Basalmic Grilled Radicchio

My last couple of veggie boxes left me with a couple heads of radicchio. It's a sturdy vegetable, kind of like cabbage - so it stayed fresh for a long time in my refrigerator. In my life before veggie boxes, I didn't buy radicchio on a regular basis. Come to think of it - I don't think I've ever bought it - so naturally - I didn't have a clue how to prepare it except for mixing it with different lettuces for a salad that had a bit more meatiness to it. That said, one of the reasons for starting the produce delivery is so that I can explore new foods, and that I did.


Who knew that radicchio could have such a sweet/nutty flavor when grilled. *Ok - let me caveat that by saying i WISH it was grilled, but considering I don't have a grill pan or a bbq grill, it was more 'seared'....in a cast iron pan.* I'm not really sure how I got the idea to grill it - maybe I've seen it on restaurant menus or random cooking shows. In any case - the sweet, tangy basalmic w/ the slightly bitter radicchio made quite the pairing. I wish I had some roast chicken and roasted potatoes to go along with it....

Ingredients:
3 heads of radicchio (quartered lengthwise at the heart - be sure the stem stays in tact to keep the leaves together)
1/4 cup of basalmic vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
1Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 small garlic clove, mashed
Salt & Pepper
Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Cilantro Leaves (or sweet basil would go well too!)

Rinse and soak the radicchio in cold water for 10-15 minutes, letting all the dirt particles sink to the bottom, then drain well. In the meantime, combine basalmic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary and garlic in a bowl for the dressing. Pour the dressing over the cleaned and drained radicchio. Heat up the grill (or cast iron pan) on high. Once the pan is hot, put the marinated radicchio cut side down on the heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly browned, and flip to put the other cut side down for another minute.

Pile the raddicchio on a plate and top with cilantro leaves and shaved parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

**....to those of you who gave me hard time for not having a food processor from the Butternut Squash Galette entry - don't give me hard time for not having a grill/grill pan - I already know what I lack from a kitchen utensil/appliance standpoint. But back in the day - there was neither - and good food was still made...so BACK OFF!!! ;)**