Farmers ( especially the French…… they are so good at this) are protesting some new EU laws, they have been blocking major cities and roads since before Christmas.

Meanwhile, also just before Christmas we encountered the English tractors in Golders Green in London.

However, they were just having fun!

The French do seem to be a bit more militant than us Brits, thinking back to Les Gilets Jaune. We arrived in France one New Years Eve, promptly down to the local shop, only to find NO OYSTERS! The French always have oysters for New Year, so where were they ! Stuck in Brittany, thanks to Les Gilets Jaune, they had blockaded the ports and that was that !

So now it is the turn of the Belgian Endive farmers! Endive, Chicon, Chicory, Chicorée, Witloof ,doesn’t matter what you call it, it is a vegetable that is predominantly grown in North Eastern France ( now called Les Hauts de France, ) and Belgium. Chicory has been grown in this region since before Napoleon and strangely enough its roots can be and are used as a coffee substitute! If you have ever been to New Orleans and the famous Café du Monde, then you will have drunk coffee with Chicory! Growing up, I’m not sure we had coffee in the house, tea certainly but on visiting my grandmothers house we had coffee! It was to me rather strange , it was liquid in a bottle, a teaspoon or so was put into a cup ( one didn’t have mugs in those days) and boiling water added. Then a dash of milk and as refrigeration was not there, it was more often or not evaporated milk! YUCK! However coffee was around in the UK long before tea. The first coffee house was founded in Oxford in 1650. Chicory root is toasted and ground and can be a coffee substitute especially in times of need, the American Civil War, the Great Depression, and both World Wars.

However, I am not about to make my own version of Chicory Coffee. In Belgium and France, chicory is cultivated as a vegetable and like Rhubarb it is kept in the dark so that the leaves do not turn green. It is always used as a white vegetable. The usual ways, especially in Belgium of using Chicory is to precook them, wrap them in ham and a cheese béchamel sauce. Or chopped and used as a salad with walnuts, and a vinaigrette.

So onto using Chicon in a meal. I use it just two ways we’ll make that three! Salad one, is just chop some into a normal salad and the salad Mark Two, is chopped Chicon in a vinaigrette with chopped walnuts or pecans. Obviously very simple.

The way it is eaten in this household, well actually by one person in this household. Himself really really likes Chicon, gratin. This very simply involves cooked Chicon wrapped in ham with a cheese béchamel sauce and popped under the grill to brown.

For one person, take 2 Chicon, chop off the smallest bit from the stalk end and rinse. These can then be either cooked gently in boiling water about 7 minutes until soft. OR pop in the microwave, in a microwaveable dish or in a special microwave dish. Microwave on high for only three minutes, drain any liquid and pat the Chicon dry with paper towel. Wrap slices of ham around the Chicon. Make a cheese béchamel sauce by :-

• Multiply quantities as required
• 1oz butter
• 1oz cornflour 1/2 pint full fat milk or better still some single cream
• 2 Oz grated cheese, cheddar is ok but I use Emmental or Gruyère
• Pinch salt
• Pinch dry English mustard or a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

There are two ways of making a sauce. Firstly traditional, by putting all the ingredients into a saucepan and whisk over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy . OR as I do, basically the same way but in the microwave. Obviously you can’t whisk all the time, but blast on high for bouts of one minute a quick stir and then another blast, until the sauce is thick and creamy.

Place the Chicon in an ovenproof dish, pour over the sauce and top with some grated cheese. Pop under the grill until the top is golden brown. Serve with Salad, boiled new potatoes, or sweet potato fries!

I read the other day what I found to be a rather odd version of Chicon Gratin! All it consisted of, was cooked Chicon with ham( as before) but the sauce was just cream, cheese and breadcrumbs! Well I suppose it simple, but a bit sloppy, but not the real McCoy at all!

And what does the REAL McCoy mean, it come from the USA. McCoy pottery/earthenware, not the most beautiful but became very collectible with lots of copycat stuff, the REAL has this mark on the bottom!