Radicchio and squirrels

It was a lovely day today, and as I returned home from work, I made the rounds, checking on everything (that I've got behind on).

I've been enjoying radicchio becoming red and colorful. I sowed seeds (of heading radicchio) sometime in mid-summer, and transplanted some of the seedlings to the main vegetable garden in early fall. They're coloring up beautifully, and I've just been thinking about what I should 'do' with them. High-heat roasting. Grilling? Probably not, since it involves charcoal lighting in our grill.

But much to my amazement (I guess I shouldn't be surprised based on the radicchio-loving herbivorous tendencies that I've previously observed), there were leaves gone from one of the clumps that I've been observing. Bah, humbug.

I was looking forward to enjoying their winter color for some time, until (much) colder weather (in the future) had mellowed bitterness in the leaves.

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Squirrels and radicchio

Adaptable local wildlife seem to be quite happy eating 'local' and enjoying the delicacies that I provide for them.

Our woodchuck (quite at home in the brush pile way back towards the woods) is feasting on tromboncino squash leaves, much to my annoyance, but at least s/he doesn't like tomatoes, eggplant, or yard-long beans. Fortunately, there's so much other summer squash this year, thanks to the relative absence of squash vine borers, I can't really complain. (Uh, I do keep setting my Havahart trap, but this woodchuck is much too canny to think that's inviting, even with Chuckster bait).

To my amazement this evening, though, I saw a squirrel (again) scampering off down the side fence with a huge radicchio leaf in (presumably her) mouth. She stopped, and started nibbling, but when I came closer, ran off with her prize.

I didn't have my camera, but there was definite evidence last year, and the year before that, I saw this (nursing) female squirrel enjoying a radicchio leaf in about the same spot. Quite remarkable.

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Hmm, another happy herbivore

I'm quite familiar with squirrels having unusual interests in radicchio. Peculiar, given how bitter it is in hot weather.

But late this afternoon, I spotted this fellow (or gal) yumming up radicchio leaves around the old pepper plant cage. And, there was evidence that the red-stemmed chicory was next; the cut leaf remnants were clear. The picture is blurry, but the evidence obvious.


Uh, I thought squirrels focused on acorns and hickory nuts in fall, with an occasional mushroom or two. Clearly not.

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Radicchio and squirrels

Last year, a nursing squirrel found the radicchio irresistable, but I was still surprised to come out the kitchen door this afternoon and see a squirrel scampering off with a radicchio leaf in her (presumably) mouth.


She left clear evidence behind. And, I had thought that clump was a bit bigger, but had absentmindedly thought perhaps I'd harvested some of it, and forgot? (the trio of greens)?

Hmm, not exactly. But I don't really mind. The beautiful red coloration in radicchio develops in cool weather, so hopefully the fall growth stimulated by the 'pruning' will be nice.

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A trio of greens

I've been growing something called 'Italian dandelion' for some time. Actually, since it seems to be perennial, and has really deep roots, I can't actually dig it all out. It's quite attractive and tasty, if prepared by leaching out most of the bitter sesquiterpene lactones first! It does appear to be a selection of common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale; my plants came from seed ordered from The Cook's Garden.

There are lots of other chicories that are enjoyed in Italy and elsewhere, with a number of different species being eaten as a salad herb or vegetable.

I sowed a red-stemmed Catalogna chicory in early spring this year which has flourished. Radicchio, which has tall and heading varieties, are largely subspecies of Chicorium intybus.

Italian dandelion ~~~~~~Catalogna chicory ~~~~~~~Treviso radicchio
Here's a trio of greens to be part of dinner this evening, braised with olive oil and fresh garlic.

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Time to garden again

The recent rains are really encouraging. And, the temperatures look halfway moderate through the week as well, so hopefully I'll be able to sow some flats of mesclun this weekend, and some of the greens as well. I noticed one of the radicchio plants (the female squirrel's favorite) is starting to bolt. So much for thinking I might get some lovely red leaves this fall. But I think I'll sow some more. I'd better check to make sure I have some that form the lovely red heads in the spring.

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Squirrels and salad?

In a optimistic mood, I sowed Treviso radicchio in the spring, thinking that I'd have nice small red leaves, in spite of the approaching summer heat. Unfortunately, Treviso radicchio turns red in cool weather, so I've had a lovely robust green patch all summer long; it's trouble-free but too bitter to eat without leaching out the bitter compounds before cooking, and then it's tough. I've left it in the garden as an experiment. I'm hoping that cool fall weather will mellow the taste, and encourage the leaves to actually look like radicchio. I had some lovely round heads a couple of seasons ago that were beautiful in the winter garden. So imagine my surprise when something started nibbling on a few leaves. We first thought maybe squirrels were using the flexible leaves in their summer nests, but I thought that the bitterness would deter them from too much activity. Yesterday evening, however, we had quite a surprise. The culprit (a cute female squirrel who's actually nursing according to a wildlife biologist friend of ours) was in full view of the kitchen window munching away. Who knew that squirrels like salad!

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