carrots, onion and apricot / carote, cipolla e albicocca

August 1, 2026August 3, 2026 | Simona

a serving dish with a side dish of carrots, sweet onion and apricot — A sweet, but not overly so, and fruity side dish
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal.¹ The book’s structure surprised me in a good way. Each of the eight chapters has a different narrator, and each chapter contributes to telling the story of Eva Thorvald. She is technically the novel’s protagonist, but doesn’t narrate a chapter, so we see her through the perspective of others who tell their own story and their experience of, or encounter with, Eva. The narrators include Eva’s father, who dies when she is an infant, her cousin Braque, Will, who has a crush on Eva when in high school, Eva’s mother, who left the family shortly after Eva’s birth, and others. I listened to the audio book (narrated by Michael Stuhlbarg and Amy Ryan), which kept in check my desire to jump ahead and see who would be the next narrator.

Eva goes from growing exceedingly hot peppers in her room to becoming a famous and elusive chef who cooks exclusive pop-up dinners in remote locations. While I never wished to attend one of the dinners, I appreciated how Eva helped people in her life, family and strangers. The best moments of the novel for me were those describing kindness and generosity, like when Pat slips the gift card she won at the bake-off competition into the bag of someone who needs it more than she does.

The book includes many references to food, from lutefisk to pepper jelly and succotash, from a variety of bars and traditional Midwest baked goods to the courses of Eva’s famous dinners. I was inspired to create something new in terms of flavor combination, but also simple, since an additional challenge was that I traveled for four weeks between the end of June and the end of July, from Northern California to Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, so didn’t have access to my kitchen. Thankfully, I had access to farmers markets and farm stands, and seasonal produce was once again my main source of inspiration: apricots, fresh onions, particularly walla walla, and carrots. Cumin (cumino), ginger root (radice di zenzero), and fresh thyme (timo) contribute to the dish’s flavor profile.

I prepared the first rendition of this dish while we were staying in a lovely house north of Victoria, B.C. I have since made it many times using carrots of various colors. For the version in the photo I used orange and yellow carrots.

Carrots, onion and apricot

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 16

Servings: 2 -3

Course: Side Dish

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

7 ounces / 200 grams carrot
5 ounces / 140 grams walla walla onion
1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon leaves of fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
2 1/2 ounces / 70 grams ripe apricot (1 large apricot)

Equipment

skillet 10-inch / 25-cm or 9-inch / 23-cm

Method

Scrub carrots well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin, then grate using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.
Thinly slice the onion lengthwise, then separate the layers.
Warm up the olive oil in a 10-inch / 25-cm (or 9-inch / 23-cm) skillet on medium heat.
Add the onion and stir. Lower the heat and after 2 minutes, add the cumin, ginger and thyme. Stir well and cover. Cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion is soft.
Uncover the skillet, turn up the heat to medium, add the grated carrots and stir well. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 8 minutes or until the carrots are just tender.
Halve the apricot, remove the stone and thinly slice each half.
Uncover the skillet, sprinkle in the sea salt and stir well. Distribute the apricot slices on the vegetables and stir gently.
Remove from the heat and serve warm.

This side dish is sweet, but not overly so. Still, I like to pair it with something more decidedly savory. I confess it was difficult to stop eating it, either warm from the pan or at room temperature.

¹The book’s page on the publisher’s website, a review of the book on the NY Times and one from another website.

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.

root vegetables and escarole with tofu / ortaggi a radice e scarola con tofu

March 31, 2025December 25, 2025 | Simona

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Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten¹. I am aware Garten is a popular cookbook author and food TV personality. I don’t watch TV (of any kind) so don’t know her. The book’s style is lively and if you are interested in the author, you will probably enjoy reading it.

There was a long wait list to get the book from the library, and when I finally started reading it and doing some research on her recipes, I got sick, in a way that made experimenting in the kitchen out of the question for a while. I am finally better, but also short on time and not yet comfortable in straying far from foods I know I can consume. I had made the recipe below a few times while reading the book, before getting sick and I made it again after I got better, as it belongs to the “safe” category. Adjusting to life happening,I may say.

bunches of daikon radish at the San Rafael farmers’ market
(my favorite are the purple ones)

Spring brings to the farmers’ market ingredients I enjoy using, including red spring onions, spring leeks, purple daikon. I still remember the day, a few years ago, when a farmer at the Temescal market in Oakland, suggested I try purple daikon: it’s become a favorite, both raw and cooked. And as with other root vegetables, its greens are edible, so when you purchase a beautiful bunch like those in the photo below, you get two vegetables.

Beside daikon radish (daikon), as root vegetables I used carrots (carote) and red radishes (ravanelli), plus another favorite vegetable escarole. It a type of endive, slightly bitter, and delightfully so. In the photo above you see the curly variety of escarole. like to use the outer leaves (foglie esterne) in a cooked dish, while I add the inner, tenderer leaves to salads. Using carrots and escarole in the same dish creates a delicious bittersweet combination.³

Sometimes, when unwell, I crave a specific food: I like to interpret this as my body telling me what it needs, so I listen. This time it was baked tofu. I decided to purchase it already prepared, which makes the dish quite quick to prepare, another nice feature when energy is low.

If using only olive oil, the dish is vegan. I like to substitute 1/2 tablespoon of the oil with butter (unsalted), which goes well with the carrots.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Root vegetables and escarole with tofu

Ingredients:

3 ounces / 85 grams carrots
3 ounces purple daikon radishes OR a combination of purple daikon radishes and red radishes
3 ounces / 85 grams escarole leaves
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces red spring onion, clean weight, diced small
¼ teaspoon Harissa spice mix
Leaves from 4-5 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons / 30 ml hot water
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 ¾ ounces / 50 grams baked tofu, sliced thin and each slice halved

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.

