Perfection Fresh (Aust)

Winter lettuce - lettuce with attitude!

With their edgy, assertive bite, it's only natural Australia's favourite lettuces with attitude - Treviso™ radicchio, baby endive and witlof - should find their niche in hearty, winter cuisine.

Combined or used individually, red Treviso™ radicchio, green baby endive and white, yellow-tipped witlof bring distinctive sharpness and spectacular colour and texture to the season.

All three can be used in soups, casseroles, stir-fries, tossed through pasta, risotto or warm salads. Treviso™ and witlof can be wrapped in gamey meats, stuffed, grilled, roasted or baked or their leaves used as edible cups to serve various stuffings. Baby endive can be used in place of spinach or rocket in pies or tarts or slow-baked and dried into a crispy, salty snack.

Cooking tames the bitterness of winter lettuces enhancing their versatility and giving them as much a place in the kitchen as more traditional comfort vegies - brassicas and root vegetables.

Originating in Italy's Veneto region, Treviso™ radicchio has elongated, slender and delicate magenta leaves with distinctive bulging white veins and a crinkly appearance. Its striking leaves add fantastic colour to cooked dishes and need only a splash of vinaigrette if eaten raw.

Cigar-shaped witlof, also known as Belgian endive, has smooth, firm white leaves with pale yellow tips. Once removed from the tangy core, witlof's boat-shaped leaves hold their form beautifully for stuffing and presentation purposes.

Fine-leafed baby endive stands out from other flat or broad-leafed endives with its long and curly appearance of green leaves with a pale underside. Its fine-leafed nature is ideal for capturing sauces and dressings in salads and it wilts quickly when steamed or sautéed. Its frilly leaves also add lift and texture to green salads.

Australian-grown Treviso™ radicchio, witlof and baby endive are grown for Perfection Fresh.

Flavour profile

• Treviso™ radicchio is a milder version of the bitter, classic round Italian red lettuce, radicchio. It has the strongest taste of all three winter lettuces. Its slightly bitter, spicy flavour mellows when grilled, roasted or slow cooked, particularly in risottos where butter or cheese complements it.
• Witlof has tender, succulent leaves with a mildly assertive flavour. Nuts and creamy dressings offset the sharpness of raw leaves while the distinct bite softens when cooked.
• Baby endive is appreciated for its delicate sharpness which balances other sweeter greens in salads and adds punch to cooked dishes. 

Seasonality

• Treviso™ radicchio is available between May and September.
• Witlof and baby endive are available all year 'round. 

Outlets

• Treviso™ radicchio and baby endive are available at Woolworths stores nationally, Coles stores in New South Wales and at Perfection Fresh's market stands in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. They are both sold loose.
• Witlof is available at Woolworths stores nationally. It is sold in a two-pack.

Selecting and storing

Look for fresh, colourful and firm winter lettuces. Keep in the crisper section of the refrigerator.

About Treviso™ radicchio - from the grower

Darren Howard of Queensland's Lockyer Valley ays the specialty red lettuce, grown exclusively for Perfection Fresh, has an acquired taste.

"It can be a bit of a surprise the first time you try it but if you're looking for something different, give it a go,' he says.

"We love Treviso™ radicchio tossed through pasta in a creamy sauce and roughly chopped and scattered on pizza. It's great with any pork products where the meaty flavour works well with the bitterness of Treviso™."

About witlof - from the grower

Witlof grower George van Graas of Toolangi, Victoria, says consumers should think outside the square when it comes to eating lettuces in winter.

"In Europe, witlof is cooked like other vegies in soups and casseroles or blanched or baked and eaten hot - much more often than it is eaten cold in salads.

"Winter's the perfect time to try witlof. One of our family favourites is to par-boil for 10 minutes, wrap in ham, cover in grated cheese and bake until brown!"

About baby endive - from the grower

Wash it well! That's the advice from baby endive grower Paul Schreurs of Devon Meadows, Victoria.

Paul says the fine-leaf nature of baby endive means it can trap teeny pieces of sandy soil from the farm in its foliage. Paul recommends giving each baby endive head another thorough dunking after purchase.

Paul recommends simply sautéing a whole head in olive oil till wilted, drizzle with lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and serve as a side with fish.

Did you know?

• Perfection Fresh introduced Treviso™ radicchio to Australia in 2002.
• Witlof means white leaf and is closely related to the endive, chicory and dandelion family of herbs and vegetables.
• In France, baby endive is known as frisée -  which means curly - and refers to the curliness of its long, tender leaves.