A Green of Another Color

For hundreds of years, people have waxed poetic about the light in Venice. I was sure it would floor me on my first trip there last fall. But it rained and was overcast my entire stay, leaving me eager for some other equally moving visual experience. Hidden behind clouds, the full moon provided no magic, though it did bring the acqua alta, or high water, to flood the streets and keep me from the Byzantine mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica. Don’t even ask about the gondola ride. Certainly the Venetians take such pride in their ancient city, I thought, that they illuminate the building facades at night. Not down the inky canals my gondolier steered.

Yes, Venice was remarkable, the city rising from an ocean lagoon, but it was gray. I needed red, the terra cotta of Tuscany, the deep rouge of Chianti. I found it at the radicchio stalls in the open-air Rialto market. This red-headed cousin to Belgian endive is cultivated widely in Italy’s Veneto region, with the different varieties named after their towns of origin. The prime harvest time is the end of fall and through the winter. At the market, I discovered the compact, crinkled and sturdy heads of rossa di Chioggia, its familiar white and maroon-veined leaves as beautiful as parrot tulips, and rossa di Treviso, a stretch version of Chioggia, similar in shape and form to Romaine.

More surprising, though, was rossa tardivo di Treviso, Treviso heads that are harvested with their taproots after the first serious frosts and given a second chance at growth under protected conditions. The result is an elongated head of skinny white ribs ending in luxuriously curling red tendrils, like Medusa’s head in a wind tunnel. But the most beautiful radicchio of all must surely be variegata di Castelfranco, as open and lush as a cabbage rose with creamy white petals spattered in red, like curled shavings of white chocolate with delicate raspberry streaks.

No wonder Italians call radicchio fiore d’inverno, winter flower. These colorful members of the chicory family are like rescue beacons in the bleak Northern Italian winters. All share Chioggia’s wild bitterness, an adult and welcome “bite” when used in salads like some Mardi Gras cabbage. When it is cooked, the flavor of radicchio remains sharp while its texture relaxes somewhat and its color turns a dusky, brownish mauve, a moody hue that reminds me of a landscape by Corot.

Smitten by this edible art, I decided that when I returned to Southern California I would plant a few heads in my own garden. Having discovered and shared the pleasures of cooked radicchio, I was also hoping to avoid its high market price. Perhaps because of our milder climate and my lousy soil, however, the plants I put out in October are gorgeous burgundy rosettes no larger than a boutonniere. They’ll never be big enough for the next step, which is to tie up the outer leaves so that the interior ones bleach white. And it didn’t help that my new puppy ate part of the crop. So I’ve decided to think of store-bought radicchio as a convenience food and focus my attention on cooking it.

The simplest method is to quarter the radicchio, brush it with oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and throw it on the grill. Vicki Sebastiani of Viansa Winery and Italian Marketplace in Sonoma lightly oils and seasons it, then roasts it in the oven. My favorite recipe is adapted from Janet Fletcher’s cookbook “Fresh From the Farmers’ Market” (Chronicle Books, 1997). The vinegar, raisins, pine nuts and sugar treatment is a traditional favorite for dishes throughout the Veneto region. To me, it’s the perfect foil for memories of a gray Venetian day.

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Braised Radicchio With Raisins and Pine Nuts

Adapted from Janet Fletcher’s “Fresh From the Farmers’ Market” (Chronicle Books, 1997)

Serves 4 to 6

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1/4 cup raisins

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, halved and sliced

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pound radicchio, preferably Treviso type, quartered lengthwise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley

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Cover raisins with warm water in small bowl and soak 30 minutes. Toast pine nuts at 325 degrees until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Heat olive oil in skillet large enough to hold radicchio in single layer. Saute onion in oil until soft, 10 minutes. Drain raisins, reserving 1/4 cup of water. Mix balsamic vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and raisin water, then add to onions. Arrange radicchio in skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle raisins over. Cover, reduce heat and simmer radicchio until tender, 15 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle radicchio with pine nuts and cool in skillet to room temperature. Arrange radicchio quarters on platter with raisin-nut-onion mixture. Splash with a little more balsamic vinegar if desired. Garnish with parsley.

Radicchio and Fuji Apple Salad With Pistachio Nuts

Adapted from “The New Vegetarian Epicure” by Anna Thomas (Knopf, 1996)

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Serves 6

1 large head or 2 small heads radicchio (1 pound)

1 large or 2 medium Fuji apples (10-12 ounces)

3 stalks celery

1/4 red onion

3/4 cup coarsely grated Gruyere or provolone cheese (optional)

2-3 tablespoons fruity green olive oil

Aged wine vinegar

Salt

1/2 cup lightly toasted shelled pistachio nuts

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Wash radicchio, tear leaves into bite-size pieces and dry. Quarter, core and thinly slice apples. Wash, trim and thinly slice celery. Thinly slice red onion.

Combine radicchio, apples, celery, onion and cheese, if desired, in large salad bowl. Drizzle on a little olive oil and toss. Salad should glisten but not be drenched. Sprinkle on a modest amount of vinegar and a little salt and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Mound salad on plates and sprinkle some pistachios nuts on each serving.

Radicchio-Wrapped Salami Packets

From Vicky Sebastiani of Viansa Winery and Italian Marketplace in Sonoma, Calif.

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Makes 12

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1/4 pound Italian salami, such as Toscano or Genoa

3 tablespoons sweet hot mustard

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon chopped chives

6 large leaves radicchio or butter lettuce (or combination of both)

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Cut salami into large chunks and crumble in food processor. Add mustard, ricotta cheese and chopped chives and process until mixture is combined and smooth. Set aside.

Cut radicchio and/or lettuce leaves in half. Cut out any crunchy core, leaving only leafy part. Plunge 2 or 3 leaves at a time into boiling water, just until limp, 2 or 3 seconds. Be careful not to overcook leaves, as radicchio will turn brown and may tear. Carefully remove leaves from water to flat surface. Spread out each leaf and pat dry with paper towel to remove any excess water.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of salami mixture onto each wilted leaf and wrap leaf snugly around filling. Place each wrapped packet seam side down onto plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Red and Green Rice

Adapted from “The New Basics Cookbook” by Julie Rosso & Sheila Lukins (Workman Publishing, 1989)

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Serves 6

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2 1/2 cups water

1 cup rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped arugula

1 cup coarsely chopped watercress leaves

1 1/2 cups julienned radicchio

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Salt

Pepper

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Bring water to boil in heavy saucepan. Add rice, reduce heat and cook at slow boil 20 minutes.

While rice is cooking, heat oil and butter in large skillet. Add garlic, arugula and watercress. Cook over medium heat, tossing constantly, until greens are slightly wilted.

Add cooked rice to skillet along with radicchio, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently until thoroughly blended. Serve immediately.

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Food stylist: Christine Anthony-Masterson