Scrub the daikon radishes and red radishes (if using) then grate them using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Wash and drain the escarole leaves, halve them lengthwise then slice them crosswise into 1/2-inch / 2.5 cm strips.

Warm up the olive oil in a 10-inch / 25-cm skillet.

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

Add the daikon and radishes, if using, to the skillet and stir. Add the hot water and stir, then cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the escarole to the skillet, stir well, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring a few times.

Uncover, sprinkle the sea salt and stir.

Distribute the tofu on the vegetables and allow it to warm through, 2 minutes or so. Fold the tofu into the vegetables (as in the top photo) or leave it on the surface (as in the photo below).

Before removing the skillet from the heat, taste to ensure the vegetables are tender to your liking.

Remove from the heat and serve warm.

Serves 2.

You can add more tofu, if you wish. I find the amount given in the recipe a good balance with the vegetables for a side dish (contorno).

¹The book’s page on the author’s website
² The brand of baked tofu I like [this is not a paid link]

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

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems]

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.

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.

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca

July 10, 2021 | Simona

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[versione in italiano]

kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit / DSCN0078

fresh fruit turns kohlrabi slaw sweet

Pale green or purple, kohlrabi is a stunning vegetable, with its bulbous enlarged stem and its crown of leaves. The name kohlrabi comes, via German, from the Italian cavolo rapa and literally means 'turnip cabbage'. However, kohlrabi is not a turnip, but a cultivar of Brassica oleracea, a species that includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale.

Kohlrabi is a versatile vegetable: you can eat it raw, add it to soups and stews, shred it to make fritters or slice and grill it, or cube and roast it. Regardless of the skin color, the inside is a creamy white. Kohlrabi's crisp texture is reminiscent of a broccoli stem, with a flavor that is somewhat sweeter and slightly radish-like. Its leaves (foglie) are edible and can be used like you would collard greens or kale.

Kohlrabi and carrot go well together. The original recipe for this slaw was kindly shared with me by Kelsey Perone of Rain Frog Farm located near Blue Lake, CA (details in an article I wrote for the North Coast Journal¹). The recipe includes raisins (uvetta) and I have also prepared it with dried cherries. The version I am sharing here uses fresh fruit instead.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit

Ingredients:

7 ounces / 200 grams kohlrabi, clean weight
2 1/2 ounces / 70 grams carrot, clean weight
2 tablespoons / 1/2 ounce / 14 grams minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (basil, dill, parsley or cilantro)
2 tablespoons / 30 ml mayonnaise, possibly homemade
2 teaspoons / 10 ml cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 ounces / 100 grams fresh fruit, for example blueberries, strawberries, cherries, clean weight

After cutting off the leaves and their stems (remember, the leaves are edible), cut the kohlrabi in half lengthwise, then into quarters. Cut away the bottom corner and peel off the tough outermost layer. Weigh then grate the kohlrabi using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Scrub the carrot well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin. Weigh then grate using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater. Place the minced onion, the vegetables and the herbs in a serving bowl.

In a ramekin, whisk together the dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sea salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well.

Prepare the fruit as needed (for example, hull and slice strawberries, pit and quarter cherries, remove stone and slice peaches or apricots) then weigh it. Add the fruit to the vegetables, toss again and serve.

Serves 2-3.

diving into the bowl

In another article I wrote for the North Coast Journal, I suggest adding melon (melone) to leftovers of this slaw².

¹ My article Meet Kohlrabi (North Coast Journal, August 2, 2018)
² My article Add Melon (North Coast Journal, August 29, 2019)

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

insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca

or launch the insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

I am contributing my salad to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

kohlrabi, carrot, salad, berries, mayonnaise

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insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca

la frutta addolcisce questa insalata di cavolo rapa

Verde chiaro o rosso violaceo il cavolo rapa è una verdura affascinante con la sua forma bulbosa e la sua corona di foglie. Dall'italiano cavolo rapa, attraverso il tedesco, viene il nome inglese kohlrabi. Ma non si tratta di una rapa: questo vegetale appartiene alla specie Brassica oleracea, che comprende anche broccolo, cavolo e cavolfiore.

Il cavolo rapa è un ortaggio versatile: si può mangiare crudo, aggiungere ad una zuppa, grigliare o fare arrosto. La polpa è bianco crema e la sua consistenza ricorda lo stelo del broccolo con un sapore un po' più dolce e che ricorda un po' il ravanello. Le foglie di cavolo rapa sono commestibili e si preparano come il cavolo nero o riccio.

Cavolo rapa e carota formano un ottimo connubio. La ricetta originale per questa insalata mi fu data da Kelsey Perone dell'azienda agricola Rain Frog Farm (vicino a Blue Lake, CA) per un articolo ¹. La ricetta comprende l'uvetta e io l'ho preparata anche con le ciliege secche. La versione che presento qui invece utilizza frutta fresca.

Ingredienti:

200 g cavolo rapa, peso pulito
70 g carrota, peso pulito
2 cucchiai / 14 g cipollotto rosso tritato (o cipolla rossa tritata)
1-2 cucchiai erbe aromatiche fresche (basilico, aneto, prezzemolo o coriandolo)
2 cucchiai / 30 ml maionese, possibilmente fatta in casa
2 cucchiaini / 10 ml aceto di sidro di mele
1/4 cucchiaino sale fino
1/8 cucchiaino pepe nero macinato fresco
100 g frutta fresca, per esempio mirtilli, fragole, ciliegie, ecc., peso pulito

Tagliare le foglie, se presenti e metterle da parte per usarle in un'altra ricetta (sono commestibili). Tagliare il cavolo rapa a metà per lungo poi ancora a metà. Tagliare l'angolo in basso e pelare ciascun pezzo. Pesare poi grattugiare con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia.

