We persist in eating the lovely leaves of radicchio raw, splicing a few in amidst the mix of leaves in our salads, and to my mind there is no dafter thing to do with this bitter, spirited vegetable. Eaten raw, radicchio is virtually inedible, its bitterness almost capable of provoking tears. Cooked, however, it is a different thing altogether. Still bitter, of course, but cooking subdues the sharpness somewhat, and then we find that instead of being a salad lout, radicchio becomes a good friend of the cook.
Just recently, a local organic grower has been producing the handsome Treviso radicchio, which is shaped something like a cos lettuce, with a dark green and subtle purple hue, more handsome than the purple, cabbage-like chioggia which is most widely available.
One of the classic uses for radicchio is to saute it and then stir it into a risotto, topping the papal-purple concoction with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
But it also mixes well, sliced into ribbons, with sauteed vegetables such as jerusalem artichokes or fennel, and is good with a summer stew of beans and onions, adding a complexity to the flavour that is delightful. And, should there be a final blast of decent summer weather which allows you to get the barbie out, then just brush the leaves with oil and grill then gently over the coals.