*This seed is offered as part of the "Gusto Italiano Project", a collaborative partnership between Uprising Seeds, Italian breeders Smarties.Bio, and the Culinary Breeding Network. Certified organic seed is grown in Italy by Smarties.Bio.
Variety: "Felix" Type: Catalogna Days to Maturity/Slot: 80/mid
Catalogna types aren't as nearly as appreciated as they should be. Not as photogenic as much of the radicchio family, if you're looking for "instagram-able' chicories, move along, there's nothing to see here. Usually (and confusingly) sold as "dandelion greens" in the US, Catalogna absolutely shines as a looseleaf braising/sauteing green. Long slender serrated leaves have nice substantial and succulent stems to add some sweetness to the leaf's pleasing bitterness. The leaf stems can even be ribboned and used similar to puntarelle (which is actually a specialty subset of the Catalogna type). Easier to grow and more forgiving than many of the heading types it found its feet in the US market earlier than many of its sexier cousins.