Pulire la carota e raschiare la superficie. Pesare poi grattugiare con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia.

Mettere cipollotto o cipolla, le verdure e le erbe aromatiche in un'insalatiera. In una ciotolina, mescolare gli ingredienti della salsina: maionese, aceto, sale e pepe. Versare la salsina sulle verdure e mescolare bene.

Se necessario, preparare la frutta: per esempio rimuovere il picciolo e affettare le fragole, snocciolare e tagliare in quarti le ciligie, ecc. Pesare poi aggiungere all'insalata e mescolare di nuovo, poi servire.

Porzioni 3.

visione dall'alto

In un altro mio articolo, suggerisco di aggiungere del melone agli avanzi di questa insalata².

¹ Il mio articolo (in inglese) Meet Kohlrabi (North Coast Journal, 2 Agosto 2018)
² Il mio articolo (in inglese) Add Melon (North Coast Journal, 29 Agosto 2019)

Porto la mia insalata di cavolo rapa, carota e frutta fresca sulla tavola del 6° mese del gruppo Fattoria consapevole e solidale: Frutta fresca

La lista delle ricette contribuite questo mese.

recipe: kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit

July 10, 2021 | Simona

Kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: N/A

Keywords: salad gluten-free soy-free sugar-free vegetarian kohlrabi carrot onion berries cherries mayonnaise

Ingredients (serves 3)

7 ounces / 200 grams kohlrabi, clean weight
2 1/2 ounces / 70 grams carrot, clean weight
2 tablespoons / 1/2 ounce / 14 grams minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (basil, dill, parsley or cilantro)
2 tablespoons / 30 ml mayonnaise, possibly homemade
2 teaspoons / 10 ml cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 ounces / 100 grams fresh fruit, for example blueberries, strawberries, cherries, clean weight

Instructions

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

Place the minced onion, the vegetables and the herbs in a serving bowl.

In a ramekin, whisk together the dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sea salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well.

Go to the full post on Kohlrabi slaw with fresh fruit

sweet potato (kumara) and winter squash soup / zuppa di patata dolce (kumara) e zucca

January 31, 2016 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

sweet potato squash and carrot soup / DSC_7801

an inviting bowl of soup
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The 23rd country of our World Culinary ABC¹ is New Zealand (Nuova Zelanda), a country we visited 11 years ago. I have a trunkful of great memories from the trip and only a thimbleful of space here, so the following is just a taste (assaggio).

Karekare², the beach made famous by the movie The Piano (North Island).

We kayaked in many places, including the Kenepuru Sound (one of the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island)

and Lake Manapouri⁴ (South Island).

The Penguin Place Conservation Reserve⁵ (Otago Peninsula, South Island) allow visitors a close encounter with the bandit-looking yellow-eyed penguins⁶ (pinguini) that come ashore in the late afternoon after their day's work fishing off the coast.

A system of covered trenches allows people to observe the penguins' progress from the beach to their nests without obstructing it.

On Pilots Beach (Otago Peninsula) we watched blue penguins⁷ come ashore, but as that happened after dark and flash photography is not allowed, I don't have any images. The morning after, we kayaked to the beach and our guide found a penguin hanging out in the grass, so I was able to take a photo.

To celebrate New Zealand, I chose to make a soup showcasing kumara, that is, sweet potato⁸, an important crop for the Maori. I read a number of recipes from Kiwi sites⁹ and came up with a personal version using local vegetables like winter squash and carrots (zucca e carote).

making kumara soup

I made this soup a number of times and we loved it from the very first: it is creamy and flavorful, and its lovely orange color is guaranteed to cheer you up no matter how gray the sky is. As winter squash I used small-sized butternut squash I found at the farmers' market, but any other variety you have available will work. Roasting all the vegetables beforehand deepens the flavor of the soup: it is an additional step but quite worth the time.

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Sweet potato and winter squash soup

Ingredients:

1 pound 2 ounces / 500 g sweet potato
1 pound / 450 g winter squash, like a mini butternut squash or half of a larger squash
7 ounces / 200 g carrots
10.5 ounces / 300 g onion
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic
1 inch / 2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger
1 teaspoon / 5 ml ground cumin
1 teaspoon / 5 ml ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 cups / 475 ml chicken or vegetable stock/broth, possibly homemade
3 cups / 710 ml water
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (depending on how salty the broth is)
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley as topping, optional

How to prepare the vegetables
Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. Prepare a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.

Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small cubes. Place in a large bowl.

Cut the winter squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (a grapefruit spoon is my preferred tool for this task). Place on the baking sheet, cut side down.

Scrub carrots well and scrape surface to remove the thin skin. Cut each into bite-sized pieces and place in the bowl with the sweet potato.

Halve the onion, cut each half crosswise into 1/4 inch / 6 mm thick slices, and place in the bowl with the sweet potato.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of olive oil on the vegetables and mix well to coat (your hands are the best tool for this step).

Spread the vegetables evenly on the same baking sheet with the squash and place in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes and stir the chopped vegetables. Bake for another 10 minutes. (If after the first 30 minutes, some of the onion slices are turning too dark, transfer the cut vegetables to a bowl and continue baking only the squash.)

Let cool until you can handle the squash: scrape the flesh off the skin (again using a grapefruit spoon if you have it).

How to cook the soup
Mince the garlic and grate the ginger.

Warm up the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of olive oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add garlic and stir well. Turn down the heat to medium-low and after 30 seconds add the ginger and stir well. After another 30 seconds, transfer into the pot the cut vegetables and the squash. Sprinkle the 3 spices then stir well.

