Pick Your Own Radicchio in the Netherlands: A Bitterly Fun Adventure

Forget tulips for a moment. There’s a different kind of treasure waiting for you in the Dutch fields: radicchio. This gorgeous, ruby-red chicory isn’t just for fancy salads—it’s a vegetable with attitude. And the best part? You can grab your scissors, a basket, and a few friends (or the kids) and head to a pluktuin (pick-your-own farm) to harvest it yourself.

The Hunt & The Pick

Radicchio looks like a small, tight cabbage with dramatic white veins running through deep burgundy leaves. When you find a good head, don’t yank. Take a sharp knife or scissors and cut the stem at the base, just above the soil. Give it a gentle shake to free any dirt (the Netherlands is famous for its sandy soil, so expect a little). The leaves should be crisp, not wilted. As you work, enjoy the earthy smell of the field—and maybe a little Netherlands drizzle. It’s all part of the vibe.

The Group Dynamic

This is a perfect activity for a Saturday. You can make it a competition: Who finds the roundest head? The most dramatic red-and-white contrast? Or you can just wander with a coffee in hand, chatting while your basket fills. Kids love the “hunt,” and they’re more likely to eat something they’ve personally pulled from the ground. Plus, radicchio is so photogenic—those Instagram shots write themselves.

Once You’re Home: How to Use It

Radicchio is a cooking chameleon. Raw, it’s peppery and pleasantly bitter. Cooked, it becomes mellow, almost sweet, with a velvety texture. Here’s how to make the most of your haul.

Two Cooking Recipes (for a Vegetable)

1. Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic Glaze & Parmesan
The simplest, most impressive way to serve it.

  • Ingredients: 2 heads of radicchio (halved lengthwise), 3 tbsp olive oil, salt, black pepper, 2 tbsp balsamic glaze (or reduce balsamic vinegar), shaved Parmesan, a handful of walnuts (optional).
  • Method: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush the cut sides of the radicchio with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill cut-side down for 3–4 minutes until charred and wilted. Flip and grill the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, top with shaved Parmesan and walnuts. Serve warm as a side to steak or roast chicken.

2. Radicchio & Gorgonzola Risotto
A creamy, indulgent dinner that uses the bitterness beautifully.

  • Ingredients: 1 cup arborio rice, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 2 tbsp butter, ½ cup dry white wine, 4 cups warm vegetable broth, 1 head radicchio (shredded), ½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, salt, pepper.
  • Method: In a large pan, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Cook onion until soft (5 min). Add rice, stir 1 minute. Pour in wine, stir until absorbed. Add broth one ladle at a time, stirring, until rice is creamy (about 18 min). Halfway through, stir in shredded radicchio. When rice is done, remove from heat, fold in Gorgonzola, Parmesan, and remaining butter. Season. Serve immediately—the pink streaks from the radicchio look stunning.

One Cocktail Recipe (for a Fruit—but Radicchio Works!)

Wait—radicchio isn’t a fruit. So we’ll call this a signature savory-vegetable cocktail. It’s a twist on a Negroni or an Aperol Spritz.

Radicchio Spritz (Bitter & Bubbly)

  • Ingredients: 2 oz vodka or gin, 1 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, ½ oz simple syrup (or agave), 2–3 oz Prosecco, 1 small radicchio leaf (for garnish and flavor).
  • Method: In a shaker, muddle a small piece of radicchio (about the size of a coin) with the simple syrup. Add vodka/gin, grapefruit juice, and ice. Shake well for 15 seconds. Strain into a wine glass filled with ice. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with a whole radicchio leaf. The cocktail gets a pretty pink blush and a faint herbal bitterness that cuts through the sweetness—perfect for a late-summer afternoon on your Dutch balcony.