gluten-free

farrecchiata: polenta di roveja

| Simona

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versione in italiano

farrecchiata / roveja
a personal take on a traditional Umbrian dish
(dish by @fem_pottery, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller1. The novel tells the story of Olivia Rawlings, pastry chef in an exclusive club in Boston, who, after losing her job, takes refuge in the town of Guthrie, Vermont. The connection to Guthrie is her friend Hannah, who lives there with her husband.

Olivia is hired as pastry chef at the local inn and quickly gets involved in town’s activities. She also meets a number of residents, a colorful cast deftly described by Miller. Adventures ensue, some in the professional field, others in the personal one. The seasons, particularly winter, play a role as well, with the traditions tied to them. The novel is an easy, pleasant read, possibly something to immerse yourself into during the upcoming winter Holidays.

As you can imagine, given Olivia’s job, there is a fair amount of food in the book, mostly desserts. I don’t have a sweet tooth and we don’t eat dessert at home, so I looked for inspiration elsewhere, namely in the weather: it’s cold in Guthrie in the winter, and it snows a lot. Growing up, my father would describe a cold day as “polenta day,” a not-so-subtle hint to my mother to prepare one of his favorite dishes.

roveja and its flou
rovejaa (Pisum arvense) and its flour
(dish by @fem_pottery, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Traditional polenta is made with cornmeal. In Valtellina, a splendid valley in the Italian Alps, polenta taragna2 is made with a blend of cornmeal and buckwheat flour (farina di grano saraceno). In my home region of Umbria, the local legume roveja3 (Pisum arvense) is ground and cooked into a nutritious type of polenta called farrecchiata.

I brought the ingredient back from Italy and the reading inspired me to prepare the traditional dish, which I never ate at home as my parents were originally from the neighboring region of Lazio, so farrecchiata was not part of their culinary heritage. Neither was roveja, but I was introduced to it some years back and wrote a post about it.3

farrecchiata / roveja
a dish to warm and nourish
(dish by @fem_pottery, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I make farrecchiata with my usual method for making polenta. According to recipes I read, the traditional way of serving farrecchiatia is with a simple sauce of garlic-infused olive oil and anchovies (alici). Much as I like anchovies, I did not enjoy the result. Farrecchiata has a slightly bitter note to be balanced, so for my next experiments I used my favorite polenta pairing: cheese (formaggio). That made my taste buds happy, particularly when I used fresh chèvre (caprino fresco).

Fundamentally, polenta of any type is a blank canvas that invites the cook to choose their preferred pairing. This is also the case for leftover polenta, which is firmer than the freshly cooked one, can be sliced and pan-fried, grilled or baked and enriched with the topping of choice.

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

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups / 480 ml cold water
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup / 3 ounces / 85 grams roveja flour
  • cheese of choice, to taste, crumbled, cut into small pieces or grated, depending on consistency
    • I use crumbled Cypress Grove Meyer Lemon and Honey4: 1 ounce / 28 grams mixed in at the end of cooking plus to taste as topping on individual servings

    Pour the cold water into a saucepan and add the salt. Slowly add the roveja flour in a thin stream, while whisking. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Continue whisking as the water warms up. As soon as the water reaches boiling point, turn down the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Keep stirring with the whisk for the first 10 minutes or so, then switch to a wooden spoon as stirring implement.

    Cook the farrecchiata for 35-40 minutes, stirring often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and to avoid the build-up of steam that results in bubble explosions.

    Add the chosen cheese to the farrecchiata at the end of the cooking time, and stir to incorporate it. Serve immediately, possibly with additional cheese as topping or on the side.

    Makes 1 1/2 cups. Serves 3-4 as a side dish.

    I have served and eaten farrecchiata as a side dish, together with roasted or stewed vegetables. A particularly pleasant pairing is with roasted winter squash, whose sweetness complements farrecchiata‘s pleasant bitter note.

    1 The book’s page on the publisher’s website
    2 From briciole’s archive: polenta taragna
    3 From briciole’s archive: roveja
    4 Cypress Grove Meyer Lemon and Honey

    Click on the 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 Claudia of Honey from Rock. (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.

