I always know that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner when the world’s most unusual bouquet arrives in the mail.  For over a decade, California Vegetable Specialties, the only producer of Belgian endive in the U.S., has marked the holiday by sending food editors this bouquet of red and white endives, roots included.  I love it when the bouquet shows up because it’s such an oddity.  I mean, how often do you see endive on the root?  I like to parade it around the office for a bit before splitting the endive booty with my co-workers (they send a generous supply of trimmed endive, too). Chances are good that you’ll soon see an endive-themed entry in our “What We’re Cooking Now” blog.

Last year, I took most of the bouquet home and put it in a vase. The endive continued to grow, eventually becoming a great conversation starter as the centerpiece on the dining table. So thanks, Endive People, and Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too!