carrots

roasted carrot parsnip apple soup / zuppa di carote, pastinache e mela arrosto

| Simona
a bowl of roasted carrot and parsnip soup
earthy flavors blend in this nourishing soup
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the historical novel Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen by Annabel Abbs.1 The book narrates the story of cookbook writer Eliza Acton (1700-1859) and her assistant, Ann Kirby. I had not heard about Eliza Action and I thank Amy, our Club’s host, for selecting the book.

Abbs chose to tell the story alternating between Eliza’s and Ann’s perspective. Through Eliza, Abbs addresses the topics of marriage, motherhood, and the narrow options open to creative women at the time (Eliza is a poet and playwright), while through Ann, she addresses the narrow options open to poor people, particularly women, and also the care of patients with mental health problems.

The book does not include recipes (ricette) but Eliza’s main cookbook “Modern Cookery in All Its Branches” is accessible via the Library of Congress2 (thank you, Amy, for searching for and finding it!) and makes for an interesting browsing. Eliza Acton liked precision in providing instructions. Her lasting contribution to cookery is the listing of ingredients (ingredienti) and their measured, exact quantities (at the end of the recipe, rather than the beginning, as is the current custom). She often adds “Obs.,” observations or comments to the recipe just detailed.

Each chapter of the novel includes a subtitle that references a dish. One of them inspired me, except I got it wrong. The reference was to turnips (rape) with butter, which somehow my brain registered as parsnips with butter. I then thought I hadn’t cooked parsnips in a while and went on my merry way developing a recipe with that root vegetable. Finding locally grown ones at the farmers market acted as an additional prompt. It was only when I was putting in order my notes that I realized my mistake.

4 farm-fresh parsnips and a red spring onion
young, tender parsnips are also photogenic
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Still, the inspiration came from the reading, so below I share my recipe for soup that uses roasted parsnips. They have a distinct, rather strong flavor, so I reached for their “cousins” carrots to balance it, then added an apple to round up the flavor profile. I also went for simplicity: the two root vegetables, apple (mela), red onion (cipolla rossa) and garlic (aglio) are roasted together before becoming soup ingredients. The result is a hearty soup that is particularly welcome when it feels like winter has no intention to leave yet.

Roasted Carrot, Parsnip and Apple Soup

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Servings: 5
Course: Soup
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces / 340 grams carrots
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams parsnips choose young slender ones
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams apple organic
  • 4 ounces / 112 grams red onion
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves unpeeled
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 cup / 240 ml vegetable stock possibly homemade
  • 2 1/2 cups / 600 ml water
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
  • toasted pumpkin seeds optional

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • lidded pot

Method
 

  1. Scrub the carrots well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin. Halve the carrots lengthwise if they are thick. Chop the carrots into 1/2-inch / 1.25-cm pieces. Place the carrots in a mixing bowl.
  2. Scrub the parsnips well and peel with a vegetable peeler. Halve the parsnips lengthwise if they are thick and core them. Chop the parsnips into 1/2-inch / 1.25-cm pieces. Add the parsnips to the carrots.
  3. Dice the red onion. Add the onion to the root vegetables.
  4. Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
  5. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil then spread on the baking sheet in an even layer.
  6. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a corner of the baking sheet.
  7. Roast the vegetables for 10 minutes.
  8. Quarter and core the apple. Cut the apple into 1/2-inch / 1.25-cm slices.
  9. Take the baking sheet out of the oven, remove the garlic cloves and let them cool slightly.
  10. Stir the vegetables, add the apples slices, stir again, then put the baking sheet back into the oven.
  11. Squeeze the pulp out of the garlic cloves. Discard the skin.
  12. Roast the vegetables and apple for another 10 minutes. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and stir the vegetables.
  13. Check the vegetables for doneness: carrots and parsnips pieces should be easily pierced with a blade. If necessary, put the baking sheet back into the oven for a few more minutes.
  14. Warm up a soup pot on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the grated ginger.
  15. Stir well and cook for 1 minute on medium-low heat, then add the spices and stir. Keep cooking for another minute until fragrant.
  16. Transfer the roasted vegetables and apple into the pot. Stir well, then pour onto them the vegetable stock and water.
  17. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
  18. Remove the pot from the heat, season with the salt and stir. Let the soup rest, covered, for 30 minutes, then purée it with an immersion blender. Add more water, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
  19. Making the soup at least a few hours before serving will allow it to rest and ripen.
  20. When ready to eat, heat the soup and ladle it in bowls. Optionally sprinkle some toasted pumpkin seeds on the soup, then serve.

