Lorna at Vicenza

Those long white roots might be "Cren". They're made into a kind of mustard - sauce - horseradish type of thing. Needless to say I don't like it. I must be coming across as a very picky eater and I'm not really.

jonwel

Yes, cren (aka rafano) actually is horseradish. But I'm not sure if that's what Geordieborn is talking about - we need more details.
I had two other things in mind: 1) scorza nera, aka radici amare, which has a similar surface to parsnip but is long and slender and not as good. It also ferments inside you!
2) A fairly thick tuber with a very white surface, a few leaves at the top and finishing at the bottom with a point, with a thin wispy root. I seem to remember trying it and it didn't taste of much. I think it's Chinese.

Cime di rapa, love them, with orecchiette. Also eaten as a vegetable in its own right - with olive oil, garlic and a anchovies, cooked over a low heat for about an hour. Lorna, I don't think you and I would get on well together!

Purple radicchio, I love all types, in risotto or in a pastry case with potato and cheese - cook the radicchio first.

Has it occurred to anyone that if you say "Radicchio, radicchio, radicchio" it sounds the same as "you're a dick, you're a dick, you're a dick"?

Geordieborn

The things we have seen are much smoother looking like massive carrots, but white, might be called ravanello here, kind of radish and the translation of daikon.

jonwel

Just had a look at Google images: yes, it is a daikon. Don't know what to do with it though.

Just made an Italo-English shepherd's pie today! Minced beef, onion and carrots, with a red or yellow sweet pepper, flavoured with a couple of cloves and a pinch of cayenne. Not very English but the principle of the potato crust is there and goes down very well.

37100

Could be radice amara. It's a type of chicory root, I think. Boiled or roasted after removing the bitterer core. Still don't like it.

Geordieborn

It could well be, but only one of the images when searching look like it, but not as big. I'll just have to ask the ladies in the local fruit shop what it is they are selling! I've noted in the last few years they are selling many a different veg and fruit. They had ginger now and then 3yrs ago, but now they have it all the time as do most of the other shops. It's the things I don't recognise that really interest me however.

jonwel

No, it's not the same as radice amara, see here. See my posts 1172 and 1174. Here is another picture of daikon. I don't think there's an Italian translation.
Just had a quick Google. They talk about "ravanello cinese" (Chinese radish) or "rapa cinese" (Chinese turnip), so the Italians don't know what to call them either.

Pica

It is indeed a daikon otherwise called Chinese radish. I believe it's rather bland and recipes that call for it say that it won't make any difference to some dishes if you can't lay your hands on one.
I recently had to explain a celeriac to some Italians, does anyone know if there's an Italian name for it apart from sedano!

37100

Sedano rapa. It's very popular in this part of Veneto.

37100

Depends what long white root Geordie actually saw. There was a smiley face here but it didn't come out quite right.

ononno

Friarielli e sausicce, a Neapolitan classic; once eaten and you'll become addicted. :-)
buon appetito,
'o nonno

Geordieborn

Artichokes. The purple ones at the moment in the shops are superb. Sad news for us is that our 6 plants succumbed to the bad winter here. The other greener variety seems to have mostly survived and will no doubt bear fruit in the next month or so. So we’ve been buying them at the local fruit shop at an astounding 69 cents each… For us at this time of year it’s a Saturday treat, along with fresh Puglise bread and an olive oil, lemon and fresh herb dip. Oh and of course the coolest Trebbiano from our local cantine San Lorenzo (Treb must be the next UK Pinot cheapy). This recipe link almost covers how we have our artichokes, like I say oil, lemon and herbs are superb with it. But the bread and wine make it!!! Have to say we’ve not tried the steaming basket (we boil for 15 mins max), do not cut off the points and would not like the dip they have. Still it also gives a good idea of how to eat them – very enjoyable "together" meal!

philat98

Do you grow cardoons? The taste is similar to the artichoke and they are much easier to cultivate. They are ready in November and December after the first frosts.

Geordieborn

Just looked them up! Have heard of them, but not come across them. A few results indicate they are the same thing, but one actually says the Italians would not distinguish the two, but it's a different part of the plant they would eat? Sound right up our street and I need to find out more about them - Thanks!!!

Geordieborn

By the way this is one (not the best example) of the white large carrot type vegetable the local grocer has on sale. The lovely lady there did tell me what it was, but I’m sure it was the dialect name for it, something like terazzit (I think). Never posted a pic here, so hope it works…