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    graph divider

    farrecchiata (polenta di roveja)

    farrecchiata / roveja
    una tradizione della mia regione d’origine (ceramica di @fem_pottery, tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Arrivati alla lettera R del nostro viaggio nel mondo degli ingredienti ho scelto di preparare un piatto umbro: la farrecchiata (polenta di roveja). Della roveja, dal 2006 Presidio Slow Food dell’Umbria, ho scritto in passato.1 Confesso che non ho mai mangiato la farrecchiata in Umbria. I miei genitori erano originari del Lazio e mia madre faceva la polenta classica di mais. Durante una recente visita ho comprato della farina di roveja e finalmente ho preparato la farrecchiata.

    roveja and its flou
    la roveja (Pisum arvense) e la sua farina (ceramica di @fem_pottery, tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Le ricette che ho consultato descrivono una salsa di olio infuso d’aglio e alici sciolte per condire la farrecchiatia. Le alici mi piacciono, ma non ho gradito il connubio con la farrecchiata. Questa ha una nota amarognola da bilanciare. Quindi successivamente ho usato il mio condimento preferito: il formaggio (polenta taragna2 docet). Il mio palato ha apprezzato, in modo particolare quando ho usato del caprino fresco di produzione locale.3

    farrecchiata / roveja
    un piatto nutriente e che riscalda (ceramica di @fem_pottery, tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Ingredienti:

    • 480 ml di acqua fredda
    • 1/4 cucchiaino di sale fino
    • 85 grammi di farina di roveja
    • formaggio a scelta, in quantità a piacere, sbriciolato o tagliato a pezzetti o grattugiato, a seconda della consistenza
      • io uso caprino fresco sbriciolato: 30 grammi mescolati alla farrecchiata al termine della cottura, più a piacere sopra le porzioni individuali

      Versate l’acqua in una pentola e salate. Aggiungete lentamente a filo la farina di roveja, mescolando col frullino a mano. Mettete la pentola su fuoco medio e portate l’acqua ad ebollizione, sempre mescolando, poi abbassate il calore al minimo che mantiene un leggero bollore. Continuate a mescolare col frullino per 10 minuti poi passate ad usare un cucchiaio di legno.

      Cuocete la farrecchiata per 35-40 minuti, mescolando spesso per evitare che si attacchi al fondo della pentola e anche che accumuli vapore e poi provochi piccole esplosioni vulcaniche.

      Al termine della cottura, aggiungete il formaggio scelto e mescolate bene per incorporarlo. Servite immediatamente la farrecchiata, magari con dell’altro formaggio da aggiungere a piacere.

      Porzioni: 3-4 come contorno.

      Servo la farrecchiata come contorno insieme a verdire arrosto o stufate. Una combinazione che apprezzo in modo particolare è quella con la zucca, la cui dolcezza si bilancia bene la nota amarognola della farrecchiata.

      1 Dall’archivio di briciole: roveja (in inglese)
      2 Dall’archivio di briciole: polenta taragna (in italiano, oltre che in inglese)
      3 Cypress Grove Meyer Lemon and Honey (in inglese)

      Un mondo d'ingredienti logolettera R logoContribuisco la mia farrecchiata (polenta di roveja) dall’Italia alla lettera R 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.

red Napa cabbage and winter squash with applesauce / cavolo napa rosso e zucca con salsa di mele

| Simona

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red napa cabbage and winter squash with applesauce / DSCN0120

a personal take on the cabbage and apple pairing

The current Cook the Books Club selection is Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown:

The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot. He will be spared, she tells him, as long as he puts exquisite food in front of her every Sunday without fail.1

There's the pirate ship's colorful cast of characters — Mr. Apples, the knitting thug; mysterious twins Feng and Bai; and Joshua, who can neither hear nor speak and becomes a sort of adopted son to Wedgwood — plus buried family secrets aplenty and a thorough condemnation of the inhumane trading of tea, slaves and opium.2

The novel offered a change of time and scenery to my usual reading: I sailed on the Flying Rose, met the characters, followed their adventures and on Sundays I sat down with Captain Mabbott and Chef Wedgwood to savor his dishes and their conversation. As you can imagine from the premise, there was a fair amount of food in the book, some intriguing dishes, some less so, all providing to the reader a chance to think about the limitations of cooking on a ship that spends a lot of time sailing and does not have refrigeration on board.

