green cabbage honeynut squash chestnuts — fall flavors combine to make a delicious side dish
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Crying in H Mart a memoir by Michelle Zauner. In August 2018, the author had an essay published in The New Yorker magazine¹ with the same title. It starts like this:

Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart. For those of you who don’t know, H Mart is a supermarket chain that specializes in Asian food. The “H” stands for han ah reum, a Korean phrase that roughly translates to “one arm full of groceries.”

The essay became the first chapter of the memoir, which

maps a complicated mother-daughter relationship cut much too short. Stories of Korean food serve as the backbone of the book, as Zauner plumbs the connections between food and identity. That search takes on new urgency after her mother’s death — in losing her mother, she also lost her strongest tether to Korean culture.²

For most of the book, I had difficulty connecting to the author. I finally felt the connection when, after her mother’s death, Zauner experienced the unbearable weight of perceived failure in their inability of winning the fight against cancer. (My mother died 14 years ago, also of cancer.) Adding that crushing burden to a person’s grief is unfair. I believe we should erase the metaphors used to describe cancer’s progression in favor of factual words.

I expected the book to make me want to try Korean food, but it didn’t. Part of the reason is that most of the dishes mentioned (and there are a lot!) are meat-based. Then, the food is part of the language and narrative of the book. Not being Korean, I don’t have any memories of, or associations with those dishes. However, I understand the feeling. Shopping at a supermarket (supermercato) is one of the first things I do when I arrive in Italy for a visit: surrounded by familiar foods, I have truly arrived.

street seller of roasted chestnuts (Perugia, 2012)

So the book inspired me to look at a food from my upbringing, something not only Italian, but from my family traditions. When I was in Italy last month, the smell of roasted chestnuts (caldarroste), which in Italy are sold as street food, reminded me of my mother. Every October, she would buy a large amount of chestnuts from someone in Casperia, the village in central Italy where she grew up. Then, in the following weeks, we would eat them often, as dessert at the end of dinner, alternatively roasted and boiled. I liked them both ways.

A trail above Bressanone through a chestnut grove — a trail above Bressanone through a chestnut grove

In Bressanone, a city in South Tyrol, where we spent the first week of the recent visit, one day I rode my bicycle through a castagneto (grove of chestnut trees) and saw people foraging for chestnuts, freeing them from the spiny burs (ricci). While chestnuts are not widely available where I live now, one farm brings them to the market. When, upon returning from Italy, I saw them, I was inspired to use them to make a side dish, together with other seasonal ingredients: honeynut squash, green cabbage, leeks.

The main ingredients: lek, cabbage, chestnuts, winter squash — The main ingredients
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The side dish is earthy and sweet (almost dessert-like) and you can easily make it vegan by omitting the butter and adding another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. It is a great choice for Holiday-related gatherings as it accommodates a variety of eating styles.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Green cabbage with honeynut squash and chestnuts

Ingredients:

5 ounces / 140 grams raw chestnuts
1 small bay leaf
8 ounces / 225 grams honeynut squash, clean weight
6 ounces / 170 grams leek, white and light green portion, clean weight (set aside the darker green portion to make broth or stock)
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon / 15 grams unsalted butter OR 1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil [vegan option]
1 pound / 450 grams green cabbage
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon harissa spice mix
¼ cup / 60 ml lukewarm water
¾ -1 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

Notes: 1) The chestnuts must be prepared in advance, so plan accordingly. 2) If you cannot find the honeynut squash, you can use a small butternut or red kuri squash.

Do ahead: Cook the chestnuts
With a pointed blade, make a slit in the shell without cutting through the meat. Place the chestnuts in a saucepan, cover abundantly with water and add the bay leaf. Cover the saucepan, bring to a lively boil then cook on low heat until the chestnuts are tender (check one after 30 minutes to estimate the time remaining).

Take the pan off the heat. Take out of the water 3 chestnuts. Wait a minute to let them cool and peel the first one. Use a sharp knife with a pointed blade to remove the shell, then the skin. Take another one out of the water, then peel one of the first 3, and so on: this creates a lineup of chestnuts cool enough to handle but warm enough for easier peeling. If a chestnut breaks while being handled, it is fine: they will be roughly chopped later anyway. Set aside.

Prepare the dish
Use a sturdy swivel vegetable peeler to peel the squash. Deseed the squash, if needed. Slice it, then cut it into cubes no larger than ½ inch / 1.25 cm. (If you use a red kuri squash, quarter it and deseed it first, then peel it.)

Cut the leek (or leeks) in half lengthwise and slice into 1/8 inch / 3 mm half-moons. Rinse well in a colander, then place in a bowl and fill it with cold water. With your hands, swirl the leeks to clean them well, then scoop them out of the water with a sieve or slotted spoon and drain them in a colander.

Warm the olive oil and butter (if using) in a 10-inch deep sauté pan or large skillet on medium heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the leeks, stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Add the squash, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 8 minutes, stirring often, until the leeks are just tender and the squash has softened a bit.

In the meantime, quarter and core the cabbage. Cut away the external thick ribs. Slice each quarter into ¼-inch / 6-mm-thick ribbons.

Turn up the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic to the pan, sprinkle the harissa on the vegetables and stir well. After 1 minute, add the cabbage and the water, stir slightly (this will be a bit awkward, given the volume of the raw cabbage) and cover. Cook over low heat until the cabbage is almost ready (15-18 minutes, or as needed), stirring often.

In the meantime, cut each chestnut into 6-8 pieces.

Add the chestnuts to the cabbage and stir well. Cover and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the chestnuts are heated through and the cabbage and squash are tender.

Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon of salt on the vegetables, stir, taste and add more salt, if needed. Remove the pan from the heat. Serve immediately.

Serves 5-6.

¹The essay published on The New Yorker
² The book’s review on NPR

Click on the Play button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logo This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by me, Simona of briciole. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

bean, tomato, sweet pepper and corn salad / insalata di fagioli, pomodori, peperoni dolci e mais

September 30, 2024December 25, 2025 | Simona

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bean, tomato, sweet pepper and corn salad — bright colors and flavors on the plate
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd¹. The novel is set in South Carolina in 1964. Young Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped by her mother’s death and a violent father, and stand-in mother Rosaleen run away from their home and hometown and find refuge in the house of the three Boatwright sisters in Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that is somehow connected to Lily’s mother’s past. Lily learns about bees, beekeeping, making honey (miele) and about life in an environment that is nurturing — with a dose of eccentricity.

I can see how the novel became a bestseller (and a movie): individual lives play out in a small corner of the American south against the backdrop of the civil rights’ movement. Rosaleen gets assaulted at the beginning of the novel for wanting to register to vote, following the passing of the Civil Rights Act. It’s a bit slow-moving at times, like poured honey.

The view from Tiburon towards the Golden Gate Bridge

While Tiburon, SC, is fictional, Tiburon, CA², is a lovely town on the San Francisco Bay (tiburón means “shark” in Spanish). I ride my bicycle through the town fairly often. The view from the bay front is spectacular. On a day without fog you can see the Golden Gate Bridge. When there is fog you can get a portion of it, like in the photo above, or you see nothing at all. From Tiburon, you can take the ferry (traghetto) to Angel Island. The U.S. Immigration Station, in operation between 1910 and 1940, was on the island, which is now a State Park³.