Pour the liquids into the pot, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the soup cook for 30 minutes, then test to make sure that: 1) a cube of sweet potato can be mashed with the back of your wooden spoon against the side of the pot, and 2) a piece of carrot can be easily cut in half with a knife. Cook soup longer, as needed.

Remove from the heat and let the soup rest for 15 minutes, then purée with an immersion blender. Add more water, if needed, to make the soup reach the desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

I like to prepare soups ahead of time, so flavors have a chance to blend. If you do the same, reheat it and serve hot, optionally sprinkling some parsley on top.

Serves 6-8

¹ The World Culinary ABC kick-off post
²Karekare
³ The Piano
⁴ Lake Manapouri
⁵ Penguin Place Conservation Reserve
⁶ Yellow-eyed penguin
⁷ Blue penguin
⁸ Sweet potato
⁹ One recipe, another recipe and another recipe

I contribute my soup to the 23rd installment of the Abbecedario culinario mondiale (World Culinary ABC), an event organized by Trattoria MuVarA that will bring us to visit 26 countries of the world using the alphabet as guide. W like Wellington (New Zealand) is hosted by Monia of Gata da plar.

The list of recipes contributed to the event and their slide show.

FTC disclosure: I have received the placemat 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.

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

zuppa di patata dolce e zucca

or launch the zuppa di patata dolce e zucca audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

sweet potato, soup , winter squash, carrots

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zuppa di patata dolce e zucca

una zuppa invitante
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

La ventitreesima tappa dell'Abbecedario culinario mondiale¹ è la Nuova Zelanda, paese che abbiamo visitato 11 anni fa. Ho un baule pieno di bei ricordi di quel viaggio, ma qui ho spazio solo per un assaggio.

Karekare, la spiaggia resa famosa dal film Lezioni di Piano²(North Island).

Abbiamo visitato diversi luoghi in kayak, compresi il Kenepuru Sound (uno dei Marlborough Sounds nella South Island)

e Lake Manapouri (South Island).

La Penguin Place Conservation Reserve³ (Otago Peninsula, South Island) permette ai visitatori di osservare i pinguini dagli occhi gialli⁴ che tornano a riva al termine di una giornata trascorsa a pescare al largo.

Un sistema di trincee coperte permette ai visitatori di osservare a distanza ravvicinata l'avanzata dei pinguini dalla spiaggia ai loro nidi senza disturbarli.

Alla Pilots Beach (Otago Peninsula) abbiamo visto tornare a riva i pinguini blu, ma dal momento che era buio e l'uso del flash è proibito, non ho immagini di quell'esperienza emozionante. La mattina dopo la nostra guida ha trovato un pinguino tra l'erba e ho potuto fargli una foto.

Per celebrare la Nuova Zelanda ho scelto di preparare una zuppa utilizzando kumara, cioè la patata dolce, tubero importante per i Maori. Ho letto un po' di ricette⁵ su siti kiwi e ho creato una versione personale con anche zucca e carote, verdure di stagione.

fasi di preparazione della zuppa

Ho preparato questa zuppa diverse volte ed è stato amore a primo assaggio: è cremosa, saporita ed ha un colore che rallegra. Come zucca ho usato delle mini butternut che ho trovato al farmers' market, ma zucca di un altro tipo va bene. Arrostire le verdure prima di fare la zuppa rende il sapore più complesso.

Ingredienti:

500 g patata dolce
450 g zucca (per esempio una mini butternut o metà di una zucca più grossa)
200 g carrote
300 g cipolla
2 cucchiai / 30 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva, diviso
2 spicchi d'aglio
2,5 cm radice di zenzero fresco
1 cucchiaino / 5 ml cumino in polvere
1 cucchiaino / 5 ml coriandolo in polvere
1/4 cucchiaino paprika dolce
475 ml brodo di pollo o vegetable, possibilmente fatto in casa
710 ml acqua
sale fino e pepe macinato fresco, q.b. (a seconda di quanto salato è il brodo)
prezzemolo tritato, facoltativo

Preparare le verdure
Scaldare il forno a 190 C. Preparare una placca da forno foderata con un tappetino di silicone per forno.

Pelare la patata dolce e tagliarla a cubetti. Metterli in un'insalatiera.

Tagliare a metà per lungo la zucca e rimuovere i semi (un cucchiaino da pompelmo è utilissimo sia per pulire la zucca che per rimuovere la polpe dalla buccia dopo la cottura). Porre la zucca con la parte tagliata in basso sulla placca da forno.

Lavare bene le carote e raschiarne la superficie con una lama per rimuovere la pellicina. Tagliarle a pezzi di un paio di cm e aggiungerli alla patata dolce.

Tagliare la cipolla a metà per lungo, poi tagliare ciascun pezzo a fettine di mezzo cm e aggiungerle alla patata dolce.

Spruzzare un cucchiaio / 15 ml dell'olio d'oliva sulle verdure e mescolare bene (le vostre mani sono il miglior attrezzo per questo passaggio).

Distribuire le verdure sulla placca con la zucca e infornare.

Cuocere per 30 minuti e mescolare le verdure a pezzi. Cuocere per altri 10 minuti. (Se dopo i primi 30 minuti qualche fettina di cipolla sta diventando troppo scura, trasferire le verdure a pezzi in un'insalatiera e continuare a cuocere solo la zucca.)

Far intiepidire fino a quando potete maneggiare la zucca e rimuoverne la polpa dalla buccia.

Preparare la zuppa
Tritare l'aglio e grattugiare lo zenzero.