I am glad the Club’s selection prompted me to rediscover a root vegetable that, I believe, should be more popular than it is.

1 The book’s page on the author’s website
2 Modern Cookery in All Its Branches by Miss Eliza Acton (on page 47 of the book [38/418 of the file], there are two recipes for turnip soup and one for carrot soup)

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

Cook the Books logoThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Amy of Amy’s Cooking Adventures. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

 

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.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

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

| 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)

Turkish-style celeriac
ready to be savored
(dish by @fem_pottery, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

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

1 One 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

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.

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graph divider

sedano rapa stile turco

Turkish-style celeriac
contorno di verdure invernali (ceramica di @fem_pottery, tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

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).

celeriac, onion, carrots, potatoes
gli ingredienti principali (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

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)

Turkish-style celeriac
pronto ad essere gustato (ceramica di @fem_pottery, tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

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.

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

Un mondo d'ingredienti logo lettera SContribuisco il mio contorno di sedano rapa dalla Turchia alla lettera S 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.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

radicchio and leaf lettuce salad with carrot, microgreens and persimmon / insalata di radicchio e lattughino con carota, micro verdure e cachi mela

| Simona

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radicchio salad / IMG_4773D

flavorful and brightly colored
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The novel Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson1 is our current Cook the Books Club selection, hosted by yours truly. I chose the book from a list of food-rich ones because the title intrigued me. Fernet-Branca is a popular digestivo (digestive liqueur) in Italy, not a cooking ingredient. A splash of it can be added to an espresso to make a version of caffè corretto. A Fernet caldo (warm) is meant to help digestion.

While I don't know what Fernet-Branca tastes like, I remember well how much I liked its TV ads when I was a kid. The ads2 featured ever-shifting shapes made with modeling clay.  

"An opera buffa with recipes" is how the NY Times review1 describes the novel, and I agree. The story and the events are somewhat outlandish and hilarious. The protagonists, Gerald and Marta, whose voice and perspective we hear in turn, keep the reader's attention and so does their turf war — fought in a corner of Tuscany, which for both of them is a foreign country.

Gerald, a British ghost writer, is also a creative cook. His recipes, like the book's plot, are — shall we say — unusual and often enriched with Fernet-Branca (to which Marta introduced him). The inspiration for my salad came not from Gerald's creations, but from a connection I made between bitter liqueur (amaro) and its digestive properties, and bitter greens, like beloved radicchio.

radicchio salad ingredients / IMG_4750D

group photo: salad ingredients (minus the microgreens)
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Last month, I spent a few days in Venice (Venezia) and ate radicchio every day, raw or cooked. All the varieties were available at the store where I usually shop for vegetables, which made me happy. In recent years, I have been able to obtain radicchio from some vendors at farmers' markets in California,3 and when that happens I always make a point of thanking the farmer for growing a beloved vegetable. 

