I’m very visual when it comes to shopping. Bright pretty things can make me cross the street at a run, heedless of traffic. The same thing happens when I see a pretty vegetable. I am a sucker for pretty.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not as if I’m buying shiny apples imported from Chile. I’m doing most of my shopping at the farmers’ market, where almost all the items on display have their fair share of dirt still attached.
But last week while I was up in Todi I stopped by my favorite fruttivendolo. Located just down the hill from town, on a farm tucked behind Ponte Rio, this small shop does sell their own produce in season. But off season the owner makes a twice weekly truck run to the Marche to stock up.
I had a good idea of what I would find when I got there: peas, fave, asparagus and delicious strawberries. But what I was not prepared for was the head of cream-colored, magenta-flecked radicchio di Castelfranco that looked like it had stepped right out of a 17th Century Dutch still life. I had to have it, even if I didn’t know what I would do with it.
After deciding I really couldn’t stick it in a frame, or even a vase, I decided to make up a salad that would be as gorgeous as my beautiful radicchio deserved. Keeping with the pink theme, I grabbed some strawberries and sweet red onions. (My friend Kristi told me she’d been putting strawberries in salads recently and I wanted to try it too) To add crunch, toasted pine nuts. Tiny raisins kept the whole sweet thing going, while big chunks of local goat cheese added the creaminess to pull it all together.
The dressing was simple, with just a bit of balsamic (which I usually avoid in salads) and honey to make it sweet and thick.
The salad was gorgeous and delicious, yet ephemeral. But at least now I have a big, beautiful radicchio as my screen saver.
Radicchio Salad with Strawberries
Serves Four-Six
1 head of Castelfranco Variegated Radicchio *, cut into 1/2 ribbons
1 small head regular radicchio (the oblong variety), cut into 1/2 ribbons
1 red onion, sliced
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese
1 cup sliced strawberries
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
salt & pepper
Combine all the salad ingredients.
Whisk together the dressing, and dress salad, tossing to coat.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
*This type of radicchio is not easy to find, I realize. It is a particularly sweet variety, not as bitter as the dark magenta varieties. So if you can’t find it I would suggest substituting it with Belgian Endive.
jodi
OMG! That is gorgeous. I thought it was a rose from your garden.
jo
looks divine!
Lost in Provence
Ooh, I can’t wait to try this with endive. I found some Skyy vodka (not the best I know but better than what I usually can get) and so gave your spicy dirty onion martinis a go–insane! I don’t whether to thank you or curse you… 😉
Rosemary
I just made it my screensaver too. So beautiful! Thank you as always for sharing.
Jann
Looking absolutely delicious!
Pergolina
elizabeth this is divine
chefbea
I will surely make it…with endive
Kiss My Braciola Goodbye
Bella, bella, bella!
fikink
chefbea turned me on to this. marvelous!
Elizabeth
@Jodi, Jo, Rosemary, Lost in Provence, Jann, Pergolina, chefbea, Kiss My Braciola and fiking: Glad you liked it! It was just too pretty to pass up. And almost too pretty to eat. 🙂
Michele | Cooking At Home
This is just beautiful. I, too, think it looks like one of your gorgeous roses.
chefbea
I made the salad the other night with radiccio and endive. was yummmmy