Most bitter, peppery leaves and I don’t see eye to eye, particularly radicchio and arugula (sacrilege, I know). However, after experiencing killer radicchio salads from Tasty ‘n Sons and Nostrana, I decided to try creating my own version. It came out near to perfection. Try this lovely as a fish side dish or with a lemony main course. What would you pair it with?

Radicchio and Granny Smith Apple Salad

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 1 small head radicchio, sliced into long ribbons
• 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp Rosemary Anchovy sauce
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slices (toast them yourself to guarantee freshness)
• Asiago cheese, grated for garnish
• Lemon zest for garnish

Pro tip: Set the shredded apple in a cool salt water bath for a few minutes to avoid that pesky flesh browning. Won’t leave the citrus taste of lemon water!

Directions

1. Originally, I shredded the apple rather than slicing, and while it’s fun to use kitchen appliances, I think I prefer slicing. If you want to try shredding, the cheese grating shredding adaptor for my food processor worked great. If your food processor does not have those extra settings/chopping inserts, a regular cheese grater will do just fine to get those thicker chunks of apple. Try both out and see what you like!
2. Chop the radicchio lengthwise and pull apart so you don’t have huge chunks to negotiate.
3. I took a few liberties with the original Rosemary dressing, adding thyme to compliment the lemon thyme chicken I was making that evening. Play around with the ingredients to make a dressing that’s most appealing to you! Toss the salad with half the dressing and taste test as you go to see if you may need more.
4. Finish off the salad with toasted almond slices, grated Asiago and perhaps some lemon zest and serve!