Given the novel’s setting, I should have been inspired to prepare something with honey, but instead I went with the color yellow and chose sweet corn. Freshly harvested Coco Nero beans in their pod at the farmers’ market⁴ plus seasonal delights like tomatoes and sweet peppers pointed towards a nice salad and that’s what I prepared.

farm fresh vegetables — vegetable composition with Coco nero beans
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The salad requires some planning as the beans, sweet peppers and sweet corn must be cooked beforehand. The recipe can be easily doubled.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Bean, tomato, sweet pepper and corn salad

Ingredients:

1/2 pound / 225 grams Coco Nero beans in the pod, about 4 ounces / 113 g shelled
1 cup / 240 ml water
1/4 small onion, halved
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/2 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 ounces / 85 grams roasted sweet peppers or bell peppers (recipe below)
3 ounces / 85 grams roasted sweet corn (recipe below)
4 ounces / 113 grams tomatoes, slicing or small heirlooms
1/2 ripe avocado
1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Notes: For efficiency’s sake, I suggest shelling more beans and freeze what you don’t need for future use. Same for sweet peppers and sweet corn: you can use them right away in other dishes or freeze them for future use. Beans sold still in the pod require less water and less cooking time than dry beans.

I recommend roasting

at least 2 fresh ears of corn, still in their husks and with silks attached (otherwise wrap them in foil before roasting)
at least 1/2 pound / 8 ounces / 225 grams sweet peppers (choose a meaty variety)

Cook the beans
Place the beans in a saucepan with the water, onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Bring the water to a lively boil, then turn down the heat and let the beans simmer, covered, until they are tender. Taste them after 20 minutes and estimate if/how much longer they should cook. Check the beans at regular intervals and add some hot water, if needed to keep all the beans moist.

Let the beans cool in their cooking broth (pan uncovered), then remove the aromatics and discard them. Let the beans rest in their broth until ready to use.

Roast the corn
Heat the oven to 450 F / 230 C.

Place the corn on a baking sheet leaving a bit of space between the ears and roast for 20 minutes. Let the ears cool briefly, then remove the husks and silks.

Working in a shallow bowl or dish, stand the corn vertically and use a knife to cut the kernels and scrapings from the cob. (Save the empty cobs to make stock or broth.) Weigh the necessary amount, toss with a fork to separate the kernels, and set aside.

Roast the peppers
Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Place the peppers on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the peppers 90 or 180 degrees, depending on their width.

Roast for 15 more minutes, then turn the peppers. Repeat after 10 minutes. Continue roasting until they are ready, i.e., when the skin has turned dark and is detaching in places. (The time depends on the type and size of peppers.)

Put the peppers in a sealed container or paper bag to steam, then peel off skin, discard stem and seeds, and the liquid they release. Weigh the necessary amount, dice and set aside.

Assemble the salad
Drain the beans and place them in a small salad bowl. (Set aside the cooking liquid for use in a soup or stew.)

Add the sweet peppers and corn to the beans. Chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl.

Scoop the avocado flesh into a ramekin and mash well with the lemon or lime juice. Spoon over the salad and toss.

Add the minced shallot and fresh parsley and toss briefly. Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper on the salad and toss one last time.

Refrigerate the salad an hour or so, then take it out of the refrigerator ahead of serving it so it is not too cold. The salad is best consumed the day it is assembled.

Store any leftover salad in the refrigerator and consume within a day.

Serves 2

¹ The book page on the author’s website.
² Wikipedia: Tiburon, California
³ Angel Island State Park. To learn more about the immigration station and the people who were detained and processed there, visit the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation website, which includes virtual exhibits.
⁴ Thanks to Star Route Farms farm in Bolinas for growing special produce including the Coco Nero beans

Click on the Play button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logo This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Debra of Eliot’s Eats. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

shishito peppers with cheese / peperoni shishito col formaggio

July 31, 2024December 25, 2025 | Simona

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shishito peppers with cheese — sweet and crunchy with a note of cheese
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Family Tree by Susan Wiggs¹. The novel follow Annie as the life she thought was perfect shatters (physically, as she is the victim of a major accident, and emotionally, as the accident happens on the heels of her discovering her husband’s infidelity) and is slowly rebuilt. I don’t think the publisher’s description “powerful, emotionally complex story” applies. However, if you enjoy stories about second chances, family and small towns you may like this novel.

shishito peppers — pretty in bright green
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

At the beginning Annie is the producer of a TV cooking show called The Key Ingredient, starring her husband. At the end, she produces and stars in a food webcast called Starting from Scratch. I don’t watch television nor webcasts, so have no experience of either genres. Still, I played a game in my mind, imagining what I would do if I were given the chance to host a food-centric show. I decided that I’d probably roam farmers markets and interview farmers and also stop at farmstands and do a live version of the still lives with produce I’ve been composing and photographing for some time². (I usually publish them on Sunday afternoon.)

little wing farm stand — Little Wing Farm stand near Point Reyes Station is a must stop

When I ride my bicycle, if I encounter a farmstand, I usually stop. One place where I like to do so is the Little Wing Farm‘s unmanned stand just outside Point Reyes Station in Marin County. The last time I stopped there, a couple of weeks ago, it had gorgeous bunches of flowers, which I could not look at too closely, since I couldn’t carry one on my bike. I focused on the baby arugula (rucola) and shishito peppers: I purchased a bag of the former and a basket of the latter and tucked them into my light backpack (which also contained an oat bran date pecan muffin from Bovine Bakery³, in Point Reyes Station, my fuel for the longish ride).

After Point Reyes Station, my ride brought me to the charming village of Nicasio, home of the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company⁴. Given the warm temperature and the fact that I’d be on my bicycle for at least another couple of hours, I didn’t stop to purchase cheese at the creamery (caseificio), but did so the following morning at the San Rafael farmers’ market and went home with some of their tomino.

The baby arugula brightened my dinner salad for several days. As for the shishito peppers, the most common way of preparing them is described also on the sign at the farmstand: cooked in a cast-iron skillet until blistered. Quick and easy, it gives an excellent result. The blistered peppers can be served as appetizer or side dish (antipasto o contorno). I wondered how the small, thin-skinned peppers would taste when paired with the tomino and went to work to find out. I liked the result and made the dish several more times, using shishito peppers from the farmers’ market.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Shishito peppers with cheese

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
5 ounces / 140 grams shishito peppers
1 ounce / 30 grams Nicasio Valley Cheese Company tomino or similar cheese
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Warm up a 10-inch/25-cm cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Drizzle the olive oil and use a cooking brush to oil the skillet evenly.

Add the shishito peppers and spread them in a single layer. They should sizzle slightly in the hot skillet. Turn down the heat to medium-low.

Cook for 3 minutes, until the peppers are blistered in spots underneath.

In the meantime, slice the cheese thinly and quarter each slice. Distribute the cheese on the bottom of a serving plate.

Flip the peppers and cook 2 minutes until they are blistered in spots and tender, but still a bit crunchy.

Sprinkle the sea salt on the peppers and quickly transfer them to the prepared serving plate.

Serve immediately.

Eat the peppers with a fork, making sure to scoop up a bit of the softened cheese along the way from plate to mouth.

Serves 1-2.

a batch of shishito peppers included yellowish and reddish ones
(small bowl by Lily Haas5, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

This dish has become a favorite. My husband does not care for peppers which gives me an excuse to eat a whole basket by myself.

¹The book’s page on the author’s website
² My Instagram account
³ Bovine Bakery in Point Reyes Station
⁴ Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, makes tomino
⁵ Lily Haas (Instagram feed)

Click on the Play button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logo This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Claudia of Honey From Rock. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

mixed vegetables with thyme / verdure miste al timo

May 31, 2024February 21, 2026 | Simona

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mixed vegetable with thyme
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge¹. In post-war Paris, a woman is found murdered in the basement of the building where Paul and Julia Child live, and the murder weapon is a knife from Julia’s kitchen. If this brief introduction sounds intriguing, you’ll probably enjoy the book. I’m afraid I didn’t find the novel believable.²

The narrator, a young woman named Tabitha, lives with her grandfather not far from the Childs and befriends Julia. He grows a variety of herbs (erbe aromatiche) in his greenhouse:

There were rows of planters in the dome-shaped room… filled with herbs like tarragon, chervil, rosemary, thyme, basil, and of course, catnip. (dragoncello, cerfoglio, rosmarino, timo, basilico, erba gatta)

Thyme is probably my favorite herb and I use it with abandon, most recently on the first summer vegetables that have made their appearance at the farmers’ market.Usually, I strip the leaves, but sometimes I add the sprigs (rametti) whole, and remove the almost bare stems at the end, before serving. The tenderest ones blend with the vegetables and are undetectable when eating.