While the round, wine-red radicchio di Chioggia is the most common salad variety, I sometimes find the burgundy-flecked variegato di Castelfranco.

radicchio salad / IMG_4771D

before the final tossing
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

With their delicate sweetness, Fuyu persimmons, now in season, and great in salads, provide a lovely contrast to radicchio. The other ingredients contribute to the salad's flavor and texture profile.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Radicchio and leaf lettuce salad with carrot, microgreens and persimmon

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces / 56 grams radicchio (variegato di Castelfranco or radicchio di Chioggia)
  • 2 ounces / 56 grams leaf lettuce
  • 1 ounce / 28 grams carrot (1 small carrot), clean weight
  • 1 ounce / 28 grams microgreens4 of choice (sunflower, kohlrabi, arugula)
  • 1 ounce / 28 grams Fuyu persimmon (about 1/2 of a medium persimmon)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • A splash of sherry vinegar + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, possibly homemade OR 2 tablespoons vinaigrette
  • 1/2 ounce sweet blue cheese, crumbled

Chop the clean radicchio and leaf lettuce and place into a bowl.

Scrub the carrot  and scrape its surface to remove a thin layer of skin. Grate the carrot using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater. Add the grated carrot and the microgreens to the bowl.

Core and thinly slice the persimmon, then add to the bowl.

Sprinkle the salt on the salad then distribute the mayonnaise or vinaigrette on the surface. Toss gently and thoroughly.

Sprinkle the blue cheese, toss again, plate and serve.

Serves 2

1 The book on the publisher's website and a review of the book on the NY Times.
2 Fernet-Branca website, one ad and another one
3 From briciole's archive: Savoy cabbage and radicchio and radicchio and sweet corn
4 This page explains the differences between sprouts and microgreens.

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

insalata di radicchio e lattughino con carota, micro verdure e cachi mela

or launch the insalata di radicchio e lattughino con carota, micro verdure e cachi mela 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.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by 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.

salad,leaf- lettuce, carrot, radicchio, mayonnaise, microgreens, persimmon

recipe: radicchio and leaf lettuce salad with carrot, microgreens and persimmon

| Simona

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red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad / insalata di barbabietole rosse, carote, mela e uovo sodo

| Simona

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IMG_4299

Colorful salad: the view from above
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the spy novel Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews1. I chose this book for our Club in early June 2021. I had no idea that by the time I started reading it, it would feel like current events. It was hard to believe the book was published in 20132.

While I am an avid reader of mystery novels, this was my first experience reading a spy novel. I was attracted to it because each chapter ends with a short recipe (ricetta): more a list of ingredients and a sketch of the preparation than a real recipe. Still the contrast is intriguing.

The author is a former officer of the CIA’s Operations Directorate, so he wrote the novel from a place of personal experience. I was interested in the language (acronyms and some spy jargon) and the window the novel opens on the mechanics of some secret operations. I found the main characters in the novel interesting, in terms of how they end up doing what they do and also with respect to the question: how do they keep their humanity? How do they maintain friendships, marriages? Those relationships are rooted in trust, openness, sincerity, and yet the spy’s main role is to dissimulate and violence, some of it quite brutal (torture, murder) is part of the job.

IMG_4296 (1)

salad ingredients ready to be tossed together
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

As the story travels to different countries, the recipes span a number of culinary traditions. When the novel moved to Helsinki, I looked for Finnish recipes, since an important part of the novel takes place in the Nordic capital: that’s where Dominika meets and falls in love with CIA operative Nate, and befriends fellow Russian Marta, whose disappearance pushes Dominika to step over to the other side. In my search, I read about rosolli, a salad 

made of cooked, diced root vegetables, especially beetroot, carrot and potato, often combined with one or more of pickled cucumber (of either the vinegar or brine type), raw onion and apple. Variations may also include additional ingredients such as pickled herring or boiled egg…3

Then in chapter 40, I read:

On the way back to Tallinn, Benford stopped at a highway café grill, to see how the Lada would react. Surveillance proceeded two hundred meters and waited on the side of the highway. Benford made himself stretch out a lunch of boiled sausages, pickles, herring, Baltic rosolje salad, black bread, dark loamy beers.

and a recipe for Estonian Beet Salad—Rosolje appears at the end of the chapter, signaling that various versions of this dish are typical of the larger Baltic region. In fact,

Similar dishes are found throughout northern Europe, from the Low Countries across Scandinavia to Russia. Especially the Russian vinegret is very similar to the Finnish rosolli.3

The salad I made is a free interpretation: I roasted red beets and carrots, omitted potatoes, pickles, herring and the “cooked beef or pork” mentioned in the book’s version, used my homemade mayonnaise (maionese) as dressing and added blue cheese (formaggio erborinato). The combination is quite nice: sweet, tender vegetables, crisp apple, egg, a hint of sharpness in the cheese. You can roast the vegetables ahead of time, then assemble the salad right before the meal. I imagine preparing the ingredients and allow the guests to make their own salad, which can be served also as an appetizer (antipasto).