During a visit to an island, Wedgwood encounters lemongrass (citronella) and that gave me the idea of using it, something I have never done. However, I could not find fresh lemongrass where I have been recently, so I found inspiration in the episode where Wedgwood gets hold of fresh cabbage and makes sauerkraut (crauti) with it. Some years ago I made sauerkraut at home and realized that I am not wild about it. I do like cabbage, though, all the various types. The variety that caught my attention at recent farmers' markets is pretty red Napa cabbage.3

red napa cabbage and winter squash with applesauce / IMG_4181

beauties on display at the farmers' market
(brought to you by Luna Farm)

I became better acquainted with Napa cabbage a few years ago when I worked on my rendition of the Indonesian dish Orak Arik Wortel (Napa cabbage, carrot and egg scramble)5 for the cookbook Risikitchen.6 It was time to develop another recipe with it and here it is.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Red Napa cabbage and winter squash with applesauce

Ingredients for the vegetables:

  • 9 ounces / 255 grams winter squash, to obtain a clean weight of 8 ounces / 225 grams
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams red onion
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 13-14 ounces / 370-40 grams red Napa cabbage
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • ½ teaspoon berbere (Ethiopian spice mix)
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml lukewarm water
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
  • Roasted applesauce (recipe below) or your favorite applesauce (unsweetened), to serve

Remove seeds and strings from the squash (a grapefruit spoon is my favorite tool to do this). Use a sturdy swivel vegetable peeler to peel the squash, then cut it into small cubes.

Peel the onion, halve it and thinly slice it lengthwise.

Warm up the olive oil in a 10-inch deep sauté pan or large skillet on medium heat. Turn down the heat to medium-low, add the onion, stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Add the squash, stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.

In the meantime, separate the Napa cabbage leaves and slice them 1/4-1/2 inch / 0.6-1.25 cm thick.

Add the garlic to the pan, sprinkle the berbere and stir well. After 1 minute, add the cabbage and the water, stir slightly (this first stirring will be a bit awkward, given the cabbage volume) and cover. Cook on low heat until the Napa cabbage and squash are tender (20 minutes or so), stirring often. Should the pan become dry, add another tablespoon of water.

Sprinkle salt, stir, taste then adjust as needed. Remove the pan from the heat.

Serve with roasted applesauce on the side. Spoon some applesauce on the portion of vegetables, stir it in and enjoy.

Serves 5.

Ingredients for a batch of roasted applesauce:

  • 3 pounds / 1.36 kg apples (se Note below)
  • A generous pinch of fine sea salt

Note: Since they are left unpeeled, organic or pesticide-free apples are strongly recommended. In terms of varieties, mix sweet and tart varieties to get a balanced flavor.

Heat the oven to 500 F / 260 C.

Rinse well, quarter and core the apples. If an apple is large, cut each quarter in half lengthwise. Distribute the apples in a 3 quart / 3 liter  pyrex baking dish or similar baking vessel, sprinkle the salt and stir briefly. Cover with aluminum foil and seal around the edges. Bake 30 minutes or until the apples are soft.

Remove the foil carefully to let the steam out and transfer the apples into a bowl. Purée the apples with an immersion blender. At the beginning, pulse and move the blender to start breaking the apples, then reduce them to a fairly smooth purée.

Spoon the applesauce into sterilized jars, put the lid on and store in the refrigerator.

IMG_4186 (1)

my idea of comfort side dish
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

My side dish is not at the level of the delicacies Chef Wedgwood developed for Captain Mabbot, but it is greeted with enthusiasm at the dinner table and that, for me, is the best reward.

