Notes From The Field
As we move into September, proper, we are saying goodbye to some summer favourites, but we are at last able to welcome some of the early fall crops. Full-sized potatoes and onions, along with red and green sweet bell peppers. There is eggplant and something all together new to us: radicchio. Enjoy -)
What’s In Your Share This Week
Here’s a peek at what’s available in this week’s lineup:
- Beets
- Bunching Onions
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Lebanese Cucumbers
- Curly Leaf Parsley
- Prizm Kale
- Romaine Lettuce
- Mint
- White Button Mushrooms
- Yellow Onions
- Green Bell Peppers
- Hot Mix Peppers
- Jalapeño Peppers
- Red Bell Peppers
- Radicchio
- Tokyo Silky Sweet Turnips
- Green Zucchini
Recipe of the Week
Sautéed Radicchio with Bell Pepper
This simple, savoury side dish transforms radicchio’s natural bitterness into something mellow and sweet through cooking.
Paired with sweet bell peppers and yellow onions, it’s a colourful, flavourful addition to any meal — and it’s definitely not a salad!
- 2 heads radicchio, cored and leaves separated or roughly chopped
- 2 bell peppers (any colour — green, red, or a mix!), sliced into strips
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Prep the vegetables: Cut the base off the radicchio and separate the leaves, or roughly chop them into large pieces. Slice the bell peppers and onion into thin strips.
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Cook the peppers: Add the bell pepper strips to the pan and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and char slightly at the edges.
- Wilt the radicchio: Add the radicchio to the pan with a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and cook for 3–5 minutes until the radicchio has wilted and softened. Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the radicchio has crispy, charred edges and the bitterness has mellowed.
- Finish and serve: Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and vinegar, toss to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm as a side dish.
Optional: Use fresh herbs like parsley or mint for garnish!
🌶️ Spotlight on… Bell Peppers & Radicchio
Colour matters: Green bell peppers are simply unripe red, yellow, or orange peppers! As they ripen, they become sweeter and develop more vitamin C. Red peppers have about twice the vitamin C of green ones.
Not all are hot: Bell peppers are part of the Capsicum family but contain no capsaicin — the compound that makes peppers spicy. They’re the sweet, mild members of the pepper family!
Store them right: Refrigerate bell peppers as soon as you get them home. Store them loosely in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Green peppers keep for at least a week, while red, yellow, and orange peppers are best used within 5–6 days.
Don’t wash before storing: Excess moisture speeds up spoilage. Wash them just before you’re ready to use them.
Freeze for later: Wash, core, and chop peppers, then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour before transferring to freezer bags. They’ll keep for up to six months!
A bitter beauty: Radicchio is a type of leafy chicory, related to Belgian endive and escarole. Its striking deep purple-red colour with white veins comes from the same plant compounds that give red wine its colour.
Sweet when cooked: While radicchio can be quite bitter when eaten raw, cooking it — whether sautéed, grilled, or wilted — transforms the flavour, making it mellow, sweet, and nutty.
Use it within a few days: Like other leafy vegetables, radicchio is best used soon after purchase. Store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator in a plastic bag.
Don’t be afraid of the bitterness: The bitterness is what makes radicchio special! It pairs beautifully with sweet ingredients like balsamic vinegar, roasted peppers, or citrus to create a perfect balance.
