Radicchio Salad
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A Salad in 5 Haikus
There’s much to be had
If we eat first with our eyes—
No room for dessert
O Radicchio,
Purple as late season plum,
White tendon backbone
Gold potato coins
Like hidden first place medals
If you can find them
The chickpea for scale—
Plant caviar, or a pearl
Among monstrous leaves
Oil wrung from olive
And sweet-tart of balsamic,
Parmesan snowfall
The following is the recipe I used, as found in Phaidon’s Quick and Easy Italian Recipes.
Ingredients
4-5 new potatoes
2 heads radicchio, preferably Treviso
scant 1 cup (5 oz/150 g) drained and rinsed, canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 1/12 oz/65 g Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Directions
Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, add the potatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes, then drain, cool, and slice into rounds.
Meanwhile, cut the radicchio into large pieces and put into a salad bowl. Add the garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and potatoes.
Shave off some of the Parmesan and set aside for the garnish.
Grate the remaining Parmesan into a bowl. Add the oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and whisk to a smooth dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well. Sprinkle with the Parmesan shavings, season with pepper, and serve.