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad

Ingredients per person (to be multiplied as needed):

  • 2 small red beets
  • 2 small carrots
  • 1 large egg, from pastured poultry
  • 1/2 medium apple
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
  • A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • A splash of sherry vinegar, to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons / 15-30 ml mayonnaise, possibly homemade, to taste
  • 1/2 ounce / 15 grams Point Reyes Bay Blue4 OR other sweet blue cheese

Note: I recommend you purchase a bunch of red beets with their greens. Cut off the greens about 1 inch / 2.5 cm from the root and consume them as soon as possible like you would other types of dark leafy greens.

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Scrub the red beets well. Scrub the carrots well and scrape the surface with a blade to remove a thin layer of skin. Wrap each in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Put in the oven and roast the vegetables until easily pierced with a blade. Check the carrots after 30 minutes and the beets after 45 minutes and gauge the cooking time remaining for each.

Let the carrots cool until easy to handle, then slice them (half the slices if the carrot is wide) and set them aside. Let the red beets cool until easy to handle, then slip off the skin. Cut the beets in bite-sized pieces and set them aside.

In the meantime, hard-boil the egg, let it cool, then peel it and dice it. Crumble the cheese. Just before assembling the salad, dice the apple (peeling optional).

Compose the salad using the vegetables, apple and egg. Season with salt, pepper and vinegar and toss. Add the mayonnaise and toss, then add the blue cheese, toss one last time, and serve.

1 The book’s page on the publisher’s website
2 A review of the novel on the NY Times
3 The wikipedia article about rosolli and a recipe for rosolli on the Finlandia Foundation website
4 Point Reyes Bay Blue cheese, “a rustic-style blue cheese with a natural rind. It is known for its mellow flavor and sweet, salted caramel finish.”

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

insalata di barbabietole rosse, carote, mela e uovo sodo

or launch the insalata di barbabietola rosse, carote, mela e uovo sodo 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.]

CtBThis 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.

red beet, apple, carrot, egg, salad

recipe: red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad

| Simona

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vegetable and quinoa salad / insalata di verdure e quinoa

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

vegetable salad with quinoa / IMG_3679-2

ingredients ready to be turned into a salad
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Last summer I started taking photos of produce I brought back from the farmers’ market. I enjoy letting fresh vegetables take center stage before they are transformed into dishes. Some of you will wonder: What about the quinoa? It comes from a local farm too.1

Lake Llanquihue and Osorno / IMG_2995

Lake Llanquihue and Osorno in the background
(image taken outside Puerto Varas, Chile)

One of my last restaurant meals before the pandemic changed our lives was in a delightful place called El Humedal2 (the wetland) in Puerto Varas, Chile. My husband and I had dinner there: after a bowl pumpkin soup (zuppa di zucca), I had a salad: “GREEN QUINOA Green leaf mix, grated carrots and beetroot, basil leaves, avocado, toasted almonds and a mix of quinoa with basil pesto and rose lemon dressing.” I ate with appetite (after a 68-mile bike ride) and had enough leftover to fill a container.

vegetable and quinoa salad / IMG_3683

the salad before tossing: each ingredient brings something to the mix
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

An event organized by fellow Italian bloggers (with whom in the past I traveled virtually around Italy, the European Union and part of the world3) that focuses on local products inspired me to cook quinoa and use local, seasonal vegetables (verdure di stagione) to make a salad.

