Radicchio?

I've never purchased radicchio. I've heard the word, remember seeing it on restaurant menus and have likely eaten it in salads but I've never held a head of radicchio in my hands until yesterday. I can't let it go to waste but a quick taste was enough to know that I had to do something with it because eating concentrated amounts of raw radicchio wasn't going to make me happy.

CSA newsletter to the rescue!


Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic Glaze
This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." It would be delicious sprinkled with some blue cheese. Mark also suggests using the grilled radicchio in the Mediterranean Slaw recipe below. Serves 4.

1 pound radicchio, cored and quartered
1 TB sunflower oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TB honey
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your grill to a moderately high heat. Brush the radicchio with the oil, taking care to keep the wedges in tact. Stir the honey into the vinegar and set aside. Place the radicchio wedges on the grill, cut sides down. Grill for a minute or two, then turn and brush (or drizzle) with the vinegar mixture. Cook until just starting to crisp and char around the edges, another couple of minutes. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with blue cheese, if desired.

And I, uh, followed the recipe as much as I could without actually measuring the ingredients. Just a warning though, it's quite difficult to keep the wedges intact during the grilling and turning process.

Ben and I gave it a thumbs up but Sam found the balsamic vinegar flavor a bit overwhelming at first but he ended up eating a little piece in the end.