Last month, I spent a week in Los Osos, a town on the Central Coast of California, south of Morro Bay. The Monday farmers’ market there is one of my favorite: small, but offering a rich variety of produce. Also, with respect to the markets in Northern California, it was ahead of time in terms of summer vegetables. As a result, while there I ate the first zucchini (zucchine) and tomatoes of the season and even some sweet peppers. I also found glorious bunches of carrots (carote).

bunches of carrots at the Los Osos farmers’ market: irresistible

At the San Rafael farmers’ market, I recently scored the first eggplant (melanzane) of the season and at the Arcata farmers market, I put in my bag a beautiful head of escarole (scarola): it a type of endive, slightly bitter, and delightfully so. I like to use the outer leaves (foglie esterne) cooked with other vegetables, as in the recipe below, while I add the inner, tenderer leaves to salads. Using carrots and escarole in the same dish creates a delicious bittersweet combination.

summer vegetables are here!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO

The dish is easy to make and cooks fairly quickly. I finish it with some flavorful creamy white miso³ from a local producer. As is, the dish is vegan. You can enrich it with eggs, cheese or, to keep it vegan, nutritional yeast.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Mixed vegetables with thyme

Ingredients:

3 ounces / 85 grams (2) carrots
3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces / 112 grams red spring onion, diced small
1/4 teaspoon Harissa spice mix
A handful of thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces / 113 grams eggplant (1 small)
2 tablespoons / 30 ml hot water
4 ounces / 113 grams escarole leaves
8 ounces /225 grams zucchini (Black Beauty, Costata Romanesco, Magda, etc.)
1 tablespoon white miso or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Scrub the carrots well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin, then grate them using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Warm up the olive oil in a 10-inch/25-cm deep sauté pan.

Add the onion, lower the heat and stir, then after 1 minute, add the grated carrot and stir. After 2 minutes, sprinkle the harissa spice mix, add the thyme, and stir well. Cook on low heat for another 2 minutes, stirring often.

In the meantime, trim top and bottom of the eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch / 6 mm slices lengthwise, then cut each slice into small dice.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir. After 1 minute, add the diced eggplant and stir, then add the water and stir. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring a few times.

Wash and drain the escarole leaves, halve them lengthwise then slice them crosswise into 1-inch / 2.5 cm strips.

Add the escarole to the pan, stir well, cover and cook for 4 minutes.

In the meantime, trim the zucchini, then grate them using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Add the zucchini, turn up the heat to medium and stir well. Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for 4 minutes or so, until the zucchini are just tender.

Uncover, add the white miso and stir until well blended (or sprinkle the sea salt and stir).

Remove from the heat and serve warm.

Serves 3-4.

I have already prepared this dish several times and I see myself doing it often this summer.

¹The book’s page on the publisher’s website
² Review on Kirkus Reviews
³ From Palmer Creek Farm’s Instagram feed: photo of the white miso, made with rice koji and white beans. To learn more about koji, miso, and what Richard Wagner makes, you can read the article I wrote for the North Coast Journal, which peeks from under the containers of miso in the photo.

Click on the Play button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logo This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

skillet-cooked asparagus with eggs / asparagi in padella con le uova

March 31, 2024December 25, 2025 | Simona

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skillet-cooked asparagus with eggs — a simple combination, a delicious dish
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley¹. This was my first time not only choosing a graphic memoir (or novel) for our Club, but also reading one. I thoroughly enjoyed following Lucy’s life adventures and her connection with various foods. The graphic medium lends itself nicely to Lucy’s stories and the recipes ending the chapters come to life in her drawings.

I prepared mushrooms according to her mother’s recipe (after Julia Child) and the result was excellent. While I will continue to bake chocolate-chunk cookies according to my recipe², Knisley’s recipe inspired me to include some unsweetened coconut flakes: I liked the result. I didn’t feel compelled to follow other recipes, but was inspired by her mother’s garden bounty to prepare asparagus, whose season has recently started here.

asparagus and egg — the marriage of two foods I love
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I’ve always loved asparagus, and was delighted when my mother prepared them. She boiled them then dressed them with a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette. She never veered from that recipe, while my father never failed to mention eating asparagi alla Bismarck when visiting Turin for work. I found the idea of a sunny-side up egg (uovo all’occhio di bue) on a bed of cooked asparagus quite appealing, but my my mother didn’t share my view.

I have no idea how the dish became associated with the Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. I know though that the Accademia Italiana della Cucina includes various recipes featuring asparagus and eggs, which tells me the combination is rooted in Italian food traditions.

In recent years, I’ve cooked asparagus many times, always in the oven, usually topped with sesame seeds (semi di sesamo). I somehow forgot my desire to eat asparagus with eggs until a recipe for asparagus cooked in a skillet in a recent Saveur newsletter³ made me want not only to try the method but also to finally put an egg on top.

The dish requires minimal preparation and a short cooking time. You can skip the cheese, if you’d like a lighter dish: the result is still excellent.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Skillet-cooked asparagus with eggs

Ingredients:

1 pound / 450 grams asparagus
1 tablespoon / 15 grams unsalted butter
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ounce / 30 grams freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other cheese of choice that melts well (I use locally made gouda)
1/2 tablespoon / 7 grams unsalted butter
2 large eggs from pastured poultry

Rinse the asparagus and snap off the fibrous bottoms.

Warm up a large (12-inch / 30-cm) cast-iron skillet on medium heat, then add the butter. When the foam subsides, add the asparagus to the skillet and shake it to coat the spears. Cover the skillet, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook the asparagus for about 3 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender to the tip of a blade, 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness and freshness of the asparagus).

When the asparagus is a few minutes from being ready, warm up a small skillet on medium heat, then add the butter and swirl it to coat the bottom. Gently break the eggs into the skillet, making sure they stay separate. Turn down the heat to low and cook until the white is set. The yolk should remain runny.

Sprinkle some sea salt and black pepper, to taste, on the asparagus. Sprinkle some sea salt on the eggs, if desired.

Divide the asparagus onto 2 plates, sprinkle half the cheese on each portion, then gently deposit one sunny-side up egg on the cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

I am fortunate to have access to eggs of excellent quality (from pastured poultry), so I can indulge in one of my favorite foods: a runny yolk over vegetables. A dish does not need to be complicated to be delicious.

¹The book’s page on the author’s website
² From briciole’s archive: Brown butter chocolate chunk cookies
³ Recipe for Skillet asparagus in Saveur, adapted from Edna Lewis

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logo This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by me, Simona of briciole. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

winter squash and beans / zucca e fagioli

March 9, 2024March 5, 2026 | Simona

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versione in italiano

winter squash and beans — a simple pairing with a lot of flavor
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

This is my interpretation of a traditional dish from Italy. The first recipe I read uses black-eyed peas (fagioli dall’occhio) so that’s what I used in my first version, together with some Musquée de Provence squash I found at the farmers’ market. I then read other recipes which referenced “white beans” (fagioli bianchi). I had some Zolfino bean¹ (fagiolo zolfino), an Italian heirloom variety, so I used that. For my final try, I used locally grown organic Yellow Eye beans, which performed best in the recipe.

beans and squash — black-eyed peas (top), zolfino (middle) and yellow eye beans (bottom), Speckled Hound squash (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

In terms of squash, besides the Musquée de Provence, I used Speckled Hound (locally grown by the same farm that grows the beans) and a Honeynut squash, also from the farmers’ market. All the squash varieties performed well.

