Hello!
That thing pictured above is a head of sugarloaf chicory, available today in very limited quantities. It is one of my very favorite vegetables but quite a challenge to grow. To make matters worse, it is an absolute favorite with deer, and although we don't have a lot of deer damage thanks to our deer fence, every year around mating season one or two manage to get in, and when they do, they head straight for the chicory. What does it taste like? A bit like escarole, but more so-- more bitter, quite a bit sweeter, and with more of a crunch. The leaves get more bitter toward the tips and the outside of the plant-- the lighter the color, the sweeter the taste-- and so many people cut away the top few inches. We eat it in salads but I'm told it can be cooked.
Other than that I'm still waiting for a hard freeze to start harvesting parsnips. We've had plenty of light frosts but nothing hard enough for the parsnips to really set their sugars.
