farm crops: radicchio
info: Radicchio is a leaf vegetable with red leaves & white veins. It has a spicy, slightly bitter flavor with a cabbage-like texture. It is a good source of vitamins A and K, as well as potassium.storage: Store unwashed leaves in the refrigerator, wrapped in a loose paper towel - keeps for 5-6 days.
preparation: Wash well in cold water & trim stems, if any. Chop/tear leaves to desired size/consistency.
Radicchio is usually eaten raw in salads, but you can also grill, braise or bake it. It also makes a good addition to soups and stews.
recipes:
from Radicchio Rosso: The Marvel from Treviso
Radicchio has been around for quite some time: Pliny mentions the marvelous red-lined lettuces of the Veneto region in his Naturalis Historia, noting that in addition to being tasty they're good for insomnia and purifying the blood; he also says it was the Egyptians who bred radicchio from its more wild ancestor, chicory. In the Middle Ages it was especially popular among monks, who welcomed anything that would add zest and flavor to the simple, predominately vegetarian diets proscribed by their orders. Not that the plant was limited to monastic kitchens; it also figured prominently on the tables of nobles, both cooked and raw: In 1537 Pietro Aretino advised a friend who had a garden to plant it, saying he much preferred it to "aroma-free lettuce and endive." ...read more