1 The book's page on the publisher's website
2 A review of the book on NPR's website
3 Napa cabbage is known also with other names
4 From this blog: roasted apple sauce
5 Article on (and recipe for) Orak Arik Wortel (Napa cabbage, carrot and egg scramble)
6 Risikitchen: Ricette vincenti da tutto il mondo (in Italian, edited by Eloisa Vargiu)

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

cavolo napa rosso e zucca con salsa di mele

or launch the cavolo napa rosso e zucca con salsa di mele 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 Claudia of Honey form Rock. (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.

Napa cabbage, side dish, winter squash, applesauce

recipe: red Napa cabbage and winter squash with applesauce

| Simona

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roasted vegetables with za’atar / verdure arrosto con za’atar

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3938 (1)

the oven and za'atar turn summer vegetables into a flavorful side dish
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Also called wild thyme, za’atar is an herb typical of the Middle East. Chef Yotam Ottolenghi has this to say about it:

[Za’atar] has a distinctive, pungent, savoury aroma. Its scientific name, Origanum syriacum, hints at a connection to oregano, marjoram and the like, but, for me, its flavour evokes cumin, lemon, sage and mint.1

Za’atar is also used to indicate a mix composed of the dried herb, sumac (obtained by grinding the berries of the shrub Rhus coriaria), salt and sesame seeds (semi di sesamo). If you purchase some za’atar mix, chances are, rather than za’atar (the herb), it contains dried thyme (timo secco), plus oregano and/or marjoram (origano e/o maggiorana). I first met za’atar in a spice jar, a mix of sumac, toasted sesame seeds, salt, cumin (cumino), thyme, oregano and marjoram. I used it up quickly in dishes like roasted cauliflower.2

Then I decided to make my own version. Given the popularity of za’atar (the mix), there are many recipes for it: the one I give below is the result of some experimenting. You can experiment with quantities to get to the balance of flavor you like. It is possible to purchase dried za’atar (at least online) and maybe one day I will do that. In the meantime, I use regular dried thyme.

The array of vegetables available this time of the year is sometimes overwhelming. I focused on a classic combination of zucchini, tomatoes and sweet onion. The photo above shows my favorite zucchini variety, Costata Romanesco, and a variety of plum tomatoes that perform well when roasted.



This is also the season of freshly harvested onion, which make for a lovely display, as in the photo above.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Roasted vegetables with za'atar

Ingredients for the za’atar mix (with dried thyme)

  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Ingredients for the vegetable side dish:

  • 4 ounces / 113 grams sweet onion, like Walla Walla
  • 1 pound / 450 grams zucchini or other summer squash
  • 1/2 pound / 8 ounces / 225 grams tomatoes (small Early Girl, plum cherry, grape or red cherry)
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and quartered lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml + 2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml za'atar spice mix

To make the za'atar mix, briefly whiz the first 5 ingredients in a spice grinder, or use a mortar and pestle to grind the thyme and oregano, then add the following 3 ingredients and grind some more.

Transfer to a small glass jar, add the sesame seeds, cover, shake and use as directed.

To prepare the roasted vegetables, heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Lightly olive oil the bottom of a 3 quart / 3 liter glass baking dish using 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the extra-virgin olive oil.

Dice the onion. Quarter the zucchini lengthwise then slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick). If the zucchini is plump, divide each half into thirds lengthwise before slicing. Halve the small tomatoes, quarter the larger ones, lengthwise.

Place all the vegetables in the baking dish and stir to mix. Place the baking dish in the oven. After 20 minutes, take the baking dish out of the oven and stir the vegetables. After another 5 minutes, check a piece of zucchini: the dish may be done or may need a few more minutes.

In the meantime, put the za'atar in a ramekin and slowly pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil while stirring to make a paste.

When the vegetables are ready, take the baking dish out of the oven and transfer onto a serving plate. Drizzle the za'atar on the vegetable and stir well. (Note: I took the photos before tossing to show the za'atar.) Taste and adjust the salt, if needed.

