Radicchio is another one of those Italian greens making itself at home in the South. A member of the chicory family like escarole and frisée, it is mildly bitter so it can be something of an acquired taste.
One farmer who’s developed a taste for radicchio is Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic Farm in Newborn just east of Atlanta. One of the founders of the Morningside Farmers’ Market, Donck can be found there most every Saturday morning offering a wide assortment of seasonal vegetables. Right now, radicchio is making a fine showing.
He grows radicchio di Treviso, a long-leafed red variety, and ‘Sugarloaf’, a European heirloom variety with long leaves like romaine lettuce. Both have done better for him than the round-headed varieties seen most often at the grocery store.
Donck grows his radicchio in hoop houses throughout the fall and winter. He begins seeding in August and tries to seed about 500 plants every month or so. He’s got radicchio to sell from late September into spring. The harvest stops when the weather gets hot because the plants just become too bitter to eat.
“I love radicchio. I add it to an endive mix that is very popular at the market and I put it into a salad mix that is also popular. I usually eat it raw, although it can be cooked,” Donck said.
Radicchio is a sturdy vegetable that will keep for weeks in your refrigerator. Refrigerate it in a plastic bag and when you’re ready to use it, pull off any wilted outer leaves and slice or chop as your recipe calls for.
For sale
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, dandelion, endive, fennel, frisée, green garlic, green onions, herbs, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, lettuce, mache, oyster mushrooms, radicchio, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips
From local reports
Livingston’s Shaved Radicchio Salad
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes, plus time for candied mustard to dry
Serves: 4
Chef Zeb Stevenson created this dish for the winter menu of Livingston restaurant in the Georgian Terrace Hotel. The candied mustard is a great chef trick. It’s easy to execute and along with the pears, offers a perfect sweet foil for the bitterness of the radicchio.
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Bosc pears, cut in half and cored
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 head radicchio, cut into quarters, very thinly sliced (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup Pumpkin Seed Oil Vinaigrette, see recipe
Italian parsley leaves, for garnish
In a small bowl, make candied mustard by mixing dry mustard and vinegar. Make a smooth paste and set aside for 15 minutes. After resting, use a fork to mix in the sugar, stirring until mixture resembles fine gravel. Spread out on a baking sheet and set in a warm, dry spot to dry for a few hours. May be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.
Heat a grill pan over high heat. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.
Rub the cut sides of pears with olive oil and lightly season with salt and black pepper. Place cut side down on grill pan and sear 1 minute or until grill marks form. Turn pears 90 degrees and sear 1 minute or until second set of grill marks form. Move pears to prepared baking dish, cut side up. Roast 15 minutes or until a paring knife can be inserted without resistance. Remove pears from oven, cool and refrigerate. May be prepared up to 1 day in advance.
When ready to serve, in a medium bowl, toss radicchio with vinaigrette and divide between four serving plates. Sprinkle with parsley. Arrange one pear half on each plate. Sprinkle salad with candied mustard. Serve with extra vinaigrette if desired. Serve immediately.
Per serving, without Vinaigrette: 103 calories (percent of calories from fat, 15), 1 gram protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 2 milligrams sodium.
Per serving, with Vinaigrette: 272 calories (percent of calories from fat, 64), 1 gram protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 21 milligrams sodium.
Pumpkin Seed Oil Vinaigrette
Hands on: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes: 2 1/4 cups
Leftover vinaigrette should be used within a week.
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 pasteurized egg yolk
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup pumpkin seed oil
Salt and white pepper
Make vinaigrette in the bowl of a food processor by combining 1/4 cup vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey and yolk. Process 10 seconds. While machine is running, slowly add grapeseed oil. When mixture has emulsified, add additional 1/4 cup vinegar and lemon juice; then add pumpkin seed oil. Season to taste and set aside. May be refrigerated up to 1 week.
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 169 calories (percent of calories from fat, 96), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 18 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 18 milligrams sodium.
About the Author