Scaldare l'altro cucchiaio d'olio di oliva in una pentola da zuppa, poi aggiungere l'aglio e mescolare bene. Dopo 30 secondi aggiungere lo zenzero e mescolare. Dopo altri 30 secondi aggiungere le verdure arrosto e la zucca. Distribuire le 3 spezie e mescolare.

Versare nella pentola i due liquidi, mettere il coperchio e portare a bollore, poi abbassare il calore e far cuocere dolcemente per 30 minuti. Fate le seguenti prove: 1) un cubetto di patata dolce si schiaccia facilmente col dorso del cucchiaio di legno contro la parete della pentola; 2) un pezzo di carota si taglia facilmente a metà con un coltello. Se necessario, cuocere la zuppa più a lungo.

Rimuovere la pentola dal fuoco e far riposare la zuppa per 15 minuti, poi usare il frullatore a immersione. Aggiungere acqua, a piacere, fino ad ottenere la consistenza desiderata. Correggere sale e pepe a seconda del vostro gusto.

Di solito preparo le zuppe in anticipo, in modo che i sapori abbiano tempo per amalgamarsi. Se fate lo stesso, riscaldate la zuppa e servitela ben calda, magari con sopra un pochino di prezzemolo tritato.

Porzioni: 6-8

¹ Post inaugurale dell'Abbecedario culinario mondiale
² Lezioni di piano
³ Penguin Place Conservation Reserve (in inglese)
⁴ Pinguini dagli occhi gialli
⁵ Una ricetta, un'altra ricetta e ancora un'altra ricetta (tutte in inglese)

Con la mia zuppa partecipo alla ventitreesima tappa dell'Abbecedario culinario mondiale, un evento organizzato dalla Trattoria MuVarA che ci porterà a visitare 26 paesi del mondo usando le lettere dell'alfabeto come guida. W come Wellington (Nuova Zelanda) è ospitata da Monia di Gata da plar.

La lista di ricette contribuite all'evento e lo slide show che le mostra.

FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto la tovaglietta gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarlo sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.

Novel Food #13: carote con salsina al cumino / carrots with cumin sauce

July 7, 2011 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla ricetta in italiano]

Some time ago, during a visit to one of my favorite bookstores, Dark Carnival in Berkeley, I bought The King's Gambit by John Maddox Roberts (1990). The novel is the first of the SPQR series, 13 (so far) mysteries set in ancient Rome whose protagonist is Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger. [SPQR means Senatus Populusque Romanus (the Senate and the Roman people) — I like the way this person explains it.]

Reading the book was like revisiting knowledge I had acquired when studying Roman history and art history, and Latin language and literature, but with a different perspective. The novel is written in first person, so reading it was like paying a special visit to ancient Rome. For people who are not familiar with ancient Rome or need to refresh their memory (as I sometimes do), there is a very useful glossary at the end of the book, which explains relevant elements of Roman life and political organization.

The plot intrigued me and the presence of well-known historical characters, like Julius Caesar (Giulio Cesare) and Cicero (Cicerone), made it particularly interesting. The narrative includes descriptions of daily activities, like going to the baths, and also of meals:

Sergius's "bite of lunch" consisted of a banquet that would have done the Senate proud at the reception of a new ambassador. There were pickled peacocks' tongues and sows' udders stuffed with Libyan mice, deep-fried. There were lampreys, oysters, truffles and other rare, exotic delicacies in endless profusion.

Reproducing such a lunch would not be easy and to be honest not a single item listed appeals to me. I could easily get local oysters, but I must confess that I don't like them.

I enjoyed the reading so much that the next time I passed the bookstore, I went in and asked for SPQR II, The Catiline Conspiracy. That episode of Roman history is seared in the memory of Italian students of Latin, because they all had to read parts of Cicero's famous Orationes in Catilinam (speeches against Catiline). Cicero was consul at the time of the conspiracy.

In The Catiline Conspiracy, there is a description of a triumph, the public celebration of a general's military achievements, in this case of Lucullus (Lucullo):

The great event of the season was the triumph of Lucullus. He had returned to Italy almost four years earlier and had petitioned the senate for permission to celebrate a triumph.

The celebration ends with a huge party in which food plays an important role.

Lucullus had always been noted for his taste for luxury, but this was the first of the banquets for which he became even more famed than for his victories. These were noted not only for the excellence of the food, but for their theatrical effects. The first platter set before me and the diners near me, for instance, consisted of hard-boiled and baked eggs of many species of birds in a framework of pastry, ascending tier upon tier, forming a model of the great Pharos lighthouse at Alexandria. Perfumed oil burned in a bowl at its crest.

The succeeding dishes continued the nautical theme. A trireme sailed by rowed by roast suckling pigs, which slaves dressed as sailors transferred to the table. Roast fowl were brought, with their feathers replaced so that they appeared to be alive, but they had been cunningly joined to the bodies and tails of mullets, so that they looked like mythical, hybrid sea creatures.

Lest we starve between these imaginative servings, the tables were heaped with more prosaic eatables: breads, cheeses, nuts, olives, tiny grilled sausages and so forth. All of this was washed down with excellent wines, any one of which would have been the showpiece of an ordinary banquet.

I enjoyed the second book as well, and often forgot that I knew the ending from history. I am planning to read SPQR III soon. I really like to imagine Rome as it was then (I century BCE), with locations and buildings I know from art history and from visits to the Eternal City.

Though the novels did not prompt me to look for pickled peacock's tongues, or to create hybrid sea creatures, they motivated me to do something I had had in mind for a while: try a recipe from those days. We have some sources, the most famous of which is Apicius. First I actually tried making libum, whose recipe is in Cato's De Agricultura. I made it twice, according to the recipe at the bottom of this page, using my homemade ricotta, and half spelt and half whole-wheat flour. I was not impressed with the result: it was edible, but nothing to write on the blog about, so I went back to the drawing board.

