In our market in Montalcino last week, the Winter array of radicchios were on full display. Tucked in alongside the Winter squashes and bright piles of oranges, were piles of radicchio with long tender leaves that curl upon themselves, and others plump and round that looked like small cabbages.

Radicchio, part of the chicory family, is much more common in Italy than in the US and its numerous varieties are typically named after the region in which they are grown. Here in the US, we most easily find the plump round Chioggia variety – sometimes tucked away on the top shelf of the market, hidden away except for those of us who truly seek it out.