Endive

Composites are usually herbs and shrubs, although there are a few tree composites. Various composites are cultivated for food including sunflower seeds, lettuce, artichokes, chicory, endive, and salsify. The most common human use of this very large family is for garden ornamentals. A few such as chamomile, colt's foot, and wormwood have been used as medicinal plants.

When all this is ready, take some endive and Dutch lettuce, some chervil and celery, wash and drain them very well, cut them small, put them into a saucepan, and pour some of the broth upon them […]

Take the three heads of endive out of the water, drain them, and leave the largest whole.

Broad leaved, green curled or white curled, the endive plants are good; the green sorts, on account of their coolness and their plentiful salts, are esteemed for the salad bowl, and the white-curled sorts are liked for soups, stews and as boiled vegetables.

Endive, like a number of similar plants, is both esculent and reputed to have some aphrodisiac property.

Endive and escarole are the same vegetable, but endive has leaves that are cut and curled, while escarole has smooth, broad leaves.