I got interested in a recipe for carrots with cumin sauce for two main reasons: I had never prepared a side dish with just cooked carrots, and I have a big plant of lovage (if you have never seen lovage, there is a photo in this post; the photo below shows a sprig, together with some parsley flowers and some of my lovely sweet pea flowers). The fact that bunches of freshly picked carrots are available at the farmers' market sealed the deal.

You can read the original recipe on this page: section XXIX of the first chapter includes two versions of cuminatum for shellfish. Then, section XXI of chapter III says that carrots or parsnips can be dressed with the same cuminatum previously described (see numbers 39 and 40 for a translation).

After looking around further, I found a more detailed recipe for the same dish and decided to use that to guide my experiments [the page with the recipe no longer exists]. I eliminated the honey from the ingredient list, because our carrots are plenty sweet. I used anchovies¹ melted in warm oil instead of Roman garum as recommended in the recipe (Vietnamese fish sauce nuoc nam being another alternative and the modern garum recipe on this page being yet another).

I used fresh mint instead of dried, because I have plenty of it in my herb garden (together with lovage and parsley), and I did not use salt, since the anchovies are quite salty. I reduced the amount of cumin. I know, this is supposed to be a cumin sauce, but I didn't want cumin to overpower the other ingredients. And in any case, the original recipe has no quantities, so I felt I could adjust all of them according to my taste.

I made the recipe three times, playing a bit with the details, including using some parsnips (pastinache) together with carrots (top photo). The result was a very interesting dish, which includes many flavors, all detectable. It is not a Wow! dish, but one that subtly captures your attention and invites your palate to explore its complex landscape: before you know it, you are reaching out for a second helping.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Carrots with cumin sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh carrots, possibly of different colors; you can also substitute one or two carrots with parsnips of the same size
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lovage leaves (levistico)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (prezzemolo)
3-4 small leaves of fresh mint (menta), finely chopped (I used orange mint)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (toast seeds and grind them right before using)
freshly ground black pepper
1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon (cannella)
1 tablespoon olive oil of good quality
2 anchovy fillets preserved in oil (filetti di alici sott'olio)
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Scrub carrots, scrape off skin with a knife, rinse, then steam until tender to taste. Let cool, then slice into rounds (1/8-1/4 inch thick) and place in a serving bowl or dish.

Pile up on cutting board the herbs, cumin and cinnamon. Turn the pepper mill a couple of times over the small pile, then with a blade, mince more finely and mix at the same time.

Warm up olive oil in a ramekin and add anchovy fillets cut into small pieces. Stir until anchovies are melted. Add balsamic vinegar and stir. Add the minced herbs and spices and stir well: this is the salsina al cumino.

Pour sauce over carrots and toss. Serve.

Feel free to adjust the quantity of the various ingredients to please your palate. In particular, you may want to try increasing the amount of cumin. I may do so in the future: for now, though, I am enjoying the dish as described above. If you get carrots or various colors, the result is quite pleasant for the eyes.

This, as you can imagine, is my contribution to the 13th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I have started some time ago (this time I am hosting solo as Lisa is taking a break from blogging).

This post contains the roundup of the event.

I am also sending this post to Tin Can Recipes, a monthly event that will run until the end of this year. The organizers are Ale, Fra, Sere and Paola of Il Giardino degli Aromi and Brii of Briggis recept och ideer and Briiblog in English. The rules for participating are detailed on this page.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

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

carote con salsina al cumino

or launch the carote con salsina al cumino audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

¹ The can of anchovies in the photo is for information only: it is not an advertisement. I do not have a business relationship with the product's company.

carrot, cumin

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carote con salsina al cumino

I due libri che mi hanno ispirato a cercare ricette della Roma antica non sono disponibili in italiano. Sono i primi due volumi di una serie intitolata SPQR dello scrittore americano John Maddox Roberts. I romanzi sono interessanti perché fanno vedere Roma e vicende storiche che conosco dalla scuola.

In entrambi i romanzi ci sono diversi riferimenti a cene e al cibo che viene servito. In particolare, nel secondo volume (intitolato La congiura di Catilina) c'è la descrizione del banchetto che segue il trionfo di Lucullo. I piatti descritti sono un po' troppo elaborati e alcuni sinceramente non molto allettanti, però la lettura mi ha stimolato a fare delle ricerche. La mia attenzione si è fissata su una ricetta tratta da Apicio.

Potete leggere l'originale su questa pagina: la sezione XXIX del primo capitolo comprende due versioni del cuminatum. La sezione XXI del capitolo III (dedicato alle verdure) dice che si possono condire carote o pastinache con il cuminatum descritto in precedenza.

Dopo ulteriori ricerche, ho trovato una ricetta con maggiori dettagli ed è questa che ho usato come guida per i miei esperimenti [la pagina con la ricetta non esiste più]. Ho eliminato il miele perché le nostre carote sono dolci abbastanza. Ho usato alici sciolte nell'olio caldo al posto del garum, come raccomandato nella ricetta. Ho usato menta fresca invece che secca, perché ne ho in quantità nel mio orticello, insieme a levistico e prezzemolo. Se non avete mai visto il levistico, in quest post potete vedere una foto della mia pianta. La foto qui sotto mostra un rametto di levistico, dei fiori di prezzemolo (una delle mie piante sta fiorendo) e alcuni fiori di pisello odoroso per una nota di colore¹.

Non ho aggiunto sale, poiché le alici sono alquanto salate. E ho ridotto la quantità di cumino: mi rendo conto che questa è una salsina al cumino, ma non volevo che la spezia la facesse da padrona in termini di sapore. In ogni caso, la ricetta originale non specifica alcuna quantità e quindi mi sono sentita libera di adattarla ai miei gusti.