All the recipes I read list cooked beans as one of the ingredients. I start with dried beans and my recipe below includes instructions on cooking the beans. The fresh ginger (zenzero) is my addition: it is the perfect complement to winter squash.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Winter squash and beans

Ingredients for the beans:

1/2 cup / 100 g / 3 1/2 ounces Yellow Eye beans or other similar beans
2 cups / 480 ml water
1/2 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, sliced
1/2 small onion, halved
A couple of parsley stems
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Ingredients for the dish:

Half of the cooked beans and their liquid (see below)
1 pound / 450 grams winter squash (for example, Speckled Hound, Musquée de Provence), clean weight
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces / 112 grams red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Cook the dry beans
Rinse the beans then place them in a small saucepan with the water, the aromatics and the sea salt. Cover, bring the water to a lively boil and keep it there for 4-5 minutes. Turn down the heat and let the beans simmer, covered, until they are tender. Taste them after 1 hour and estimate how much longer they should cook.

Check the beans at regular intervals. If necessary, add some hot water to ensure there is enough liquid to cover the beans.

Let the beans cool in their broth, then remove the aromatics and discard them. Let the beans rest in their cooking broth until ready to use.

Prepare the dish
Drain the beans and weigh separately the beans and their liquid: set aside half of each for the recipe. Put the rest of the beans back in the rest of the liquid and refrigerate for use within the next few days.

Peel and deseed the squash. I use a grapefruit spoon to remove the seeds and a sturdy swivel vegetable peeler to peel the squash. Depending on the type of squash, you may halve it first, then deseed it, then peel it. This is what I did with the Speckled Hound squash. If you are using a honeynut squash, however, it is easier to peel it first, then cut it. I purchased the Musquée de Provence cut into sections and already deseeded, so I only had to peel it.

Weigh the amount of squash needed. Cut the squash into small bit-sized pieces.

In a 10-inch / 25-cm deep sauté pan, warm up the olive oil on medium heat, add the onion, stir well, then turn down the heat. After 1 minute, add the grated ginger and stir well. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 8 minutes, until the onion is soft, stirring often and making sure the pan does not become dry.

Add the garlic to the pan and stir well. After 1 minute, turn up the heat to medium, add the cut squash and stir well. Add 2 tablespoons of the bean broth and stir well. Cover, lower the heat and cook until the squash is just tender (15 minutes or as needed), stirring every now and then. Add the beans and stir well. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the sea salt and stir. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the parsley on the vegetables and stir well. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3.

By using different varieties of winter squash and beans, every time you get a slightly different dish.

¹Zolfino bean page on the Slow Food Foundation site

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

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zucca e fagioli

Lettera dopo lettera, siamo arrivati alla Z, ultima tappa del nostro viaggio alfabeto-gastronomico. Dopo aver contemplato ricette da varie parti del mondo, ho deciso di rimanere in Italia con un piatto semplice e gustoso, nel quale si incontrano due ingredienti che amo molto: la zucca e i fagioli.

La prima ricetta l’ho trovata sul sito dell’Accademia Italiana della Cucina: zucca e fagioli dall’occhio ‘all’uso di Formia’.¹ Ho poi trovato un paio di altre ricette² (‘alla napoletana’) che utilizzano fagioli bianchi (e la cipolla). Come al solito, ho fatto vari esperimenti, utilizzando diverse varietà di zucca e di fagioli, non solo quelli dall’occhio, ma anche il fagiolo zolfino, originario della Toscana.³ e una varietà chiamata “Yellow Eye” coltivata in un’azienda agricola vicino a dove abito, che è anche l’origine della zucca Speckled Hound nella foto qui sotto. In termini di zucca ho utilizzato anche della Musquée de Provence e Honeynut.

fagioli e zucca — fagioli dall’occhio (in alto), fagiolo zolfino (in mezzo) e yellow eye (in basso) e zucca Speckled Hound (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

Nessuna delle ricette che ho letto descrive la cottura dei fagioli quindi io ho usato la mia ricetta base per cuocerli. L’uso dello zenzero fresco è dettato dal mio gusto: lo zenzero è complemento perfetto alla zucca.

Ingredienti per i fagioli:

100 grammi di fagioli piccoli, come il fagiolo zolfino
400 ml d’acqua
1/2 foglia d’alloro
1 spicchio d’aglio a fettine
1/2 cipolla piccola tagliata a metà
2 steli di prezzemolo
1/8 cucchiaino di sale fino

Ingredienti per il piatto:

metà dei fagioli cotti e del loro liquido di cottura
450 grammi di zucca, peso pulito
2 cucchiai / 30 ml di olio extra-vergine d’oliva
112 grammi di cipolla rossa tritata
1 cucchiaio di radice di zenzero grattugiata
1 spicchio d’aglio tritato
1 cucchiaino di sale fino
1 cucchiaio di prezzemolo fresco tritato

Preparate i fagioli
Sciacquate i fagioli, poi metteteli in una piccola pentola con l’acqua, gli odori e il sale. Coprite, portate a bollore vivace rapidamente e mantenete per 4-5 minuti. Abbassate il calore, e fate cuocere i fagioli a fuoco dolce fino a quando siano teneri. Controllate i fagioli ad intervalli regolari e, se necessario, aggiungete dell’acqua bollente per tenerli immersi nel liquido di cottura.

Fate freddare i fagioli nel liquido di cottura, poi rimuovere gli odori e scartateli. Lasciate i fagioli nel loro brodo fino a quando siete pronti ad utilizzarli.

Preparate il piatto
Scolate i fagioli e pesateli separatamente dal loro liquido di cottura: mettete da parte metà dei fagioli e del liquido per la ricetta. Mettete il resto dei fagioli nel resto del loro liquido di cottura. Conservate in frigorifero e utilizzate nel giro di pochi giorni.

Sbucciate la zucca e rimuovete i semi. Io uso un pelaverdure verticale per sbucciare la zucca e un cucchiaio da pompelmo per rimuovere i semi. A seconda del tipo di zucca che utilizzate, tagliatela prima a metà, poi togliete i semi e poi sbucciatela. Ho fatto così con la Speckled Hound, mentre con la Honeynut e più facile prima sbucciarla, poi tagliarla. Ho comprato la Musquée de Provence tagliata a sezioni e senza semi quindi ho dovuto solo sbucciarla.

Pesate la quantità di zucca necessaria e tagliatela a cubetti.

In una padella di 25 cm a bordi alti, scaldate l’olio su calore medio, aggiungete la ciposlla, mescolate bene, poi abbassate il calore. Dopo un minuto, aggiungete lo zenzero e mescolate bene. Incoperchiate e cuocete a fuoco basso per 8 minuti, fino a quando la cipolla sia tenera, mescolando spesso e assicurandovi che il fondo non si asciughi.

Aggiungete l’aglio e mescolate bene. Dopo un minuto, alzate il calore a medio, aggiungete la zucca e mescolate bene. Aggiungete 2 cucchiai del liquido di cottura dei fagioli e mescolate bene. Incoperchiate e cuocete a fuoco basso fino a quando la zucca sia appena tenera (15 minuti circa, o il tempo necessario), mescolando di tanto in tanto.

Aggiungete i fagioli e mescolate bene. Incoperchiate e cuocete per 5 minuti.

Salate e mescolate. Togliete la padella dal calore, spargete il prezzemolo e mescolate bene. Servite immediatamente.

Porzioni: 2-3

La possibilità di creare accoppiate diverse scegliendo diverse varietà di fagioli e di zucca rende questo piatto particolarmente attraente.

