Roasted Radicchio in Balsamic Reduction

I dislike radicchio.  It kind of tastes like drinking orange juice right after you just brushed your teeth with Crest and Clorox.  However, there are whole regions in Italy devoted to their strain of this bitter monster, so I figure there's got to be something to that most hated of taste sensations.  That and my sister Elizabeth from Rio Gozo told me my challenge was to make a radicchio dish that I liked.  Here it is.  I liked it.

What you need:  Radicchio, Parmesan, Olive Oil, Balsamic (preferably aged, the syrupy stuff), salt

Preheat your oven to 450. 
Cut the bottom off your radicchio like your old sweatpants, get rid of the first few outer leaves that are all crusty and dinosaur looking.  Spread the rest out on A) a cookie sheet if you want crispy brown stuff or B) an oven-safe lasagna pan if you want them a little softer.  
toss them with olive oil.
grate some parmesan all over those bitter sons of guns.  
bake for 10 minutes.
drizzle balsamic on the top and eat.  

the stems should still have that bitter bite, but the leaves will be buttery awesomeness covered with a parmesan crust. Take that radicchio. 




Posted by Mister Gardner

Grilling Season

It is grilling season in Ventura County. Some of you grill all year round, but I know it's time to start seriously grilling when the radicchio and romaine lettuce is prime. We've been grilling greens every night. The technique is simple. Grill it hot, grill it thickly sliced, grill it fast.  Once it's off the fire, add some type of cheese  salt, oil, and vinegar. I like Ojai olive oil, Monte Grappa's balsamic reduction (they'll sell you some if you ask) and St. Agur blue cheese (find it at Westridge Market.)

Here's a grilled radicchio recipe from Simply Recipes and a short video on the technique for grilling romaine lettuce. Get creative and apply this technique to any veggie in the CSA box. You'll be grilling everything.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grilled_radicchio_salad/

Linguini with Radicchio and Leeks

Here's a lovely recipe from Epicurious that makes brilliant use of the items in our shares now. For any of you who are new to leeks, please be sure to separate the layers and rinse well, as leeks tend to trap dirt.

8 oz linguini

EVOO

4 C leeks, thinly sliced

1/2 C parsley

1/4 C grated parmesan

1/4 C walnuts

2 T lemon juice

2 C radicchio

Heat 1 T EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add radicchio and cook a few minutes more. Add parsley, parmesan, walnuts, lemon juice, and 3 T oil to a food processor, and process until well blended. Mix pesto into leeks, and heat through. Serve over linguini.

Grilled Radicchio

I love the intense bitter flavor of radicchio, but understand that it can be a bit MUCH for some. Me too. When I want to mellow the flavor of this lovely stuff, I take it to the grill. With just a few minutes on high heat, the radicchio gets that delicious salty sweet grill flavor that nicely balances its natural bitterness. Here's how:

1) Quarter your radicchio

2) Brush on all exposed sides with an olive oil, salt, and pepper mix

3) Grill, turning every three minutes or so until nicely caramelized - 6 to 9 minutes total depending on your grill

If you want to get fancier with this technique, try this.