Serve immediately.

Serves 3-4.

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3936-2

hurry up: the vegetables are better when hot from the oven
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

You can dress other vegetables with the za’atar paste or dip bread into it and you can sprinkle za’atar on roasted meat or fish, flatbread or pizza. Making your own za’atar means you always have it handy.

1 Source: article on the Guardian
2 My post on roasted cauliflower with za'atar

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

verdure arrosto con za'atar

or launch the verdure arrosto con za'atar 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.]

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.

zucchini, onion, tomatoes, zaatar, side-dish

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verdure arrosto con za'atar

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3938 (1)

il fornp e za'atar turasformano verdure estive in un contorno saporito
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Za’atar (Origanum syriacum) è un'erba tipica del Medio Oriente. Con lo stesso nome si indica anche una miscela di spezie che contiene la stessa erba, sumac (sommacco, Rhus coriaria) sale e semi di sesamo. 

Le prime volte ho usato za’atar comprato, un misto di sumac, semi di sesamo tostati, sale, cumino, timo, origano e maggiorana. L'ho finito rapidamente utilizzandolo in piatti come cavolfiore arrosto.1

Poi ho deciso di preparare la mia versione. Ci sono molte ricette per lo za’atar (la miscela). Quella qui sotto è il risultato dei miei esperimenti. Forse un giorno cercherò l'erba za'atar, ma nel frattempo uso il timo secco. 

Per questo contorno ho scelto la combinazione zucchine, pomodori e cipolla dolce. La foto in altro mostra le mie zucchine preferite e una varietà di pomodorini ottima per piatti al forno. La foto qui sotto mostra delle splendide cipolle.



Ingredienti per lo za’atar (miscela con timo secco)

  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml timo secco
  • 1/2 cucchiaino / 2,5 ml origano secco
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml sumac (sommacco)
  • 1/2 cucchiaino / 2,5 ml sale fino
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml cumino in polvere
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml semi di sesamo tostati

Ingredienti per il contorno:

  • 113 grammi cipolle di una varietà dolce
  • 450 grammi zucchine
  • 225 grammi pomodorini
  • 4 spicchi d'aglio, pelati e tagliati in quattro per lungo
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml + 2 cucchiai / 30 ml olio extra-vergine di olica
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml za'atar

Per preparare lo za'atar (miscela), pestare in un mortaio timo e origano, poi aggiungere sumac, sale e cumino e pestare ancora un po'. Versare in un vasetto di vetro, aggiungere i semi di sesamo, mettere il coperchio e shakerare.

Per preparare le verdure arrosto, scaldare il forno a 190 C.

Oliare il fondo di una teglia da forno di vetro da 3 litri con 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml di olio extra-vergine di oliva.

Tagliare a dadini la cipolla. Tagliare in quarti le zucchine per lungo, poi tagliare a pezzetti non più spessi di 1,25 cm. Tagliare i pomodorini a metà o in quarti per lungo.

Mettere tutte le verdure nella teglia e mescolare. Mettere la teglia nel forno. Dopo 20 minuti, mescolare le verdure. Dopo altri 5 minuti, testare un pezzetto di zucchina: il piatto può essere pronto o necessitare di alcuni minuti di cottura aggiuntivi.

Nel frattempo mettere lo za'atar in una ciotolina e versare lentamente gli altri 2 cucchiai / 30 ml di olio extra-vergine di oliva, mescolando per fare una crema.

Quando le verdure sono pronte, sfornarle e trasferirle su un piatto da portata. Versare il condimento sulle verdure e mescolare bene. (Nota: ho scattato le foto prima di mescolare le verdure in modo da mostrare lo za'atar.) Assaggiare e, se necessario, aggiustare di sale.

Servire immediatamente (3-4 porzioni).

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3936-2

le verdure sono più buone quando sono ben calde
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Se preparate lo za'atar in casa lo avrete sempre a disposizione per provarlo in altre combinazioni vegetariane o meno.

