The Dutch Produce Association has launched a Chicory Challenge recipe book to raise funds for charity.
The book includes a selection of the top entries from last year’s competition, as well as the recipes from the three finalists, who battled it out in the Netherlands in November.
The recipe collection will be sold by the competition’s chosen charity, BDF Newlife, the UK’s leading child health charity specialising in research and support for those affected by inborn conditions, otherwise known as birth defects.
In addition to funding research, BDF Newlife also offers support services operated by specially trained nurses. The charity has been working for almost 12 years to highlight the need to take folic acid prior to and during early pregnancy, as it can reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Chicory is a natural source of folic acid. However, the Chicory Challenge was not a health campaign, and the Dutch Produce Association insists it is not linking eating chicory to any particular health benefits.
The challenge offered amateur and professional cooks in England the chance to win up to £5,000 for a charity of their choice, with the aim of showcasing chicory’s potential to the UK market, which consumes relatively little of the salad compared to the continent.
Susie Carter from Hampshire scooped the £5,000 prize for her chicory tarts with goat’s cheese and thyme.