So, I skipped February. I have no idea why, but we’re back with the March What’s In Season roundup. March marks the beginning of the year’s best season: lettuce season. This month, your bitter lettuce will stand out at the farmers market. Bitter lettuce usually intimidates most people. You’re unsure how to handle it or how to cut the bitterness. My favorite bitter lettuce is radicchio. There are several types: Rosso di Treviso Tardivo, Rosa del Veneto, Rosso di Chioggia, and Variegato di Castelfranco. I love the complex flavors of this lettuce, especially its color and sharpness when paired with blue cheese, gorgonzola, or even a smoked pâté.

Knowing that cooking with this lettuce can be intimidating, and in addition to sharing what’s in season, I’ve decided to share some of my favorite radicchio dishes to try and step out of your comfort zone. One of my favorite ways to incorporate radicchio is adding it to a crudités plate.

Radicchio Recipes:

1. Grilled Radicchio Salad by Simply Recipes—Packed with simple flavors, this salad takes about 25 minutes to prepare and cook and will become a spring/summer staple!
2. Roasted Radicchio and Shrimp Salad – If you’re local to Charleston, FIG has a dish similar to this that I dream about every season. With this recipe from Food52, we can now make it ourselves.
3. Risotto with Shaved Radicchio and Sage—After reviewing this recipe a few times, I see it is a cozy and warm dish for those chilly days as we wait for spring to arrive. I would skip the walnuts, but everything else sounds delightful.