BELGIAN ENDIVE - THE TRUFFLE OF LETTUCES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND ENDIVE AND WATERCRESS SALAD RECIPE

BELGIAN ENDIVE, CICHORIUM ENDIVA

The Belgian endive is the queen of the chicory family, but is a very close relative of Cichorium intybus or chicory. These are the only two plants in the genus although there are variants of the endive (pronounce ondeeve as, after all it is Belgian). Both are members of the Asteraceae family of plants or the daisy family.

  There is a lot of confusion about these two plants, but the original chicory is the one whose roots are used as a coffee substitute or to flavour coffee. This one, the Belgian endive is more like a nutty flavoured lettuce, with which it goes well. It has a pleasantly mild bitter flavour. The Brits call the endive “chicory”, which further adds to the confusion, so if you look up a recipe for endive on a British website such as the BBC look for chicory recipes.

  The story about endive is a rather strange one, as it was apparently discovered by one Jan Lammers in 1830. Before he went away to fight in the Belgian War of Independence he had put chicory roots in his cellar, intending to dry them and roast them for coffee. However when he went to check on them on his return home he found that they had sprouted pale white leaves. Being the curious type, he tasted them and found that they were good. It took years to perfect their cultivation, but they were launched onto the Paris markets in 1872 and became an instant success, with the nickname “white gold.” In the world of leafy salad greens these are the caviar or truffles of it.

  So what do you do with them? You can do anything with them boiled, steam, grill, bake or use raw in salads with other greens. They go well with radicchio, lettuce, watercress and rocket (arugula) or with lamb’s lettuce. You can use the leaves as scoops for dips, or stuff the leaves with caviar, smoked salmon, seafood and blue cheeses for appetizers.

 They contain dietary fibre, so are good for the digestive tract and to prevent constipation and they are rich in the mineral potassium, as are mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, and figs, among other fruit and vegetables. Potassium is necessary for the normal functioning of the nerves and muscles, making it good for erectile dysfunction. It is also a blood pressure regulator.

  They contain a fair amount of vitamin A as do bilberries and carrots, which help the eyesight, in particular preventing or at least delaying the onset of age related macular degeneration, and cataracts as well as decreasing the likelihood of night-blindness. They also contain vitamin C which is found in citrus fruits such as lemons, grapefruit and pomelos, as well as tomatoes and broccoli among other fruit and vegetables. This has powerful antioxidant properties which can help boost the immune system and combat free radical damage to cells.

  The endive also contains one of the B-complex vitamins, B9 or folic acid or folate, which we need to synthesize and repair DNA and this is vital for normal growth and healthy red blood cells. This is also found in foods such as turnip tops, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts and bananas.

  Although a leaf is mainly water (95%) and has no calories, it is still good for us, especially when mixed with other things. Try this salad and see what you think.

ENDIVE AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Ingredients

1 head of Belgian endive, leaves separated

1 bunch watercress

50 gr walnuts

100 gr Roquefort, crumbled

3 inch piece of root ginger, peeled and cut into julienne strips

Dressing

olive oil

white wine vinegar

2 tbsps chives snipped

1 tsp mustard, such as whole grain or Dijon (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method.

First mix the dressing; you need 2 parts olive oil to 1 of white wine vinegar and mix by shaking in a jar. Then add the chives and a tsp mustard of your choice if you wish.

Put this in the fridge to chill.

Put the individual endive leaves on the bottom of a salad bowl or a plate and cover with the rest of the ingredients. Use the strips of ginger as garnish.

Serve the dressing separately.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

CHICORY - THE ROOT FOR COFFEE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CHICORY

CHICORY, CICHORIUM INTYBUS

Chicory and endive are sometimes confused, perhaps because they are the only two members of the genus Cichorium. Endive is cultivated and resembles a tight-leaved pale green torpedo shaped lettuce whereas chicory looks like a tall dandelion, but with blue flowers not yellow, and its leaves grow at right-angles from the stem. It has similar properties to the dandelion too, but can grow up to 2 feet tall. In Britain the endive is called chicory too, while chicory, the herb is also called Succory which further adds to the confusion. Chicory is native to Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa and western Asia. It is cultivated for the root, but grows wild too. It’s a member of the Asteraceae or daisy family of plants.

