A mother-daughter conversation on food and cooking (mostly)

Friday, April 3, 2009

Grilled Radicchio Salad

I'm glad you got out of town for a few days, Mom.

I invented a salad. I guess this means my cooking slump is over. I don't know if Lawson loves it as much as I do; he is not as into bitter leafy things as I. Too bad for him.

I've grilled radicchio before, but I was never successful at tempering its bitterness very well. This works, though. It accompanies easy grilled meals well, too, because you do most of the speedy prep ahead of time, then grill the radicchio along with your burgers or sausage or whatever right before serving.

Toss together and set aside at room temperature for at least an hour:
  • cherry tomatoes, halved (or chopped good summer tomatoes, when available)
  • sugar snap peas, de-stringed, halved if desired
  • balsamic vinegar
  • olive oil
  • merest hint of salt
  • pepper
Then quarter one head of radicchio and lightly spray all sides with olive oil cooking spray. Grill quarters over direct but not too high gas or coals, turning as needed, until radicchio is browned but not charred.

Cut grilled radicchio pieces roughly with scissors, toss with tomato mixture, and serve.

The picture is blurry because my camera sucks. I am in the market for a new one.

1 comment:

Kris said...

You're right, that's a terrible picture. Our current Nikon, the Coolpix 5600, has been perfect for us for three years or so. I'm especially impressed that it doesn't eat batteries. What kind of camera are you looking at?

I love your grilled radicchio idea. There's a certain panache to grilling the salad along with everything else--and having the salad mix ready ahead of time is very attractive.