1 Il mio post con la ricetta di cavolfiore arrosto con za'atar

Logo_v4Porto le mie verdure arrosto con za'atar sulla tavola del 7° mese del gruppo Fattoria consapevole e solidale: spezie e aromi

La lista delle ricette contribuite questo mese

 

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

recipe: roasted vegetables with za’atar

| Simona

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vegan zucchini side dish / contorno di zucchine vegano

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

IMG_3821-2

a light, flavorful side dish
(linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor1 an author I featured in a post last year with her novel Winter Cottage2. Both novels are centered around a mansion, whose walls know secrets that the reader learns as chapter follows chapter and the story moves back and forth between present and past.

In Honeysuckle Season, the protagonist, Libby, finds out who her biological parents were and also finds love and the realization of her wishes. Taylor's novels are centered around strong female characters. Her writing style is enjoyable and the stories keep the reader's attention. If you are looking for a summer read, this is a good candidate.

IMG_3785

zucchini season has started!
(linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Libby's love interest, Colton, is a widower with two young boys. Their food preferences are what one would expect and what I remember were my brother and my preferences at the same age: we could have eaten pizza for lunch and dinner every day of the week, though maybe part of its appeal was the fact that we didn't eat it as often.

When zucchini season starts I am reminded how much we disliked that vegetable, regardless of how it was prepared. In time, my taste changed, while my brother's didn't: to this day he remains opposed to anything zucchini. That gave me the idea of preparing a zucchini dish with other ingredients that would have made us run away as children. 

IMG_3784

easy-to-make hemp milk is a great ingredient
(linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

In recent months I have been experimenting with making non-dairy milk to use not for drinking, but as an ingredient, in particular cashew milk (latte di anacardi) to make chia seed pudding2 and hemp milk (latte di canapa) to use in cooking. Reading the cookbook Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming3 has been fundamental in making me settle on a recipe: what I took from her is the suggestion to finely grind the nuts (frutta secca a guscio) or seeds (semi) first, then mix in the water. I don't add anything nor do I filter the milk to remove solids.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Vegan zucchini side dish

Ingredients for the side dish:

  • 4 ounces / 112 g red spring onion4
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 pound /450 g zucchini
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon berbere (Ethiopian spice mix)
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml unsweetened hemp milk (recipe below)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Ingredients for a small batch of hemp milk:

  • 1/4 cup / 1 1/4 ounces / 35 g hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
  • 1 cup / 240 ml water

To make the hemp milk: finely grind the hemp hearts in a small blender. With a small spatula, scrape the ground hemp hearts from the sides and bottom of the blender. Pour the water into the blender, then process to get the milk. Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Shake well before measuring the amount needed, as solids gather at the bottom. (I don't add anything to the milk, nor do I filter it to remove solids.)

For the side dish, chop the onion and mince the garlic. Trim the zucchini, then grate using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Warm up the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.

Add the onion and stir well. Lower the heat and cook until soft, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir. After 1 minute, sprinkle the berbere and stir well.

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

Uncover the skillet, add the hemp milk, sprinkle the nutritional yeast and stir well. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the zucchini are tender to your liking. Sprinkle the sea salt, stir well. Take off from the heat.

Serve warm.

Serves 3.

This dish is light and has a delightful "green" flavor, with a chees-y nuance provided by the nutritional yeast. It pairs well with various main courses, including frittata and legumes.

1 The novel's page on the author's website which includes an excerpt
2 Earlier post featuring a novel by Mary Ellen Taylor
3 The author's website
4 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 di zucchine vegano

or launch the contorno di zucchine, vegano 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 Debra of Eliot's Eats. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Small_NFlogoThis is my contribution to the 42nd edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started over 14 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, hemp milk, side dish, vegan, Italian cuisine

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Newrule

contorno di zucchine vegano

IMG_3821-2

un contorno leggero e saporito
(tovagliolo di lino de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Da piccola detestavo le zucchine, poi per fortuna i miei gusti sono cambiati e adesso mi piacciono molto.

