Mark first guided our group to one of Glorious Organic’s greenhouses, where he showed radicchio he had been forcing indoors. This process involves submerging the radicchio plant root-first into fresh running water to encourage the development of flavour and colour. A benefit of this method is that it extends the growing season, allowing a fall crop to generate income into the winter. To learn more about the forcing process, check out this blog post by Smarties.Bio.

Next, Mark and Cassie led us into the beautiful fields. The fields contained various radicchio varieties, each with unique colours and flavour profiles, ranging from mild bitterness to bold intensity. Mark and Cassie shared tips for working with bitter flavours in cooking, including letting radicchio rest in an ice bath to reduce bitterness. Another tip is simply roasting radicchio with oil, salt, pepper, and or parmesan for a rich, balanced flavour.

Our field day attendees were enthusiastic, sampling nearly every variety that Mark and Cassie had to offer. A key takeaway from the day was the market potential for radicchio, a green that thrives in our cool BC climate and grows much later in the season than most other greens, allowing consumers to enjoy fresh greens year-round.

Thank you to the Metro Vancouver Ag Awareness Grant and the Sfaira Foundation for funding our Bitter Harvest Field Day.

To find radicchio near you, visit your local farmers’ market. Glorious Organics will be participating in the Riley Park Winter Farmers’ Market.

We have included a few recipes to help you explore ways to enjoy radicchio:

Grilled Treviso Radicchio Salad with Ricotta Salata, Pistachios, and Hot Honey by Phyllis Grant from Sunset
This elevated salad combines the sweetness and spice of hot honey, the saltiness of ricotta, and the bitterness of Treviso radicchio. Recipe link

Pasta with Chicory, Anchovy and Pecorino by Alan Burgo from Forager Chef
This recipe features Puntarelle, using the mature green leaves in the pasta. The Puntarelle is first blanched in salted water to reduce bitterness, then sautéed with garlic, a simple tomato sauce and topped with pecorino cheese. The recipe also includes a link to a classic salad that uses the heart of the puntarelle, so no piece goes to waste. Recipe link

Flatbread with Castelfranco, Burrata, Apples, and Olives by Allison Roman from Bon Appétit
In this flatbread recipe, Castelfranco radicchio is tossed in olive oil, lightly seasoned, and baked on top of flatbread with burrata cheese, apples, and olives. This combination creates a well-balanced flatbread that highlights bitter, sweet, and salty flavours working together. Recipe link

If you try any of these recipes, let us know what you think, or if you have a radicchio recipe to share, please send it to us!

Want more radicchio goodness? Join us for Bold Flavours: A Radicchio Pop-Up Event at Burdock & Co, hosted by Chef Andrea Carlson on Tuesday, November 18th. There are three tasting windows available. Each ticket includes a souvenir Feast of Fields cedar tasting plank. The bites will be paired with delicious cider from Sea Cider. Purchase tickets here.