sad to hear that! yes it's pretty amazing this year, i even forgot to share the basil with 6 cm long juicy leaves! In mid october outdoor!
I am not too familiar with the "cardo" myself I must admit - and yes I just shared the Italian word as that's how i know it! We just ate it once and it was pretty mild the taste... It takes up quite a lot of space for what we've used it, but it was also just an experiment of Roberto's mother..
I really love the radicchio, but it's quite bitter raw. They use it a lot here, for salads, on pizza, and also cooked in risotto, in stir fries and the like. It's nice because it's a late season - into winter - fresh crop.
But if you don't like endives, it might not be the best choice :)