Bruschetta with Burrata & Radicchio Marmalade and D.I.F.D.

On a serious note, in November 2010, our city, and the entire NHL was stunned and saddened by the news that the daughter of our Ottawa Senators coach, Luke Richardson, took her own life at just 14 years old.  She was a beautiful, talented and loved little girl.  Thousands of people attended this young girl's memorial and were moved to tears as dozens of friends, teachers and teammates spoke about what an incredible girl Daron was.  Today would have been Daron's 15th Birthday.  Our city has proclaimed today "DO IT FOR DARON, Purple Pledge Day".  Everywhere I look I see people sporting the colour purple, Daron's fave.  Today Daron's loved ones hope to raise money for the Daron Richardson Fund at the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, they hope to raise awareness and encourage conversations between parents and teens about suicide.  So today I present to you something purple in honour of D.I.F.D.

The above pictures are of Burrata cheese, an Italian cheese consisting of a solid mozzarella casing holding a dreamy mix of fresh mozzarella and cream inside.  It is quite decadent and hard to find (I got mine here).  It needs to be prepared simply to enjoy its delicate flavour and succulent texture.  In this recipe it tops a basic crostini with sauteed radicchio and a little balsamic vinegar.  The mix of the bitter radicchio and creamy cheese is blissful.


Bruschetta with Burrata & Radicchio Marmalade

Origin: Russ Parsons, LA Times

Notes:  Make sure to salt the Radicchio mixture well, it will bring out the best in this bitter vegetable and enhance these simple flavours.  An additional drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar at the end is nice, if that suits your fancy.


Ingredients:

1 lb radicchio (I used 2 large heads)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled, smashed slightly
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 baguette
1/2 pound burrata
Freshly ground black pepper
  
Cut each head of radicchio lengthwise into quarters and cut the core out of each quarter.  Cut each quarter into crosswise ribbons about 1/4 inch wide. Combine the radicchio in a cold skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt and balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the radicchio has softened, about 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and cook until the radicchio is quite soft and the bitterness has cooked out, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and perhaps just a little more balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat and set aside. Remove the garlic before serving.

While the radicchio is cooking, slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices, drizzle with a little olive oil and toast in the oven at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes.  Or grill bread until lightly toasted on both sides.

Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the radicchio marmalade onto each slice of bread and top with a similarly sized spoonful of burrata (try to get both the filling and the wrapping in each spoonful). Sprinkle each with a light grinding of black pepper and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and serve.