pretty, when you forget the fact that these are both annoying weeds.

 

[Nyboy]

When the purple loosestife blooms you can have a whole field of purple