Embracing treviso’s bitter bite

Treviso is a white-veined magenta radicchio in the chicory family. In the Middle Ages, monks prized the leafy vegetable for its bitter tones, or so the story goes. Today chefs like Nick Erven of fundamental LA use treviso to punch up the flavor in salads on the menu. Coleman Family Farms grows treviso year-round in Carpinteria and is selling it now at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

Embracing treviso's bitter bite

Photos by Joseph Stone/KCRW

Chef Nick Erven shops for treviso at the Coleman Family Farms stand. He likes his treviso warm in a salad of cotija cheese, peppadew peppers and a little something he likes to call green goddess. Find his recipe below.

Chef Nick Erven’s Warm Treviso Salad with Green Goddess, Cotija Cheese & Peppadew Peppers

Yield: Serves 4

Day One

Treviso marinade ingredients

8 heads treviso, halved

2 cups balsamic vinegar

1 cup red wine vinegar

4 garlic cloves

1 cup soy sauce

2 cups water

To marinate the treviso: Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, water and garlic together in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into a plastic container and allow to cool. Once cool, add the treviso and marinate overnight.

Day Two

Salad ingredients

4 heads treviso, halved

1 head frisee, cleaned

1 tbsp crumbled cotija cheese

1 tbsp peppadew peppers, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

½ lemon, juiced

1 pinch of fresh chives, chopped

2 oz Green Goddess (recipe follows)

Salt, to taste

To prepare the salad: Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium heat and add a small amount of neutral-tasting oil. Sear the flat sides of the treviso pieces until they turn caramel-colored. Once seared, transfer the treviso to a cutting board and cut off the ends of each spear.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the treviso, cotija cheese, peppadew peppers, lemon juice, olive oil and chives. Season with salt, to taste.

To serve: Spoon the Green Goddess onto the center of a flat salad plate and smear it into a circle. Arrange the salad on top.

Green Goddess

Green Goddess ingredients

1 avocado

3 bunches flat-leaf Italian parsley

10 fresh basil leaves

2 oz fresh tarragon leaves, picked

2 tbsps capers

3 anchovy fillets

¼ cup distilled vinegar

¼ cup crème fraîche

Salt, to taste

To prepare the green goddess dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a blender — except the crème fraîche — and blend until smooth. Reduce to a low speed and add the crème fraîche. (Take care not to blend on a high speed, or the crème fraîche will break). Season with salt, to taste.