We recommend using Castelvetrano olives for this recipe, they are beautiful, buttery and bright green. Soaking the radicchio in ice water is the key to this salad, it removes all trace of bitterness from the radicchio.

-Break 1 head of radicchio into 1.5 inch pieces and soak in water with 5-6 ice cubes for 2 hours.

To make the croutons:

-Preheat oven to 375º F.

-Tear 3 pieces of sandwich bread into quarters.

-Place bread in food processor and pulse to coarse crumbs.

-Transfer crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet.

-Drizzle with 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then stir well.

-Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring several times.

-Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet.

-Coarsely chop enough pitted green olives to measure a heaping 1/3 cup, set aside.

To make the dressing: Wash 1 lemon thoroughly, then zest.

-Place zest in a small bowl and add 2 TBS lemon juice.

-Mince 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic.

-Sprinkle minced garlic with sea salt and use the flat surface of a chef's knife to scrape the garlic and salt back and forth to form a paste.

-Transfer the paste to the bowl with the lemon.

-Add ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper.

-Slowly whisk in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and taste for salt.

To assemble the salad: Drain the radicchio and spin it dry.

-Transfer it to a large bowl. Add most of the chopped olives, 1 oz finely grated Parmesan and all of the dressing.

-Toss well. Add most of the breadcrumbs and toss again.

-Sprinkle with reserved breadcrumbs and chopped olives and serve.

-Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.

-Cut 1 head of romanesco into small florets, then submerge them in the ice water and set aside to soak for 10 minutes.

-Combine the following on a chopping board and then chop together until finely minced.

½ cup brine-cured green olives, pitted

1 TBS salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained

¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Grated zest of 1 lemon

-In a small pot, heat the following over medium-low heat:

1/3 cup olive oil

½ tsp red pepper flakes

-When hot, remove from the heat and stir in the minced olive mixture and:

½ teaspoon sea salt

The juice of 1 lemon

Set aside.

-Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 TBS sea salt.

-Drain the romanesco from its icebath, drop it into the boiling water.

-Add 5 whole peeled garlic cloves.

Cook until the florets are just tender, 5 minutes.

-Drain well, and separate out the garlic cloves.

-Add the cooked garlic cloves to the olive-caper dressing.

Tasty and Sons Radicchio Salad

Romanesco Alla Diavola