A lot of the time, I buy more of a given ingredient than gets used up in a single dinner for two. That's fine -- we like leftovers, and also I've finally noticed that it's a good idea to cook a lot of foods from the same culture, or inspired by the same cookbook, in a given week or two.
After I made the salad pictured below, we still had more ripe avocados, more radicchio, and more cilantro and onions and serrano peppers. So last night I made a sort of black bean tostada arrangement, but where crispy tortilla would go, we had grilled (broiled, actually) radicchio. It was great, and while it was in the same taste family as the salad, it was different enough to keep things lively.
Any meal with this much radicchio really is only for those who like the taste of bitter things. But the black beans are mild and creamy, as of course is the avocado, so there is considerable balance for that bitterness.
The arrangement was a bed of freshly cooked radicchio; then black beans heated through with some salt, olive oil, and cumin; then lots of sliced avocado; then the same vinegared onion as last time; then a minced mixture of cilantro, serrano pepper, and a small clove of garlic; then feta cheese and a drizzle of oil. For the radicchio, I turned the broiler on and oiled a baking dish. Then I cut the radicchio into substantial chunks -- eighths, maybe? -- and put them in the dish, letting the pieces fall apart where they liked. I gave them a sprinkle of salt and a quick brush of olive oil, and popped them under the broiler for what turned out to be 7 minutes, until the outer leaves were getting brown and crispy, while the inner parts of each piece were still warmed through and juicy.
Beautiful photos! I really like your site.
Posted by: Sorina | 07/15/2008 at 08:45 PM
Thank you so much!
Posted by: redfox | 07/16/2008 at 01:57 AM