Ho preparato la ricetta tre volte, giocando un po' con i dettagli. Il risultato è un contorno molto interessante, nel quale i vari sapori sono tutti individuabili. Non è un piatto che stupisce al primo assaggio, ma uno che cattura l'attenzione e invita il palato ad esplorare la sua complessità. Senza accorgersene, si allungano le mani per servirsi un'altra porzione.

Ingredienti:

mezzo chilo di carote fresche, possibilmente di vari colori; potete sostituire una o due carote con pastinache delle stesse dimensioni
2 cucchiai (30 ml) di foglie di levistico fresco a pezzetti (prima tagliate e poi misurate)
2 cucchiai (30 ml) di foglie di prezzemolo fresco a pezzetti (prima tagliate e poi misurate)
3-4 foglioline di menta fresca a pezzetti
1/2 cucchiaino (2.5 ml) di cumino (tostare i semi, ridurli in polvere e poi misurare)
pepe macinato fresco: 2-3 giri di macinapepe
un pochino di cannella in polvere
1 cucchiaio di olio d'oliva
2 filetti di alici sott'olio
1/2 cucchiaio (7.5 ml) di aceto balsamico

Lavare bene le carote, raschiare la pellicina con un coltello, sciacquare e poi cuocere al vapore. Far raffreddare, poi tagliare a rondelle spesse 3-6 mmand e mettere su un piatto da portata.

Ammucchiare erbe aromatiche, cumino, pepe e cannella sul tagliere. Con un coltello, tagliare finemente e mescolare allo stesso tempo.

Scaldare l'olio in una ciotolina e aggiungere i filetti di alici tagliati a pezzetti. Mescolare fino a quando le alici si sciolgono. Aggiungere l'aceto balsamico e mescolare. Aggiungere il battuto di erbe aromatiche e spezie e mescolare bene: questa è la salsina al cumino. Versare sulle carote e mescolare. Servire.

Adattate le dosi dei vari ingredienti al vostro gusto. In particolare, potete provare ad aumentare la quantità di cumono. Magari in futuro lo farò anch'io, ma per ora mi gusto il contorno così come l'ho descritto. Se trovate carote di vari colori il risultato è piacevole anche agli occhi.

Questo è il mio contributo alla 13ma edizione di Novel Food, evento letterario/culinario che Lisa di Champaign Taste ed io abbiamo creato un po' di tempo fa, come potete vedere sulla pagina della collezione delle edizioni precedenti. Stavolta ospito l'evento da sola dal momento che Lisa si è presa un po' di vacanza dal blog.

Questo post contiene il riepilogo dell'evento.

Contribuisco anche questo mese all'evento Tin Can Recipes dedicato alla celebrazione dei 200 anni del cibo in scatola. L'organizzazione dell'evento è di Ale, Fra, Sere e Paola del blog Il Giardino degli Aromi e di Brii che scrive Briggis recept och ideer e Briiblog in English. Le regole per partecipare le trovate su questa pagina.

Questo post contiene il riepilogo dell'evento.

¹ La scatoletta di alici sott'olio nella foto è solo a titolo informativo: non è una pubblicità. Non ho alcun rapporto commerciale con l'azienda produttrice.

torta salata di zucchine e carote / savory zucchini and carrot cake

June 12, 2011 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla sezione del post in italiano]

A short (as in: detail-poor) recipe for zucchini and carrot soufflé in an Italian magazine inspired this dish that found a more satisfactory realization as a savory cake, baked in a springform pan. The sketchiness of the recipe (which I believe I still have in the house, though my inability to locate it puts in doubt such believe) left ample room for my experiments. From the very beginning, however, I was clear on one thing: I would use a lot of zucchine for it.

I came up with my idea of how much of each vegetable to use. I also set aside the béchamel sauce in favor of a velouté sauce that uses olive oil for the roux and my homemade stock as liquid. The given number of eggs was not enough to make the base into a "real" soufflé, so I thought of using a springform pan to bake the mixture and was happy with the result, so the soufflé turned into a cake.

The recipe entails preparing the vegetables and the sauce: this can be done separately and in advance, making this dish a nice option for a dinner with guests where you don't want to have a lot to do at the last minute. I make it often for the two of us, since we both like it a lot.

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Savory zucchini and carrot cake

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. zucchini
8 oz. carrots
olive oil
2 cups homemade light chicken stock or vegetable stock
3.5 tablespoons olive oil (olio d'oliva) of good quality
3.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour (farina)
grated nutmeg
2 eggs (due uova)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Prepare the vegetables:

scrub carrots, scrape skin off with a knife, then rinse
steam carrots until tender; when cool, dice them
wash zucchini and dice them
cook zucchini in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet, uncovered, until tender, stirring often
mix the vegetables and season them with salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the velouté sauce:

Use the given quantities of flour, olive oil and stock to prepare the velouté sauce according to Deborah Madison's recipe for béchamel sauce in her "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" (one of the variations she lists at the end of the recipe mentions the possibility of making a non-dairy version with olive oil and stock). Most often, I use my homemade light chicken stock, because I have more of that than of vegetable stock in my freezer.

Read carefully the recipe as Madison explains the reason behind the long cooking time. I warm up the stock in the microwave while the roux is cooking. I then pour the hot liquid into the pan all at once, while stirring with a whisk. Note that I don't add the aromatics listed in the recipe to the stock, since it already contains them.

Assemble and bake the cake:

Separate the eggs: add the yolks to the sauce and let the whites come to room temperature in a small bowl. Heat oven to 400 F and place a rack in the middle. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the inner surface of the ring. Add the cheese to the sauce and stir to incorporate that and the egg yolks. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites, then beat them until firm peaks form.