   For centuries chicory has been used either as a substitute for coffee or as an adulterant to it. There was an outcry when the British government demanded that manufacturers stopped putting chicory root in coffee back in the 18^th century, although the practice has long gone out of fashion in Britain. However it is still going strong in New Orleans and can be found in some European coffees too. it is thought to counteract caffeine the stimulant in coffee.

  Apart from being roasted and ground to make coffee or to add to it, you can cook the roots as you would parsnips, although they are more bitter than these traditional root vegetables. You can boil them too and add them to sauces and gravies to give these a deep rich colour. The Romans used to add chicory leaves to salads, and use the roots as a vegetable.

  Chicory leaves, young tender ones, picked before the flowers appear in July are good raw in salads and the flowers can be used too as they are edible, although with a slightly bitter taste.

  The roots contain inulin and were thought to be good for diabetics, until it was discovered that inulin, a starch, is not retained in the body but tends to pass straight through. However a sweetener is now made from inulin and this may be used safely by diabetics.

  The leaves contain dietary fibre, so make a good mild laxative and prevent constipation and therefore piles, as well as having vitamins A, B-complex thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3) as well as vitamin C. They are rich in the mineral calcium and also contain iron. The plant also contains bioflavonoids such as quercetin and sesquiterpenes.

  It is best to use roots that are less than two years old and young leaves. They can both be dried after harvesting for later use, and it is best to harvest the roots in the autumn when they have finished flowering, so October would be a good time, in most countries. A decoction of the roots is said to be good to reduce liver enlargement, and it has been found that extracts of chicory have liver-protective properties. Traditionally the roots have been used for rheumatism while the leaves have diuretic properties. A decoction of the whole plant used to be given to people with gravel or stones in their internal organs.

The latex in chicory stems was used to get rid of warts.

  A decoction can be made with 1 ounce of the fresh, cleaned root, to 1 pint of water, boiled down to ¾ pint for liver problems and for the inflammation caused by gout and rheumatism.

  A poultice of the bruised leaves can be applied to reduce swellings and inflammation although for swellings, mallow leaves are probably best. An infusion of the root, 1 ounce of root to 1 pint of boiling water, poured over the chopped root and left to stand for 15 minutes can be applied to eruptions on the skin and to soothe irritation. Distilled flower water was used to reduce eye irritation and in Jacobean times the flowers were used to make a sweet dish along with the flowers of violets, called “Violet plates.”

  The seeds contain a soothing oil which is good for the skin and it is the seeds which have been found to have the most potent antioxidant properties in the plant. The seeds have proved to be liver-protective.

   The polyphenolic acids in the plant have antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immuno-stimulating and anti-oxidant properties and research has shown that the extracts of the plant could possibly be used to combat the HIV virus. It is also thought that extracts of this chicory plant could help with heart irregularities, although much more research is needed before scientists can prove that the extracts from the plant work on people.

  

HOPBUSH ( DODONAEA VISCOSA): USES AND BENEFITS OF HOPBUSH

HOPBUSH, DODONAEA VISCOSA

The hopbush is so-called because its colourful fruits can be used as a substitute for hops in brewing. It is native to the Southern hemisphere where it grows in South and South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Latin America, as well as elsewhere. It gets the name Dodonaea in honour of Rembert Dodoens a 16^th century Flemish botanist, royal physician and professor. The name viscosa comes from the Latin which means sticky, referring to the texture of the plant’s leaves. It is a member of the soap tree family, the Sapindaceae and so a relative of reetha, the soap berry tree.

  In Pakistan it is called sanatha and the leaves and bark are used for fevers and to reduce swelling caused by inflammation and bumps. The fruit and bark have astringent qualities so are used to treat diarrhoea and to heal wounds externally.

  In some countries the leaves are chewed for their stimulant qualities, although as they contain saponins and the oil in them is cyanogenic, this is not advisable, although I’m told they spit out the leaf having masticated it well. Cattle have reportedly suffered liver damage after eating the foliage, although there are no known reports of this having adverse affects on humans.

   The bark is sometimes used in poultices for swellings and headaches and is added to baths. The leaves have pain-killing, wound healing and diaphoretic (sweat-promoting) qualities as well as being astringent and useful for skin rashes, toothache and sore throats. A decoction or infusion can be made from them and the liquid applied to affected areas of the skin.

  In some countries such as New Guinea they are used for house construction, as the shrubs can grow to 8 metres high, although they normally reach between 1 and 3 metres tall. They can also be used as live fences, and the wood is used to make cabinet, hammers and other small items as it is strong and durable.