IMG_3785

è cominciata la stagione delle zucchine
(tovagliolo di lino de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Durante la loro stagione, che qui è cominciata di recente, le compro ogni volta che vado a fare la spesa al mercato dei produttori. Ogni anno mi diverto ad inventare nuovi modi per prepararle. Qui sotto la prima invenzione del 2021.

IMG_3784

latte di canapa: un ottimo ingrediente, facile da preparare
(tovagliolo di lino de La FABBRICA del LINO)

In questi ultimi mesi ho fatto esperimenti nella preparazione di alternative vegetali al latte, non per bere ma per utilizzare come ingrediente, in particolare latte di anacardi per fare il budino ai semi di chia (la mia colazione quotidiana) e latte di canapa per cucinare. Dal libro di ricette Go Dairy Free di Alisa Fleming1 ho tratto l'idea di macinare la frutta a guscio o i semi prima e poi aggiungere l'acqua. Non aggiungo altri ingredienti e non filtro il latte per rimuovere i solidi che rimangono.

Ingredienti per il contorno:

  • 112 g cipollotto rosso
  • 3 spicchi d'aglio
  • 450 g zucchine
  • 45 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva
  • 1/4 cucchiaino berbere (misto di spezio etiope)
  • 30 ml / 2 cucchiai latte di canapa (ricetta qui sotto)
  • 1,5 cucchiai lievito nutrizionale (detto anche lievito alimentare)2
  • 1/2 cucchiaino sale fino

Ingredienti per il latte di canapa:

  • 35 g semi di canapa decorticati
  • 240 ml acqua

Per preparare il latte di canapa: macinare finemente i semi di canapa decorticati. Frullare con l'acqua fino ad ottenere il latte. Versare in un vasetto di vetro e conservare in frigorifero fino al momento dell'utilizzo. Agitare bene prima di versarlo per reincorporare il deposito. (Io non aggiungo alcun ingrediente al latte e non lo filtro per rimuovere le particelle solide.)

Per il contorno, tritare il cipollotto e l'aglio. Pulire le zucchine e grattugiarle con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia.

In una padella scaldare l'olio a fuoco medio. Aggiungere il cipollotto e mescolare. Cuocere a fuoco basso fino a quando sia tenero, mescolando spesso. Aggiungere l'aglio e mescolare. Dopo un minuto, spargere il berbere e mescolare bene.

Aggiungere alla padella le zucchine grattugiate, alzare il calore a livello medio, mescolare bene e cuocere per un minuto, continuando a mescolare. Incoperchiare la padella, abbassare il calore e cuocere per 3 minuti.

Scoperchiare, aggiungere il latte di canapa, spargere il lievito nutrizionale e mescolare bene. Incoperchiare di nuovo e cuocere per 4-5 minuti o fino a quando le zucchine siano tenere al punto di vostro gradimento. Spargere il sale e mescolare bene. Togliere la padella dal fornello.

Servire le zucchine ben calde.

Porzioni: 3.

Questo è un piatto leggero dal sapore "verde" al quale fa da complemento la nota nociata del lievito. Accompagna bene diverse pietanze, come frittata e legumi.

1 Il sito dell'autrice (in inglese)
2 Il lievito nutrizionale (o alimentare) è un lievito inattivo, cioè non ha alcuna capacità lievitante. Viene spesso usato per imitare il formaggio in piatti vegani, ma è un'ottima aggiunta alla dieta di chiunque.

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

Logo_v4Porto il mio contorno di zucchine vegano con latte di canapa sulla tavola del 5° mese del gruppo Fattoria consapevole e solidale: i semi oleosi

La lista delle ricette contribuite questo mese.

 

recipe: vegan zucchini side dish

| Simona

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roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes / melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia

| Simona

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eggplant zucchini tomatoes garlic / IMG_3401

farm fresh and fabulous
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown1, a novel that follows the stories of two women, Alice and Eleanor (Nellie). In 2018, Alice and her husband, Nate, move from Manhattan to a house in a town outside New York sold because the previous owner had died. In the basement, Alice finds a cookbook and a box of old magazines. Her neighbor, Sally, tells her a bit about Eleanor, who lived in the house from the mid-1950’s until her death, and gives Alice a set of letters written by Eleanor to her own mother.