¹ La ricetta della zucca e fagioli dall’occhio dell’Accademia italiana della cucina
² Una ricetta di zucca e fagioli alla napoletana e un’altra
³ Fagiolo zolfino Presidio Slow Food

Un mondo d'ingredienti logo Contribuisco questo piatto di zucca e fagioli dall’Italia (che ho preparato anche col fagiolo zolfino e che comprende lo zenzero tra gli ingredienti) alla lettera Z di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara

FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall’azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.

savoy cabbage with egg and cheese / pipetto (verza con uovo e formaggio)

February 17, 2024March 5, 2026 | Simona

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versione in italiano

savoy cabbage with egg and cheese — version with purple savoy cabbage
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Pipetto¹ is a comforting side dish from Crema (a city in Lombardy, northern Italy): savoy cabbage with a mix of spices (noce moscata, pepe nero, cannella, chiodi di garofano), egg and cheese, perfect for winter. I found different recipes for it and below is my rendition.

As the photo shows, I have made the dish with both green and purple savoy cabbage and both were excellent.

I steam the savoy cabbage before cooking it with the egg and cheese, frittata-style, and like I do with frittata, I finish cooking it under the broiler. The original recipe calls for Grana Padano cheese, which is hard to find here and rather expensive, so I substitute it with cave-aged Gruyère.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Savoy cabbage with egg and cheese

Ingredients:

1 pound 9 ounces / 700 grams savoy cabbage (weighed after removing, if necessary, the external leaves)
1 large egg, possibly from pastured poultry
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 1/2 ounces / 100 grams Grana Padano cheese, freshly grated (I used cave-aged Gruyère)
1 ounce / 2 tablespoons / 30 grams unsalted butter
1 garlic clove

Quarter the savoy cabbage and cut away the tough central core. Halve each quarter lengthwise, then slice each eighth into 1/4 inch strips.

Steam the savoy cabbage until tender (8-10 minutes), if necessary, half at a time to ensure even cooking. Transfer the savoy cabbage to a large bowl.

Break the egg into a small bowl, whisk it with a fork to blend yolk and white, then add the salt and all the spices and whisk briefly. Add the cheese and stir, then pour onto the savoy cabbage and stir well to incorporate. Let rest for 2-3 hours.

Warm up a 10-inch / 25-cm skillet. Add half the butter and, when melted, add the garlic clove, peeled and halved. After a minute, remove the garlic and swirl the butter to coat the bottom of the skillet.

Transfer the savoy cabbage to the skillet and distribute it evenly. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, turn on the broiler. (In a broiler drawer, use the low setting. In a regular oven, place the rack lower than the middle.)

Melt the remaining butter and drizzle it on the savoy cabbage. Place the skillet in the oven for 3 minutes, leaving the door ajar.

Take the skillet out of the oven (don’t forget that the handle is hot) and let rest for a few minutes, then slide the savoy cabbage onto a serving plate, cut and serve immediately.

Serves: 4-6

¹A version of this recipe (as Spiced cabbage with egg) can be found in the cookbook La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy by the Italian Academy of Cuisine

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting the product on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

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pipetto (pipèto o nusèt): verza con uovo e formaggio

Ho trovato la ricetta per questo piatto, tipico della zona di Crema, a base di verza sul sito dell’Accademia Italiana della Cucina.¹ Poi ne ho trovate altre² e quella che vi presento è la mia versione, basata sulle ricette e sui miei esperimenti. Sulla versione in inglese del post potete vedere la foto di una varietà di verza con le foglie screziate viola che mi sembra di capire non si trovi in Italia (e che non va confusa con il cavolo rosso).

Sulla pagina di Wikipedia dedicata a questo contorno³ il nome pipèto deriva dal metodo di cottura (stufatura lenta) e nusèt dall’uso della noce moscata per insaporire il piatto.

Ingredienti:

700 grammi di verza (pesata dopo aver rimosso, se necessario, le foglie esterne)
1 uovo codice 0
1/2 cucchiaino di sale fino
1/4 cucchiaino di cannella in polvere
1/4 cucchiaino di chiodi di garofano in polvere
1/4 cucchiaino di pepe nero macinato fresco
1/8 cucchiaino di noce moscata in polvere
100 grammi di Grana Padano grattugiato fresco (io ho usato Gruyère stagionato poiché qui non trovo Grana Padano di qualità ad un prezzo accessibile)
30 grammi di burro
1 spicchio d’aglio

Tagliate la verza in quarti e rimuovete il torsolo. Tagliate ogni quarto a metà per lungo e poi ogni ottavo a listarelle larghe mezzo centimetro. Cuocete la verza al vapore fino a quando sia tenera (8-10 minuti) metà per volta se necessario. Trasferite la verza in un’insalatiera.

Rompete l’uovo in una ciotola e sbattetelo leggermente con una forchetta, poi aggiungete il sale e le spezie e mescolate. Aggiungete il formaggio versatelo e mescolate. Infine, versate il tutto sulla verza e mescolate bene per incorporare. Lasciate riposare per 2-3 ore.

Scaldate su fuoco medio una padella di 25 cm di diametro. Mettete metà del burro nella padella e, quando è fuso, aggiungete l’aglio tagliato a metà. Dopo un minuto, rimuovete l’aglio e distribuite il burro sul fondo della padella.

Versate la verza nella padella e distribuitela in modo da formare uno strato uniforme. Cuocete su fuoco basso per 10 minuti.

Nel frattempo, accendete la parte alta del forno. Posizionate la griglia al di sotto alla metà.

Fondete il resto del burro e distribuitelo sulla superficie della verza. Mettete la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per 3 minuti.

Tirate fuori la padella (fate attenzione: il manico scotta) e fate riposare un paio di minuti, poi trasferite il pipetto su un piatto, tagliate e servite subito.

Porzioni: 4

¹ La ricetta del pipetto dell’Accademia italiana della cucina
² Un’altra ricetta e una terza
³ Wikipedia: pipèto

Un mondo d'ingredienti logo Contribuisco la mia versione del pipetto, contorno a base di verza della tradizione cremasca (Lombardia), alla lettera V di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara

spinach pie with pine nuts and raisins / tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta

January 27, 2024March 5, 2026 | Simona

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versione in italiano

spinach pie with pine nuts and raisins — a lot of dark leafy greens go into this dish (2^nd version)
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Undercooked by Dan Adhoot¹. The book is described as “a collection of hilarious essays about how food became one man’s obsession and coping mechanism, and how it came to rule—and sometimes ruin—his relationships.” It was the first time I listened to an audio book read by the author: it was interesting, and in this case, a necessity, I think. I am afraid I didn’t find the essays hilarious, rather mostly sad. Two essays I enjoyed listening to. In the first, Adhoot talks about his grandparents, Iranian Jews who emigrated to the U.S. Adhoot’s grandfather was treated horribly because of his religious heritage, but didn’t let that cow him. His grandmother was a great cook, who prepared sumptuous meals for the family as a way of sharing Persian food traditions and expressing her love. When Adhoot describes the grandparents’ relationship, he holds his usual jokes and finds moving words. I felt I was finally listening to the person, not the comedian.

In the second essay, Adhoot talks about living with his parents during the pandemic. It is around food that their relationship heals. One truly funny moment of the book is the phone conversation with his mother whom he called to ask for a recipe. It reminded me of surreal conversations with my mother on the same topic.

(L to R) beet greens, turnip greens, tatsoi from the farmers market
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Adhoot lists a number of Persian dishes his grandmother used to cook, all meat-centered — not for me. He also talks about the lengthy process used in Iran to cook basmati rice. For a previous Cook the Books Club edition, I wrote about Kuku Sabzi, a kind of herb frittata traditionally prepared for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that is celebrated on the spring equinox² so that was out from my list.

I then looked at the Jewish side of his heritage for inspiration. Some years ago, I acquired a book of Jewish Italian cuisine: La cucina nella tradizione ebraica, a rich collection³ of recipes, succinctly described and without photos. There I found tortino di spinaci, described as being an old Italian recipe (I decided it is a cousin of kuku sabzi). It uses raisins, pine nuts, anchovies (acciughe) and capers (capperi).

