L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano involved in the project and the two decided to turn Sel- man's research into a book: "Not just a cookbook," Sel- man insisted, "but a book a b o u t r a d i c c h i o t h a t a l s o includes recipes." In 2024, the duo planned a t r i p t o I t a l y t o c o l l e c t recipes. "We went to Miche- l i n - s t a r r e d r e s t a u r a n t s , home kitchens and small- town eateries," Selman said. "We got recipes from chefs, Italian grandmothers and farmers. Margarett spoke it." On a trip to Italy in 2014, Selman was shocked to see the variety of radicchio avail- able. "I visited a seed compa- ny and saw techniques that I never saw before," she said. "I saw varieties I never saw b e f o r e , a n d I s a w h o w important timing and lati- t u d e a r e i n d e t e r m i n i n g which varieties to plant and when. I learned a lot on that trip." A l o n g t h e w a y , W a t e r - bury, a writer and editor, got enough Italian that we were able to get by." Waterbury was stunned by the kindness and enthusi- asm shown to them by the Italian farmers and cooks t h e y m e t . " E v e r y o n e w a s stoked about the idea," said Waterbury. "We didn't have to sell the project at all. I t h i n k i t ' s b e c a u s e i n t h e V e n e t o a n d , t o a l e s s e r degree in Friuli, radicchio is a thing of cultural pride. It used to be one of a trio of f o o d e a t e n b y p e a s a n t s : radicchio, beans and pork fat. We ran across tons of recipes in Italy that incorpo- r a t e d t h i s t r i n i t y o f f o o d items." Informative and inspira- tional, "Radicchio" contains about 45 recipes from some 25 American and Italian con- tributors. Waterbury tried the recipes at home, making r e f i n e m e n t s a s n e e d e d . I n c l u d e d i n t h e b o o k a r e recipes that use radicchio in risotto, polenta, pasta, pizza, even desserts. "One of my favorite recipes is a chocolate radicchio cake with mascar- pone frosting," said Selman. "It's fun and unexpected." And talk about unexpect- ed, who would think to put radicchio in granita? Mix it with blood orange and Cam- pari for a refreshing treat. The recipe is in the book. Besides its easy and deli- cious recipes, the book also contains profiles of farmers and seed growers, extensive descriptions and illustrations of radicchio varieties, and lush photography by Ore- g o n p h o t o g r a p h e r Shawn Linehan. With the September pub- lication of "Radicchio," Sel- m a n h o p e s t o i n t r o d u c e more people to the amazing variety of radicchio – a plant particularly suited to the N o r t h w e s t c l i m a t e . "Although there are pockets of growers in the US, such as in Vermont and New York, t h e N o r t h w e s t h a s t h e longest and best growing season for this crop," she said. "I want to encourage people to look for it at the farmers' market and use it! If nothing else, its distinctive p i n k c o l o r s h o u l d a t t r a c t people to try it out." c o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d t h e i r inspiration for this book. "In 2012, I started work- ing with organic farmers to create vegetables that taste better," said Selman. "We also wanted to expand the n u m b e r o f v a r i e t i e s t h a t would grow throughout the Northwest winter. We had c a b b a g e , g a r l i c , B r u s s e l s sprouts, but not a lot else. Chicory is one of those avail- able winter crops, but 15 years ago, there was not a lot of information online about U ntil recently, radicchio, a w i n t e r m e m - b e r o f t h e chicory family, was nearly impossible to find in the produce aisle of Amer- ican grocery stores. Even when available at farmers' markets, it was often over- l o o k e d i n f a v o r o f m o r e familiar produce. Not so in Italy, where this humble vegetable has deep, proud roots going back cen- turies. Its variety names are melodic to the ear and, oh, so Italian-sounding: radic- chio di Chioggia, di Treviso, di Castelfranco or Rosa del Veneto. Prized for its crisp sharp taste, bitter when eaten raw but mellow and nutty when cooked, radicchio has started to see a resurgence in the US, appearing more often on American restaurant menus, food blogs and farmers' mar- kets. Now, a new book called – what else? Radicchio – should help cultivate that t r e n d . T h e f i r s t i n - d e p t h book on the subject, Radic- chio aims to introduce Amer- icans to the vegetable's culi- nary and botanical history as well as its diversity and ver- satility. Authors Lane Sel- m a n a n d M a r g a r e t t W a t e r b u r y p a c k e d t h e book with numerous stories, profiles and recipes about this iconic Italian crop. Lane Selman, an Italian American whose family is from Sicily, is a nationally r e c o g n i z e d l e a d e r i n t h e movement to connect agri- culture, flavor and commu- nity. A professor of practice at Oregon State University, she grew up in Florida on her family's citrus farm. For the past 20 years, she has worked with farmers and seed breeders to help create new varieties of vegetables, fruits and grains that not only taste better, but also celebrate the importance of b i o d i v e r s i t y a n d o r g a n i c farming. An enthusiastic gardener and home cook, Margarett Waterbury has a passion for exploring how landscape, history and culture shape what's on our tables. She grew up in Alaska, lived in Puget Sound, and now calls Portland, Oregon, home. The duo appeared at an event recently at Seattle's Book Larder to talk about their Radicchio: perennial Italian favorite takes root in the Pacific Northwest RITA CIPALLA SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY Authors Lane Selman and Margarett Waterbury (center and far right), along with photographer Shawn Linehan (left), teamed up on a two-year project to produce the book "Radicchio" (Photo: Timber Press); inset: the cover of the book (Photo: Timber Press).

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