First of all, I find radicchio bitter. So I don’t usually buy it. But in our last farm basket, there it was. A small, fresh, organic ball of burgundy bitterness. And usually I would just give it away. But with covid-19, we aren’t entertaining or seeing people very often. And because I am just too frugal to just throw it in the yard waste barrel, I decided to see if I could make a salad with it. And what a salad it turned out to be!

I found the recipe on the cooking.nytimes.com site. Easy to fix and absolutely delicious. We were practically fighting over who got the last little bit. And yes the radicchio was still bitter. But slathered with this simple dressing, it was delicious. I served it with a tuna noodle casserole and it was a perfect accompaniment.

So if you want a simple salad to serve, please give this recipe a try.

Now frankly, I never would have served this salad to my children. (Not that I even knew about radicchio when my kids were still at home.) But because this is a fairly sophisticated salad, I truly don’t feel that your average group of children would fully appreciate its robust flavor. (And I’m not implying that your children are average. I’m sure they are just as above average as mine are!) But I do know that the bitterness might be a bit off-putting to an immature palate.

Bottom line. This salad is delightful. And I can hardly wait to serve it again.

As always – stay happy, stay healthy, and stay connected. I decided that for the first time ever, I would watch a presidential debate. And that’s just what I did last evening. Good grief! If I had ever questioned whether our current POTUS was qualified for the job, I no longer have any doubt. This is the man who is leading our country? This is the type of man that millions of Americans are proud of and wish to keep in office for another 4 years? This is a man who appears to not only encourage subversive groups like the Proud Boys, but applauds them. What kind of person does that? Much less the president of what once was, a democratic country. Freedom and justice for all, etc. etc. It’s appalling! I’m embarrassed to be an American. So there is only one solution. As I have stated in many of my posts, there is only one thing we as a nation can do to fix this problem. We can vote him out!

Peace and love to all

1 tsp. anchovy paste

1 T. Champagne or white wine vinegar  

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. capers in brine or vinegar, drained (do not use salt-packed)

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. finely chopped red or yellow onion

½ lg. round radicchio di Chioggia, cored and cut into ½-inch slices

Mix the anchovy paste and vinegar together until well blended. Whisk in the olive oil, then stir in the capers, salt, and pepper.

Place onion in a salad bowl. Add dressing and mix. Add radicchio. Gently toss salad. Serve immediately.