The original recipe calls for spinach, which I could not find at the farmers market when I first decided to make my version, so I used a combination of beet greens (foglie di barbabietola), turnip greens (foglie di rapa) and tatsoi. As usual, I adjusted the quantities to suit my taste. The result was excellent — but I didn’t take a photo.

baby turnip greens, spinach, pink radicchio, celeriac, golden turnip, pink daikon — baby turnip greens and spinach from the farmers market
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

For the next rendition, I used spinach and baby turnip greens from the farmers market. The flavor was different, as was to be expected, still excellent. The color was different as well, as the previous version included the stems of beet greens, which gave the dish a reddish tone.

Washing, chopping and cooking the leafy greens takes a bit of time and patience. However, once the greens are ready, the dish takes only some assembly, then the oven does the rest.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Spinach pie with pine nuts and raisins

Ingredients:

1 pound 10 ounces / 740 grams spinach OR a combination of spinach and other dark leafy greens, including beet greens, turnip greens, tatsoi
3/4 ounce / 20 grams raisins
3/4 ounce / 20 grams pine nuts
4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 anchovy fillets
1/2 ounce / 15 grams drained small capers
1 garlic clove
1 large egg from pastured poultry
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Wash the spinach and other greens, if using, carefully and drain them, letting a small amount of water cling to the leaves.

If you are using beet greens, tatsoi, or another dark leafy green with relatively thicker stems, separate those from the leaves and chop them.

Place the raisins in a ramekin and pour 1 tablespoon warm water on them and stir. Set aside.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Do not walk away from the skillet and keep the pine nuts moving in it: they are small and delicate and burn easily. Set aside.

A handful at a time, chop the leafy greens. I make a small pile and slice it at 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm intervals. Transfer the chopped greens into a large bowl.

Warm up a large skillet over medium heat, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml of the olive oil. If you have them, add the chopped stems, stir well, cover, and cook them for 5 minutes or until tender. Add half of the chopped greens, stir well, cover and cook until the greens are tender (8-12 minutes, depending on the greens), stirring every now and then. Transfer the greens into a bowl to cool.

Repeat with the same amount of olive oil and the rest of the greens.

Mince together the parsley, anchovy fillets, capers and garlic, possibly using a mezzaluna.

Warm up a small skillet over medium heat, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the olive oil. Add the minced ingredients and cook for a minute or so, making sure the garlic does not turn brown. Remove from the heat, add to the cooked greens and stir well. Add the raisins and stir.

Roughly smash the pine nuts with a mortar and pestle. Add to the vegetable mixture and stir.

Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C.

Oil the bottom of a 9.5″ / 24 cm glass pie plate. Dust it with fine breadcrumbs and remove the excess.

Break the egg into a small bowl, whisk it with a fork to blend yolk and white, then pour it onto the vegetables and stir to incorporate.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper, stir well and empty the bowl into the prepared pie plate.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Take the plate out of the oven. Serve immediately (it will cool slightly when you cut it and transfer onto plates).

Serves 4-6.

This is an excellent way to prepare greens. The result has is a bit sweet, a bit nutty, a bit savory: each bite a small surprise.

¹The book’s page on the publisher’s website
²From briciole’s archive: kuku sabzi
³ The cookbook’s page on the publisher’s website (in Italian)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting the product on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

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tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta

Un’altra cosa che tenevo a fare nel nostro viaggio era un piatto della tradizione culinaria ebraica in Italia. Nel libro La cucina nella tradizione ebraica, una ricca collezione¹ di ricette descritte in modo succinto e senza foto, ho letto la ricetta per questo tortino che oltre a pinoli e uvetta utilizza acciughe e capperi.

La ricetta originale utilizza gli spinaci che io però non ho trovato al mercato il giorno che ho deciso di preparare la mia versione della ricetta. Allora ho utilizzato un misto composto di foglie di barbabietola, foglie di rapa e tatsoi (cavolo cinese). Come mio solito ho adattato le dosi degli ingredienti al mio gusto personale. Risultato eccellente ma non ho fatto una fotografia.

La volta successiva ho utilizzato foglie giovani di rapa e spinaci. Sapore diverso, come mi aspettavo, comunque ottimo. Anche il colore è diverso, dal momento che la versione precedente comprendeva anche gli steli delle foglie di barbabietola che hanno dato al piatto un colorito rosso.

Lavare, tagliare e cuocere le verdure a foglia verde richiede un po’ di tempo e pazienza. Ma una volta che le verdure sono pronte, ci vuole poco tempo per terminare la preparazione, poi il forno fa il resto.

Ingredienti:

740 grammi di spinaci, o un assortimento di spinaci e altre verdure a foglia verde, come foglie di barbabietola, foglie di rapa, tatsoi
20 grammi di uvetta
20 grammi di pinoli
4 cucchiai / 60 ml olio extra-virgine di oliva
2 cucchiai di prezzemolo fresco tritato
1 1/2 filetti di acciuga
15 grammi di piccoli capperi scolati
1 spicchio d’aglio
1 uovo codice 0
1 cucchiaino di sale fino
1/4 cucchiaino di pepe nero macinato fresco

Lavate bene gli spinaci e le altre verdure (se le usate), scolateli, lasciando un po’ d’acqua sulle foglie.

Se utilizzate le foglie di barbabietola o la tatsoi o altre verdure che hanno steli relativamente spessi, separateli dalle foglie e tagliateli a pezzetti.

Mettete l’uvetta in una tazzina, versateci sopra 1 cucchiaio d’acqua calda, e mescolate. Mettete da parte.

Tostate i pinoli in una padellina a secco. Metteteli da parte.

Una manciata di foglie alla volta, tagliate le verdure. Io faccio un mucchietto e taglio fettine larghe 1-1,5 cm. Trasferite le verdure tagliate in un’insalatiera capiente.

In una padella grande scaldate a fuoco medio 1,5 cucchiai / 22,5 ml dell’olio. Se li avete, aggiungete gli steli tagliati a pezzetti, mescolate bene, coprite la padella e cuocete a fuoco basso per 5 minuti o fino a quando siano teneri. Aggiungete metà delle verdure tagliate, mescolate bene, coprite la padella e cuocete a fuoco basso fino a quando siano tenere (8-12 minuti, a seconda del tipo di verdure), mescolando di tanto in tanto. Trasferite le verdure in un’insalatiera.

Ripetere con la stessa quantità di olio e il resto delle verdure.

Tritate insieme con la mezzaluna il prezzemolo, i filetti di acciuga, i capperi e l’aglio.

In una padellina scaldate a fuoco medio il resto dell’olio (1 cucchiaio). Aggiungete gli ingredienti tritati e cuoceteli per un minuto, assicurandovi che l’aglio non imbrunisca. Togliete dal fuoco, aggiungete alle verdure cotte e mescolate bene. Aggiungete l’uvetta e mescolate.

Tritate grossolanamente i pinoli con mortaio e pestello. Aggiungete alle verdure e mescolate.

Scaldate il forno a 170 C.

Oliate leggermente il fondo di una tortiera di vetro da 24 cm e spolverizzatelo con pane grattato, poi rimuovetene l’eccesso.

Rompete l’uovo in una ciotola e sbattetelo leggermente con una forchetta, poi versatelo sulle verdure e mescolate bene per incorporare.

Salate e pepate, mescolate bene e versate le verdure nella tortiera.

Cuocete in forno per 30 minuti.

Sfornate e servite immediatamente (il piatto si raffredda leggermente quando lo tagliate e trasferite le porzioni sui piatti).

Porzioni: 4-6.

Questo è un ottimo modo per preparare le verdure a foglia verde. Il risultato è un po’ dolce, un po’ salato: il gusto di ogni boccone è una piccola sorpresa.

