The Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, thought radicchio soups were good for stomach ailments that chronically plagued him. This is what the tender white delicacies bred in darkness are called. Endive plants take a long season to develop, as much as four months, so it will be fall before you're ready to dig the roots. These, incidentally, are the same as those used industrially to make the chicory coffee substitute. In the chicon role, a home gardener puts roots, about seven inches long, in deep flower pots or waxed cardboard containers and loosely packs them with sand or a soilless mix.
Darkness is essential in the growing site.
A black plastic garbage bag could be a good substitute for a cellar or closet. You keep the pots well watered, but not drenched, in temperatures ranging between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If everything goes well, in about three weeks you can boast that you've grown your own chicons. George Bria retired from the AP in 1981 after 40 years that included coverage of World War II from Italy. Contact the web master at Peninsula Clarion Copyrighted by Peninsula Clarion, a Division of Morris Communications Privacy and terms of use.