Add the vegetables to the sauce and stir well (be delicate!), then add about 1/3 of the egg whites and fold in using a spatula and a delicate hand. Add the rest of the egg whites and again fold in. Pour into prepared springform pan and place in the oven. Turn down the temperature to 375 F. (This baking mode is the same as for soufflés.)

Bake until the surface is golden. It usually takes me 42 minutes, but as we know, ovens differ. Take out of the oven and let sit for a couple of minutes, then run a thin spatula around the edge and remove the ring. Slice (be careful: the cake is fairly delicate) and serve immediately.

I have not yet tried to use the same base recipe with a different combination of vegetables. When the torta is made with fresh vegetables from the farmers' market, the flavor of zucchini and carrots is really a delicate pleasure for the palate.

This is my submission for the fifth edition of Creative Concoctions, an event created by Ivy of Kopiaste..to Greek Hospitality. The theme of Creative Concoctions #5 is cakes with olive oil.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

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

torta salata di zucchine e carote

or launch the torta salata di zucchine e carote audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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Per i lettori italiani

Subito dopo aver pubblicato il post, Marta di Mangiare è un po' come viaggiare ha espresso un interesse per la ricetta e gliel'ho tradotta. L'intenzione era quella di aggiungere la traduzione a questo post, ma nel frattempo Marta non solo ha realizzato la ricetta, ma ha anche scritto un post carinissimo sulla sua esperienza e quindi e con grande piacere che vi invito a visitare il suo blog e a leggere i dettagli.

zuppa di zucca e carote / winter squash and carrot soup

March 31, 2011 | Simona

I told you I still have some winter squashes in my storage room, so here is another great soup I made with them and with carrots, of which I bought a bunch, greens and all, from the Temescal farmers' market in Oakland, a relatively small market that has interesting vendors and, most importantly, runs year-round.

I actually made this soup twice. The first time (photo above), I used a butternut squash, but did not weigh any of the ingredients, which is not a problem until you want to share the recipe. I liked the soup a lot, so it was easy to decide to make it again and do so with the scales ready. For the second rendition, I picked a different squash and should have photographed it before roasting it, because it was really a sight. Fortunately, I found a good image on this page, where its name is also given: Black Futsu. Don't let its rough surface intimidate you: Black Futsu squash has a flavorful flesh under those ribs.

The flesh is golden color and has the rich taste of hazelnuts… The black fruit will turn a rich chestnut color in storage. It is a particularly long keeper (up to 8 months). This heirloom variety originally from Japan has a high yield, a unique appearance and an uncommon flavor.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Winter squash and carrot soup

Ingredients:

a winter squash of your choice, yielding 2.5 lbs cooked squash
3/4 lb carrots
4-5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
olive oil
6 oz. onion (cipolla), chopped
1 celery rib (leaves included, if present), chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin (possibly from freshly toasted and ground seeds)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (chiodi di garofano)
3 cups homemade light chicken stock or vegetable stock
2.5-3 cups water, plus as needed to bring the soup to the desired consistency
salt (sale) and freshly ground black pepper (pepe nero), to taste

Heat the oven to 375 F. Pierce the squash with a blade in a few places, place it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, and bake it for 15 minutes. This makes it easier to cut it in half. Let the squash cool slightly, cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (a grapefruit spoon is my preferred tool for this task). Put the garlic cloves into the cavity of one of the two squash halves and place both halves on the silicone baking mat, cut side down. (I learned to bake garlic with squash this way from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.) Put back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the carrots. I don't peel them, but simply scrub them well, scrape off the thin skin with a knife, then rinse them. Cut carrots into 1/4"-thick slices and spray a bit of olive oil on them. Take the baking sheet with the squash out of the oven and distribute the carrots on it, if there is space. Otherwise, use another baking sheet, but try to bake all the vegetables at the same time, for energy efficiency's sake. Take the carrots out of the oven after 30 minutes. At that time, check the squash and, if necessary, bake it longer, until you can easily pierce it with a knife. Let the squash cool and then scrape the flesh off the skin, again using a grapefruit spoon. Peel the garlic cloves and set them aside.

Warm up some olive oil in a soup pot and add onion and celery. After 3-4 minutes, cover the pot and let the vegetables cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add cumin, smoked paprika and cloves to onion and celery, stir, then add squash, carrots, stock, and water to cover the vegetables. Cover the pot, bring to a boil and cook for 25 minutes. Add the garlic cloves, then purée with an immersion blender. Add more water, if needed, to make the soup reach the desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

I have found that this soup profits from some rest, so I suggest you make it a few hours ahead, then reheat it. Serve with homemade bread and/or cheese crisps. The ones in the photo were made with my homemade Tilsit, which worked nicely.

To make the cheese crisps, heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Take a tablespoon of grated cheese, like parmigiano-reggiano, and place it on the silicone baking mat. With a fingertip, spread cheese into a disk of about 3" diameter. Repeat a few times, making sure to leave at least one inch between the disks. Bake until the cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes (check after 3 minutes and bake half or a minute longer, if necessary). Lift crisps delicately with a spatula and let cool. Serve with hot soup. I suggest establishing a per capita share in advance. In my experience, these crisps have a tendency to disappear faster than the speed of light.

As long as we are having one storm after another dumping rain on us, a hot soup is what I want for dinner.

This is my submission for the first edition of Creative Concoctions, an event created by Ivy of Kopiaste..to Greek Hospitality that will have two editions per month. This post contains the roundup of the event.

This is also my submission for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. This post contains the roundup of the event.

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

zuppa di zucca e carote

or launch the zuppa di zucca e carote audio file [mp3].

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