I tested different ways of cooking quinoa: 1) not rinsed, toasted in a dry skilled; 2) rinsed then toasted in a dry skillet; 3) rinsed only. Based on the result, my preference goes to the last method.

Since I am the only one in the family eating quinoa and I don’t eat a lot of it, I cooked 1/4 cup / 50 grams at a time for each of my experiments. Every time, I found that I needed more liquid than the 1:2 ratio usually found in recipes. Finally, using part water and part broth made for a tastier result.

vegetable and quinoa salad / IMG_3692

the salad before tossing: each ingredient brings something to the mix
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

As for the vegetables, use what’s in season, like tasty salad turnips (a favorite, also featured in a recipe last year4). If you buy a bunch, save the tasty greens and cook them. I liked the addition of steamed broccoli in one version. I liked using the last persimmon in another.

And in terms of dressing, choose what goes well with the vegetables: nut butter and broccoli, mayonnaise (maionese) and baby salad greens (from my garden). The overall idea is that you can cook some quinoa and have it handy to compose a salad.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Vegetable and quinoa salad

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup / 50 grams quinoa, any color or blend
  • 1/2 cup / 120 ml water + 1/4 cup/ 60 ml vegetable or chicken broth OR 3/4 cup / 180 ml water
  • A pinch of salt
  • Vegetables of choice, like broccoli florets (4 ounces / 112 grams per serving), carrots (1-2 per serving), salad turnips (1-2 per serving), baby salad greens (1 ounce / 30 grams per serving) [This is just an estimate: for example, if someone is not a fan of broccoli, they may compose their plate with 2 carrots and 2 turnips]
  • Dressing of choice, like nut butter diluted with water, mayonnaise (possibly homemade), vinaigrette

Put the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer (make sure it is fine enough that the quinoa does not go through the mesh). Rinse under cold water while rubbing the quinoa with your hand, then drain.

Put the quinoa in a small saucepan, add the liquid and the salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook gently, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff up the quinoa with a fork. Let cool.

Prepare the vegetables in amounts according to the servings needed. Steam the broccoli florets until tender to your preference and chop into bite-sized pieces. Scrape the carrots’ skin with a blade, rinse well and grate them using the extra-coarse side of your grater. Brush and rinse the salad turnips and grate them using the extra-coarse side of your grater. Rinse and drain the baby salad greens.

Compose the salad using a portion of quinoa and vegetables according to preference and appetite. Dress as desired, toss and enjoy.

Serves 1-4 (if more servings needed, then cook more quinoa and prepare more vegetables, accordingly)

1 Wild Rose Farm
2 El Humedal homepage
3 These pages list all the post for the Italian culinary ABC, the European culinary ABC and the World ABC, respectively
4 Recipe for Carrot, radish and turnip salad with microgreens
5 I love this company’s nut butters

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

insalata di verdure e quinoa

or launch the insalata di verdure e quinoa 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.]

image from 4.bp.blogspot.comI 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.

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.

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insalata di verdure e quinoa

vegetable salad with quinoa / IMG_3679-2

ingredienti pronti per essere trasformati in insalata
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Mi piace mettere al centro delle mie fotografie verdure fresche comprate al mercato del produttore prima che le trasformi in pietanze. Vi domanderete che cosa ci fa la quinoa: anch’essa viene da un’azienda agricola locale.1

Lake Llanquihue and Osorno / IMG_2995

Lago Llanquihue ed Osorno sullo sfondo
(foto scattata alla periferia di Puerto Varas, Cile)

Una delle ultime cene al ristorante prima che scoppiasse la pandemia io e mio marito l’abbiamo mangiata in un delizioso ristorante chiamato El Humedal2 a Puerto Varas, Cile. Dopo un’ottima zuppa di zucca io ho mangiato un’insalata di verdure (insalata mista, carote e barbabietole grattugiate), basilico, avocado, mandorle tostate e quinoa. Avendo trascorso la giornata pedalando, ho mangiato con appetito.

vegetable and quinoa salad / IMG_3683

una versione dell’insalata prima di essere mescolata
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Per il primo mese del gioco Fattoria consapevole e solidale: I cereali e simil cereali (farro, bulgur, grano saraceno, quinoa, avena ecc. sia in chicchi  che farina), ho deciso di preparare un piatto alla quinoa, ricca di proteine, che perciò si presta bene alla preparazione di insalate ‘piatto unico’.

