Azienda Agricola Rosato
108 images Created 31 Jan 2020
Azienda Agricola Rosato
Nicola Rosato of Azienda Agricola Rosato in Piombino Dese in the Veneto region runs an impressive family farm business focusing on forcing radicchio which includes the gorgeous Rosa di Gorizia type and Treviso Tardivo IGP. This was a larger operation growing about 25-30 hectares of chicories (~60 acres) with a significant quantity of those to be forced. “Forcing” is the process of harvesting plants from the field with roots intact and storing them in an area without light for a period of time which results in a paler midrib, brilliant contrasting background colors, and more tender and mild leaves. By the end of the forcing stage plants look disgusting and are slimy on their surface. While the new inner leaves are growing, the outer leaves are rotting. The transformation that occurs when you strip the outer leaves away is nothing short of magical. In the end, the slimy, outer layers are discarded, and a stunning head of radicchio emerges!
Nico grows Rosa (pink) types, Canarino (yellow), Castelfranco, an heirloom (100-year-old ) Castelfranco, Treviso Tardivo, Treviso Precoce and more. He also breeds own varieties and was currently working on a cross of the heirloom Castelfranco X Isontina. Nico has very high standards for his radicchio - looking for a specific “snap” or crunch in all the varieties he forces and dipping each head into cold water which results in the prefect leaf curl. The fruits of Nico’s labor and attention to detail are breathtaking.
Nicola Rosato of Azienda Agricola Rosato in Piombino Dese in the Veneto region runs an impressive family farm business focusing on forcing radicchio which includes the gorgeous Rosa di Gorizia type and Treviso Tardivo IGP. This was a larger operation growing about 25-30 hectares of chicories (~60 acres) with a significant quantity of those to be forced. “Forcing” is the process of harvesting plants from the field with roots intact and storing them in an area without light for a period of time which results in a paler midrib, brilliant contrasting background colors, and more tender and mild leaves. By the end of the forcing stage plants look disgusting and are slimy on their surface. While the new inner leaves are growing, the outer leaves are rotting. The transformation that occurs when you strip the outer leaves away is nothing short of magical. In the end, the slimy, outer layers are discarded, and a stunning head of radicchio emerges!
Nico grows Rosa (pink) types, Canarino (yellow), Castelfranco, an heirloom (100-year-old ) Castelfranco, Treviso Tardivo, Treviso Precoce and more. He also breeds own varieties and was currently working on a cross of the heirloom Castelfranco X Isontina. Nico has very high standards for his radicchio - looking for a specific “snap” or crunch in all the varieties he forces and dipping each head into cold water which results in the prefect leaf curl. The fruits of Nico’s labor and attention to detail are breathtaking.