  Modern research has shown that the hopbush has potential benefits as the leaves have been found to have anti-fungal, anti-diabetic (in vivo on rats) anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory anti-oxidant properties. They can also help to combat ulcers. They contain flavonoids and tannins as well as saponins and steroids and triterpenes, but further research is needed to discover exactly which substances have the most active beneficial properties.

HENNA ( LAWSONIA INERMIS): INFORMATION, USES AND BENEFITS OF HENNA

HENNA, LAWSONIA INERMIS

Henna is a shrub or small tree that is widely cultivated for its medicinal purposes as well as its decorative ones. It is the dried powdered leaves that produce henna hair dye, and the dye from this shrub is also used for leather and textiles. Unlike annatto it is not added to food. The substance that makes the red colour is Lawsone.

  The European Commission have been slow to approve the use of henna for any other purpose than hair dye because it is sometimes adulterated and when used on the skin has exacerbated already existing allergies. However it has been used on the skin at least since the Bronze Age in countries which include Greece (some figures on wall paintings show women decorated with henna). It is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus which is a medical text from ancient Egypt dating back to the 16^th century BC. The prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and his household used it and it figures in the “Prophetic Medicine” book which lists medicinal plants and natural substances that the prophet used.

  Henna has been used by followers of most of the world’s religions including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Zoroastrians among others. It grows from North Africa through to Indonesia, and was imported to Spain by the Arabs in the 12^th century. The Night of Mehndi (henna) is still celebrated in Pakistan and other countries on the night before a marriage, with the bride and her female friends decorating each other’s feet and hands with intricate henna designs. The traditional designs have become more intricate as the mehndi can be bought in easy applicators, and glitter and other colours are now also used to enhance the effects of this traditional body art. Henna has been used in this way in celebrations for millennia, and the Romans also used it for hair dye.

  In Pakistan villagers still follow the ancient traditions and decorate their horses, donkeys and mules with henna to protect them from evil and presumably accidents while traveling on the increasingly busier roads.

  To use it as hair dye you use 100 grams of powder to 300 mls of boiling water and mix this to a paste. Let this cool then apply the pulpy mixture to your hair and leave it for 30 minutes up to 2 hours, depending on the intensity of colour you require. Be warned though, if you have grey or white hairs, they will turn vibrant orange. In Pakistan I have been stunned by elderly men with orange hair and beards, and elderly women with orange hair who have let the white grow back. The donkeys look pretty though.

  The flowers are usually white and have a fragrance which is used in perfumes, and they are also steeped in vinegar and then applied in a poultice to foreheads to relieve headaches.

  This site’s owner used to use henna on his feet to relieve the prickly, burning sensation he gets in winter on the soles of his feet, but as it stains his feet orange, he has now taken to using turnips or kaddo which he says are equally beneficial. Apparently this remedy is also used in the Philippines.

  The roots are used in traditional medicine to treat gonorrhea and to increase a woman’s fertility, while made into a decoction they are used as a diuretic and for bronchitis. A tisane of the leaves and flowers is used externally for skin problems, rheumatism and taken orally for tetanus, epilepsy and stomach problems. The leaves are also used to treat leprosy, jaundice and scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) and a leaf decoction is used to regulate a women’s menstruation and to bring on a period. A decoction of the leaves is given to relieve abdominal pains after childbirth too. In some countries a tisane of the leaves is given to people who are obese to aid weight loss.

   I’ve just been informed that there is a traditional remedy for strong hair; you heat 250 grams coconut oil and add a handful of henna leaves and heat almost to boiling point. Then you leave to cool and store in an airtight container.

   The shrub (which can grow anywhere between 2 and 6 metres tall) is used as a live fence as some plants are spiny, and it can be helpful in preventing soil erosion. The wood can be made into small objects such as tent pegs, and is used as fuel for cooking. Animals forage for the leaves, so the plant is put to many uses. It is an ornamental shrub as you can see from the pictures.

Henna powder

  Modern medical research has been done on extracts from the plant and has found it to be antimicrobial and antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antiparastic and antiseptic. It is thought that it could be employed for its natural antibiotic properties as some micro-organisms have become resistant to synthetic antibiotics. It also has possibilities for the textile industry as they search for anti-microbial fabrics.

  If you thought that henna was strictly for the hair, then this should make you rethink those ideas.