Ho testato modi differenti di preparare la quinoa: 1) non sciacquata, tostata in una padella a secco; 2) sciacquata e poi tostata in una padella a secco; 3) solo sciacquata. Quest’ultimo metodo mi ha dato il risultato preferito.

Dal momento che in famiglia solo io mangio la quinoa e non ne mangio in grandi quantità, ne ho cotti 50 grammi per volta per ciascuno dei miei esperimenti. Ogni volta ho dovuto usare più liquido della proporzione 1:2 che di solito viene  data nelle ricette. Infine, sostituendo una parte di acqua con del brodo la quinoa viene più gustosa.

vegetable and quinoa salad / IMG_3692

un’altra versione dell’insalata prima di essere mescolata
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Per quanto riguarda le verdure, utilizzate quelle di stagione: nel mio caso broccoli, carote, rape da insalata3 e lattughino che miracolosamente cresce nel mio orto nonostante il tempo inclemente. E per quanto riguarda il condimento, scegliete quello che meglio si abbina alle verdure: burro di noci (o mandorle) e broccoli, maionese e lattughino. L’idea generale è quella di cuocere della quinoa e poi averla pronta per comporre un’insalata a piacere.

Ingredienti:

  • 50 g quinoa di qualunque colore, o mista
  • 120 ml acqua + 60 ml brodo vegetale o di pollo, oppure 180 ml acqua
  • un pizzico di sale fino
  • Verdure a scelta, come broccoli (112 grammi a porzione), carote (1-2 a porzione), rape da insalata3 (1-2 a porzione), lattughino (30 grammi a porzione) [Queste sono solo stime: per esempio, se a qualcuno dei commensali non piacciono i broccoli, possono comporre la loro insalata con 2 carote e 2 rape]
  • Condimento a scelta, come burro di noci o mandorle diluito con acqua, maionese (possibilmente fatta in casa), vinaigrette

Mettere la quinoa in un colino a maglia molto fine. Sciacquare sotto il getto dell’acqua fredda mentre muovete i chicchi con la mano, poi scolare.

Mettere la quinoa in un pentolino, aggiungere il liquido e il sale e portate a bollore. Abbassare il calore, coprire il pentolino e cuocere per 15 minuti. Togliere dal fuoco e far riposare per 5 minuti, poi scoperchiare e mescolare la quinoa con una forchetta per aerarla (come se sbatteste un uovo). Far raffreddare.

Preparare le verdure nella quantità necessaria a seconda delle porzioni. Cuocere al vapore i broccoli fino a che siano teneri secondo il vostro gusto poi tagliare a piccoli bocconi. Raschiare le carote con una lama e sciacquare bene poi grattugiare con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia. Pulire con uno spazzolino da verdure le rape e sciacquare bene poi grattugiare con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia. Sciacquare e scolare il lattughino.

Comporre l’insalata utilizzando una porzione della quinoa e verdure a piacere. Condire a seconda dei vostri gusti, mescolare e Buon appetito!

Porzioni 1-4 (se necessitano un numero maggiore di porzioni, cuocere più quinoa e preparare proporzionalmente più verdure)

1 Wild Rose Farm: azienda agricola produttrice della quinoa
2 El Humedal homepage
3 Ho presentatao le rape da insalata in una ricetta qualche mese fa. Sono una varietà di rape a polpa tenera che si prestano bene ad essere mangiate crude. Comunque, rape tradizionali, se fresche, sono ottime crude e vanno bene in questa ricetta, dal momento che sono grattugiate.

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.