¹ La pagina del libro sul sito web dell’editore

Un mondo d'ingredienti logo Contribuisco il mio tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta, piatto della tradizione ebraica in Italia alla lettera U di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara

white tepary beans / fagioli tepary bianchi

January 6, 2024March 5, 2026 | Simona

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versione in italiano

white tepary beans and winter vegetables — tepary beans and winter vegetables
(red dish & vase by @fem_pottery, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I grew up in a region of Italy, Umbria, famous for legumes (fagiolina del Trasimeno, lenticchia di Castelluccio and roveja, to name just a few) and I like all legumes, so it is not surprising that during a visit to Tucson, AZ, I purchased some locally grown white tepary beans. Here are some notes on this special bean (Phaseolus acutifolius):

The tepary bean has been handed down for countless generations amongst my Akimel O’Odham (River People, Pima) and our cousins the Tohono O’Odham (Desert People). The bavi is high in soluble fiber and protein and is a low glycemic index food.¹

This ancient superfood of the Sonoran Desert has sustained our O’odham people for centuries. Highly acclaimed for its nutritional value the Stotoah Bavi (white tepary bean) is noted for its unique and delicious naturally sweet yet savory flavor and creamy texture.²

Tepary beans are ideally suited to the dry farming methods, such as those used by traditional Tohono O’odham farmers. They are one of the most heat, drought and salt-tolerant legumes in the world, thriving in the alkaline desert soil.³

In an article on NPR’s The Salt,⁴ farmer, scientist and tepary bean evangelist Gary Paul Nabhan says:

“There’s a way, that I can’t describe in words, where teparies to me taste like the desert itself. They have this nuttiness and this resilience… Tepary beans are deeply part of cultures here in the desert. There were over 30 different cultures in Mexico and the United States that grew tepary beans.

Tepary “beans come in a spectrum of colors: white, brown, black, and speckled blue like robin’s eggs.”⁴

white tepary beans, carrot, onion — a view of the main ingredients
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The tepary bean is small and cooks relatively quickly. I prepared it simply, with some onion and carrot, following the recipe on the package⁵ with some personal touch. Tepary beans have a delicate flavor and light texture. I’ve been adding them to the pans of winter vegetables I prepare. The dish above includes leeks, radicchio di Treviso and winter squash (zucca) and it is vegan. Beans and squash are two of the three sisters of Native American agriculture, the third one being corn.⁶

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for White tepary beans

Ingredients:

1/2 cup / 3 1/4 ounces / 92 grams dry white tepary beans, rinsed
1 3/4 cups / 420 ml water
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small garlic clove, unpeeled
A small bay leaf
Fine sea salt
1 carrot

Place the beans in a saucepan with the water, onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Bring the water to a lively boil and keep it at the same level for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat and let the beans simmer, covered, until they are tender. Check the beans at regular intervals. Add some hot water, as needed, to keep all the beans moist.

Scrub the carrot well and scrape the surface with a blade to remove a thin layer of skin. Grate the carrot using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater. Weigh 1 ounce / 28 grams of the grated carrot.

When the beans are 15-20 minutes from being ready, add the grated carrot and stir. Continue cooking the beans until they are tender.

Let the beans cool in their cooking broth, then remove the bay leaf and garlic clove, and discard them. Add 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, taste and adjust seasoning. Let the beans rest in their broth until ready to use.

Serves 2-3

¹Source: Ramona Farms website
² Source: Ramona Farms website
³ Source: Native Seeds/SEARCH website
⁴ NPR’s The Salt: article on tepary beans
⁵ Source: Ramona Farms website
⁶ Source: Native Seeds/SEARCH website

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

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fagioli tepary bianchi

All’inizio del nostro viaggio decisi che almeno uno dei miei contributi doveva onorare la tradizione dei popoli indigeni del nordamerica, e arrivati alla lettera T finalmente realizzo il mio piano presentandovi i fagioli tepary bianchi¹ (Stotoah Bavi) che ho conosciuto quando ho visitato Tucson, nel sud dell’Arizona.

Questo fagiolo, Phaseolus acutifolius, è diverso dal fagiolo comune, Phaseolus vulgaris. Di piccole dimensioni, dal sapore delicato e dalla consistenza cremosa, il fagiolo tepary fa parte della cultura degli O’odham ed è adatto ad essere coltivato a secco.

Oltre che bianchi, i fagioli tepary possono essere marroni, neri o chiazzati blu.

I fagioli tepary sono piccoli e cuociono abbastanza rapidamente. Li ho preparati in modo semplice, seguendo la ricetta tradizionale riportata sulla confezione¹ (anche se è solo in inglese, vi suggerisco di dare un’occhiata al sito web dell’azienda produttrice dei fagioli) alla quale ho aggiunto dei tocchi personali. Mi piace aggiungerli alle verdure invernali che preparo in grandi quantità in questo periodo. Il piatto in alto comprende porri, radicchio di Treviso e zucca. Fagioli e zucche sono due delle “tre sorelle” (la terza è il mais):

le tre principali colture praticate tradizionalmente da diverse etnie amerinde dell’America del Nord e di quella Centrale: la zucca, il mais ed il fagiolo (abitualmente il Phaseolus acutifolius o Phaseolus vulgaris). In una tecnica conosciuta come companion planting, le tre colture sono piantate insieme e vicine…

Le tre piante beneficiano l’una dell’altra. Il mais provvede una struttura su cui i fagioli possono arrampicarsi, eliminando la necessità di pali di sostegno. I fagioli creano i composti azotati per fertilizzare il suolo utilizzato dalle altre piante, e le zucche si estendono sul terreno, bloccando la luce solare, ed aiutando a prevenire la crescita di erbacce. Le foglie di zucca funzionano anche come un sistema di “Pacciamatura vivente”, creando un microclima che trattiene l’umidità nel suolo.²

Ingredienti:

92 grammi di fagioli tepary bianchi
420 ml d’acqua
mezza cipolla piccola tagliata a dadini
una piccola foglia d’alloro
un piccolo spicchio d’aglio in camicia
sale fino
una carota

Sciacquate i fagioli, poi metteteli in una pentola con l’acqua, la cipolla, l’aglio e un pizzico di sale. Portate a bollore vivace rapidamente e mantenetelo per 5 minuti, poi abbassate il calore, incoperchiate, e fate cuocere i fagioli a fuoco dolce fino a quando siano teneri. Controllate i fagioli ad intervalli regolari e, se necessario, aggiungete dell’acqua bollente per tenerli immersi nel liquido di cottura.

Lavate bene la carota e raschiatene la superficie con una lama per rimuovere la pellicina. Grattugiate la carota con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia. Pesate 28 grammi di carota grattugiata.

Quando ai fagioli mancano 15-20 minuti di cottura, aggiungete la carota grattugiate e mescolate. Continuate a cuocere i fagioli fino a quando siano teneri.

Fate freddare i fagioli nel liquido di cottura, poi rimuovere la foglia d’alloro e l’aglio e scartateli. Condite con 1/8 cucchiaino di sale fino, assaggiate e correggete, se necessario. Lasciate i fagioli nel loro brodo fino a quando siete pronti ad utilizzarli.

Porzioni: 2-3

¹Fonte: sito web dell’azienda agricola Ramona Farms
² Fonte: wikipedia

Un mondo d'ingredienti logo Contribuisco i fagioli tepary, coltura e piatto tradizionale dei Tohono O’odham nell’odierna Arizona (U.S.A.) alla lettera T di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara

Turkish-style celeriac (celery root) / sedano rapa stile turco

December 16, 2023March 5, 2026 | Simona

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versione in italiano

Turkish-style celeriac — a comforting dish with winter vegetables
(dish by @fem_pottery, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Cold weather makes me crave comforting dishes, with a solid flavor. This is my rendition of the Turkish dish Zeytinyağlı Kereviz, where kereviz means celeriac (also called celery root) and zeytinyağlı describes the cooking method, in olive oil.

