Chicoria Bloom

Chicoria Bloom
Originally uploaded by Rexfree_99

I have been wanting to get chicory established in my yard for a long time. One of my favorite dishes that my Genovese grandmother made was composed of chopped chicory leaves, potatoes, green onions and olive oil. Bitter, smooth, rich and delicious.
finally this morning, to celebrate the start of summer, I found that the plant I had let bolt had bloomed. I will let it go to seed among the poppies, calendula and arugula.
This was grown from a seed packet I brought back from Italy. I see lots of blue flower chicory along roadsides, but when it died out in my mother's yard, I had thought I had lost it for good. This is a different variety, but tartly delicious and I will make radichetto as I remember my Nonna calling it.