Logo_v4Porto la mia insalata sulla tavola del 1° mese del gruppo Fattoria consapevole e solidale: I cereali e simil cereali (farro, bulgur, grano saraceno, quinoa, avena ecc. sia in chicchi  che farina).

La lista delle ricette contribuite questo mese.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 recipes & photos Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

recipe: vegetable and quinoa salad

| Simona

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summer side dish: zucchini, carrots and tomatoes / contorno estivo: zucchine, carote e pomodorini

| Simona

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summer side dish: zucchini, carrots and tomatoes / IMG_3273

summer on the plate
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet by Kim Adrian1 is the most engrossing memoir I have ever read and one I heartily recommend. The writing is delicate and evocative. The author tells her difficult, often deeply painful, story through vignettes organized in glossary format. The vignettes work like pieces of a puzzle: as the book proceeds, the reader reconstructs the lives of the main characters—the author, her parents and her sister. Adrian's husband and children also play an important role, one of hope, as we see that she has been able to create a completely different experience for her family.

Ultimately, the glossary’s imposed order serves less to organize emotional chaos than to expose difficult but necessary truths, such as the fact that some problems simply can’t be solved, and that loving someone doesn’t necessarily mean saving them.

In the book we see the author developing a relationship with her father when she is an adult and he's become sober. Her mother's mental illness however, prevents the establishing of an even keel and in the end, long distance is what allows a kind of truce to take hold. 

The book has some references to food, but the part that inspired me is the mother's skill as a gardener, which never fails to surprise the author and the reader, appearing as it does against a background of mental illness.

Vegetable still life with zucchini tomatoes carrots onion

the ingredients, fresh from the farmers' market
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

My mother was not a gardener, though she always had a pot of basil (basilico) in the summer, a tradition which I have tried to maintain. Last year I was particularly successful and my basil plant lasted until last month, when I planted a new one. The other ingredients in the photo above come from the farmers' market, though I should say that for the last couple of months I have also been eating lettuce (lattuga) from my garden and have been supplying my husband with a variety of leafy greens (chard, kale and tatsoi) in small quantities. 

Zucchini always make me think of my mother: she cooked them in various ways when in season, but as children, neither my brother nor I liked the vegetable. In time, my taste changed (while my brother's didn't), so at least I gave my mother satisfaction when she brought a zucchini dish to the table.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Summer side dish: zucchini, carrots and tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces /  85 g carrot
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces / 56 g spring onion2, red or white, diced small
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon Harissa spice mix (depending on brand and personal preference)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8-9 ounces /225-255 g zucchini (I particularly like the Costata Romanesco variety) 
  • 5 ounces cherry plum or grape tomatoes
  • 3-4 basil leaves, chiffonade
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
  • 3/4 ounce / 20 g freshly grated cheese of choice, optional: if you omit it, the dish is vegan

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

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

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, stir well and cover. Cook on low heat for 6 minutes, until the onion is soft.

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

Uncover the skillet, add the garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the zucchini, turn up the heat to medium, stir well and cook for 1 minute. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes.

In the meantime, quarter the tomatoes.

Uncover the skillet, add the tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the zucchini are tender. Sprinkle the basil and the sea salt, stir well. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the cheese on the vegetables and cover.

Serve warm.

Serves 2-3

IMG_3270

Bring the skillet to the table or transfer to a plate and serve

I have made this dish many times (most recently last night) and a couple of times I have substituted a chopped peeled peach for the tomatoes. Either way, this dish is delicious.

1 The novel's page on the author's website which includes excerpts of reviews
2 A video explaining the difference between spring onions and green onions (a.k.a., scallions)

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

contorno estivo: zucchine, carote e pomodorini

or launch the contorno estivo: zucchine, carote e pomodorini 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.]

Small_NFlogoThis is my second contribution to the 39th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started 13 years ago and that I continue to host.

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.

onion, zucchini, carrot, side dish, tomatoes, Italian cuisine

recipe: zucchini, carrot and tomato side dish

| Simona

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