Yellow vegetables streaked with pink are usually discarded. They're past their prime.
Not the case here.
Between the organic oranges and the bacon baps, this was for sale this morning in London's Borough Market. It looks more like a flower than a green.
Do you know what these sunny dappled leaves are?
Check out the picture of the sign posted above these leaves after the jump . . .
The sign hanging above these curious leaves said: Dandelion - Pissenlit.
Wondering what Pissenlit means? Wikipedia tells us pissenlit means just about what it sounds like: urinate in bed. Pissenlit is modern French for dandelion and also refers to a style of Belgian beer made with dandelion.
But the leaves I found this are far more refined and unragged. The texture was delicate and far more crisp than the standard dandelion. The yellow is lighter and all those perplexing pink spots. So what is this vegetable?
The stall's keeper couldn't stop unloading her trucks in the rain, so I couldn't ask. Does anyone recognize these leaves?
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
How large was this item? I bought some radicchio castelfranco a couple weeks ago that looked exactly like this. It was the size of a head of lettuce, or small head of cabbage. But it was identical in appearance.
Not to overdo it, but i put up a pic of what I found (available through my name). It's got to be the same thing.
Can't help you with the veg, but "Pissenlit" isn't a style of beer. It's a singular variant produced by Brasserie Fantome in the town of Soy of the style of Wallonian Saison.
Fantome is a crazy tiny little brewery in a building that should have fallen over during WWII. The brewer there is pretty well regarded for his willingness to find local produce and throw it into his beers. (Check out the pics linked to in my name)
And yeah, I'm a beer geek. Oh well.
It is indeed a white variety of radicchio. They sell it at the SF Farmers Market in teh winter, too.
the sign must've referred to the item below? Or was simply misplaced?
nice blog, ren
Any sort of chicory is really great in risotto..."Cooking the Roman Way" has a nice, simple recipe.
regards,
trillium
In France I regularly see people by the road side taking the young 'pissenlit' for salads. They are bitter and considered a good blood purifier.
ah, Borough Market...love that place, especially the olive vendor, neals yard dairy, and monmouth coffee...