Celeriac is a beautiful root vegetable with a mild celery flavor and a sweet note when cooked. It is hard to miss when displayed at the farmers’ market. (The photo above is from a few years ago.) As I was experimenting with this recipe, I could only find specimens with little or no greens left attached (as you can see in the photo below).

celeriac, onion, carrots, potatoes — a view of the main ingredients
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

As usual with a traditional recipe, an online search provides a rich list of results, which I broadly divided into two categories: 1) those that start with the onion being cooked in oil before the celeriac and other vegetables are added, and 2) those in which all the vegetables are cooked together, starting at the same time. My version is a variation of the latter. It is quite straightforward to prepare and gives a surprisingly flavorful result.

Orange and lemon juice provide a nice note to the flavor, balancing the earthiness of the root vegetables. Truly a case where the result surprised me in a pleasant way.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Turkish-style celeriac

Ingredients:

10 ounces / 280 grams celeriac (set aside the leaves, if present)
1/3 cup / 80 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon / 15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 ounces / 85 grams carrots
3 ounces / 85 grams small potatoes
2 ounces / 56 grams onion or shallot
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup / 120 ml water
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped celeriac leaves, or lovage leaves (levistico), or a mix with fennel (finocchio) frond or fresh dill (aneto)

Peel the celeriac and cut it into small chunks. Put the sliced celeriac into a saucepan and drizzle the orange and lemon juice on top (to prevent darkening while you prepare the other ingredients).

Scrub the carrots well and scrape the surface with a blade to remove a thin layer of skin. Cut the carrots into 1/4-inch / 6 mm-thick oblique slices, turning the carrot as you cut, to obtain small chunks. Distribute the carrots on top of the celeriac in the saucepan.

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Distribute the potatoes on top of the carrots in the saucepan.

Peel and quarter the onion. Cut each quarter into 1/8-inch / 3 mm-thick slices and separate the rings. Distribute the onion over the potatoes in the saucepan.

Sprinkle the black pepper on top of the vegetables, then drizzle the olive oil. Finally, pour the water over the vegetables.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn to low, cover the saucepan and let the vegetables simmer until they are all tender (25 minutes or so), stirring a couple of times (and making sure there is enough liquid). Sprinkle the salt and minced herbs and stir well. Let the vegetable cool down in the saucepan, where the cooking liquid has turned into a citrusy sauce (salsa agrumata). Serve warm or a room temperature.

Note: in my latest rendition, I omitted the salt and instead added at the end 1 teaspoon of chickpea miso diluted in some of the hot vegetable cooking liquid.

Serves 3-4 (this is a side dish with a robust flavor and I prefer to eat a smaller portion and serve also another vegetable side dish to complement it)

Perfect winter fare. Whether you like celeriac or you have not yet discovered it, I recommend trying this dish.

¹One recipe for Zeytinyağlı Kereviz, another one, and a braised version

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

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sedano rapa stile turco

Arrivati alla lettera S del nostro viaggio nel mondo degli ingredienti ho scelto di preparare un piatto dalla Turchia¹ a base di sedano rapa, Zeytinyağlı Kereviz: kereviz significa sedano rapa e zeytinyağlı descrive il metodo di cottura, in olio d’oliva.

Il sedano rapa è una bella radice con un leggero sapore di sedano e una nota dolce quando cotto. La foto in alto è di qualche anno fa: nel periodo in cui ho fatto esperimenti con la ricetta l’ho trovato solo con poche foglie o del tutto senza (come si vede nella foto in basso).

Come al solito succede con una ricetta tradizionale, una ricerca online ritorna in una ricca lista di risultati che io ho diviso in due categorie: 1) ricette che cominciano col cuocere la cipolla in olio prima che vengano aggiunti gli altri ingredienti, e 2) ricette in cui le verdure sono cotte tutte insieme allo stesso tempo. La mia versione è una variante della seconda categoria, è semplice e il risultato è ricco di sapore.

Il succo di arancia e di limone fornisce una nota gustosa e bilancia il sapore delle radici. Davvero il risultato è una piacevole sorpresa.

Ingredienti:

280 grammi di sedano rapa (se presenti, tenete da parte le foglie)
80 ml succo d’arancia fresco
1 cucchiaio / 15 ml succo i limone’fresco
85 grammi di carote
85 grammi di patate piccole
56 grammi di cipolla o scalogno
1/8 cucchiainoo di pepe nero macinato fresco
3 cucchiai / 45 ml olio extra-virgine di oliva
120 ml d’acqua
1/2 cucchiaino di sale fino
1 cucchiaio di foglie tritate di sedano rapa o di levistico, magari con un po’ di finocchio o aneto fresco

Sbucciate il sedano rapa e tagliatelo a pezzetti. Metteteli in una pentola e versateci sopra il succo d’arancia e limone (per evitare che il sedano rapa scurisca mentre preparate gli altri ingredienti).

Lavare bene le carote e raschiarne la superficie con una lama per rimuovere la pellicina. Tagliarle a fettine oblique di 6 mm di spessore, ruotando la carota mentre la tagliate in modo da ottenere piccoli pezzi. Distribuite le carote sul sedano rapa nella pentola.

Lavate bene le patate e tagliatele a cubetti. Distribuite le patate sulle carote nella pentola.

Tagliate la cipolla in quarti, poi tagliate ciascun pezzo a fettine di 3 mm e separate gli anelli. Distribuite la cipolla sulle patate nella pentola.

Condite col pepe, poi spargete l’olio d’oliva sulle verdure e infine versate sopra l’acqua.

Portate a bollore su calore medio-alto poi abbssate il calore, incoperchiate la pentola e fate sobbollire le verdure fino a quando siano tenere (circa 25 minuti) mescolando un paio di volte e assicurandovi che ci sia liquido a sufficienza nella pentola.

Aggiungete il sale e le erbe tritate e mescolate bene. Fate intiepidire le verdure nella pentola, dove il liquido di cottura si è trasformato in una salsina agrumata. Servite le verdure calde o a temperatura ambiente.

Nota: l’ultima volta che ho preparato questo piatto ho omesso il sale e ho aggiunto alla fine un cucchiaino di miso di ceci diluito in un po’ del liquido di cottura bollente.

Porzioni: 3-4 (questo contorno ha un sapore robusto e io preferisco mangiarne una porzione relativamente piccola e servire anche un altro controno complementare)

Un piatto perfetto per l’inverno. Sia che vi piaccia il sedano rapa o non lo avete ancora scoperto, vi raccomando di assaggiare questo piatto.

¹Una ricetta del Zeytinyağlı Kereviz, un’altra, e una versione brasata (tutte le ricette sono in inglese)

Un mondo d'ingredienti logo Contribuisco il mio contorno di sedano rapa dalla Turchia alla lettera S di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara

briciole

Simona Carini serves recipes and Italian words related to food

green cabbage with honeynut squash and chestnuts / cavolo cappuccio con zucca e castagne

bean, tomato, sweet pepper and corn salad / insalata di fagioli, pomodori, peperoni dolci e mais

shishito peppers with cheese / peperoni shishito col formaggio

mixed vegetables with thyme / verdure miste al timo

skillet-cooked asparagus with eggs / asparagi in padella con le uova

winter squash and beans / zucca e fagioli

zucca e fagioli

savoy cabbage with egg and cheese / pipetto (verza con uovo e formaggio)

pipetto (pipèto o nusèt): verza con uovo e formaggio

spinach pie with pine nuts and raisins / tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta

tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta

white tepary beans / fagioli tepary bianchi

fagioli tepary bianchi

Turkish-style celeriac (celery root) / sedano rapa stile turco

sedano rapa stile turco