The Belgian endive, fortunately now grown in North America and easily available in supermarkets, is a very versatile vegetable.. It can be served as a salad either by itself, with additions such as shrimp or mixed with other greens. It can be braised in butter or cooked in broth, it can be baked, wrapped in ham. Serve it as an appetizer or as the main vegetable at dinnertime.

Whatever you do, it will be a tasty addition to your menu. It has a slightly tangy taste when eaten raw (as a salad). When you buy Belgian endive, it should be very firm and have as few green tints as possible. The best head of endive is white with a slight yellowish top. When preparing it, you could core the bottom with a small, sharp knife, but I prefer to leave the head intact!

When cooking or braising, please do not use anything but good butter, the endive is very delicate and oil or margarine will destroy its distinctive flavor. For that matter, you will find that, in all my recipes, I use only butter! (I was born and raised in Belgium, did you guess?).

Trim the bottom of the endives, cook in boiling salted water with a squeeze of lemon juice for about 10-15 minutes until just tender. Drain well and wrap each head of endive in a slice of ham, then put in a baking dish. Prepare the sauce while the endive is cooking. To make this, heat the butter in a saucepan, remove from heat, stir in the flour, return to heat and cook for several minutes.Remove from heat and blend in milk, stir over low heat until thickened, add pepper and salt to taste and 3tbsp of the endive stock. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese to the sauce pour over ham and endives. Top with breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese and brown under broiler. (Makes 4 small servings)

Trim the bottom and cut each of the endives in half lenghtwise and set aside. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the endives in one layer and cook until the outer leaves are just starting to brown.Turn endives and cook the other side also until just starting to brown (do this in two batches, if necessary). Add the water, sprinkle with salt and cook until the liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes. Transfer endives and juice to a serving platter and serve immediately. (Makes 4 small servings)

Mince the endives, reserving a few small leaves for garnish. Saute (without browning) the onion, garlic and endives in the butter for a few minutes or until softened. Add the potato and chicken broth and simmer until potato is very soft. Put this through the blender and process until smooth. Add the cream, salt and pepper to taste and blend. Garnish with endive leaves and chives. Can be served hot but is also delicious when cold.