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Brilliant Radicchio is Perfect Choice
for Romantic Dinner 
(Family Features) - Have you been searching for fresh ideas and new ways to show your partner just how much you care? The intense red of radicchio is a brilliant choice for a romantic salad for a special dinner for two.
Just as in romance, this salad mixes the bitter with the sweet. The intense flavor of radicchio is partnered with baby spinach, luscious fresh pear slices and caramelized pecans. Gorgonzola cheese balances radicchio's bite.
For a winter salad, a fresh green or red Anjou pear is a delicious choice. The highly aromatic and flavorful Bosc pear is also available throughout the winter months.
A staple on Mediterranean and European tables, a recently published report reveals that radicchio provides an antioxidant content rivaling that of blueberries and spinach. With a powerful flavor and color profile, radicchio has taken the American salad scene by storm in the last ten years, appearing everywhere from McDonald's to fine dining restaurants.
Consumers can find fresh Royal Rose radicchio year-round because EVS Farms is the only grower in the world to harvest fresh radicchio daily. Based in the fertile Salinas Valley, this grower partners with growers in southern Arizona and Florida in order to deliver fresher, bigger and better radicchio to supermarkets and produce markets nationwide.
Royal Rose radicchio is fresher because it is field-packed and shipped directly to distributors and retailers. Foreign grown radicchio often spends up to four weeks in route to local American distributors and retailers. Because domestically grown radicchio spends less time being shipped, the outer layers stay firm, full and healthy. A good, fresh head of radicchio should weigh at least half a pound, but if radicchio is shipped from a foreign location, it loses its original size when it is trimmed down to remove the limp and wilted layers.
Radicchio, Spinach & Pear Salad with Gorgonzola and Caramelized Pecans8 servings 1 head Royal Rose radicchio, cored and chopped 1 10-oz. bag fresh spinach leaves, chopped 3 ripe pears, cored and sliced 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 6 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola 1/2 cup caramelized pecans* In small saucepan, heat vinegar and oil gently over medium heat until hot; immediately pour dressing over salad and toss until evenly dressed. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once. Caramelized Pecans: 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 cup pecan halves, lightly toasted* Lightly grease a rimmed cookie sheet. Set aside. In a small saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil. Increase heat to medium-high and cook syrup without stirring until mixture turns golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans, then spread pecans in a single layer on prepared sheet. Let stand until cool, then break into small pieces. Makes 1 cup. Store covered at room temperature. *To toast nuts, place on a shallow baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes, until fragrant. SOURCE: Royal Rose Radicchio  Recipes | Food Articles | Food Safety | Culinary Schools Copyright ©2008 culinary.net Before using materials from this site, please read our usage agreement.
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