The novel alternates between Alice and Eleanor, both struggling in their marriage and holding secrets from their husband, both dealing with the expectations around childbearing, both trying to find their place in the world. As her husband becomes more and more violent, Nellie finds refuge with Miriam, her neighbor and Sally’s mother, just like Alice finds a friend in Sally.

In the sections devoted to Nellie, we see her cooking dishes from a beloved cookbook that belonged to her mother, Elsie. After Alice finds the cookbook, she tries some recipes. Each recipe is given within context: for example, cookies prepared for a neighborhood meeting, Baked Alaska for a dinner party. The nicest recipe-related scene is the one where Nellie recalls making Lemon Lavender Muffins with her mother in their small kitchen. Nellie does almost everything, while Elsie prepares the lavender buds (two teaspoons) and reminds Nellie not to overstir the batter.

One of the recipes in the book is for Tuna Casserole, which uses canned tuna and canned mushroom soup. This type of ingredients is part of casseroles’ success.

[T]he casserole—the all-American meal-in-a-dish that lured skilled cooks of the early 1900s away from the art of scratch recipes to the mechanics of convenience cooking, thus launching a new category in American-style cuisine.

Casseroles could, conversely, lure today’s convenience cooks back into the kitchen, if only to open a can of Campbell’s mushroom soup and throw a handful of noodles, cashews and celery stubs into a dish that would become that evening’s–and maybe even tomorrow’s–supper.2

In the summer, when fresh vegetables abound, I prefer to eat fresh vegetables. Still, I held to the idea of making a baked dish with a small number of ingredients. Rather than taking those from the pantry, I got them from the farmers’ market. This is the time of the year when it is easy to overdo with purchases. A dish of roasted vegetables is a way to make sure you use all your purchases. The side dish is great when freshly baked and leftovers (avanzi) are delicious.

roasted eggplant zucchini and tomatoes / IMG_3411 (1)

maybe not the prettiest dish, but so tasty!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The dish is not particularly pretty, but the raw ingredients are. Recently I’ve been photographing sets of vegetables fresh from the farmers’ market, edible still lives. It’s hard not to be fascinated by the colors: in the photo at the top the eggplant Listada de Gandia is marbled purple, the zucchini Costata Romanesco are light green and speckled and the tomatoes on the vine are Edox3 perfectly red. The herb on the right is winter savory4 (santoreggia montana) from my garden, an herb I use a lot in my cooking.

It is fine to use other varieties of eggplant and zucchini. In fact, the rendition pictured above and below included a purple globe eggplant and I have also used Chinese eggplant (from a favorite vendor at the South Berkeley farmers’ market, who also introduced me to Chinese bitter melon and Korean melon) and yellow zucchini.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 eggplant (or 2 small ones) 12 ounces / 340 grams
  • 2 zucchini 9 ounces / 250 grams
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams cherry plum, cherry or grape tomatoes: a variety that is good for roasting
  • 2 plums or 1 peach 4 ounces / 112 grams, optional but good
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh leaves of winter savory or thyme or a mix of the two
  • 1/4 teaspoon Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming Seasoning OR a pinch each of ground paprika, cumin, black pepper, ancho or chipotle pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Distribute the olive oil on the bottom of a 3 quart / 3 liter (13″x 9″ x 2″ / 33 x 23 x 5 cm) glass baking dish.

Dice all the vegetables. Eggplant: slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick), then pile 2-3 slices and dice. Zucchini: quarter them lengthwise then slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick). If the zucchini is plump, divide each half into thirds lengthwise before slicing. Tomatoes: halve the small ones, quarter the larger ones, lengthwise. Cut the fruit in bite-sized pieces.

Place all the vegetables and fruit, if using, in the baking dish, sprinkle the herb(s) and seasoning (or spices). Stir to mix. Place the baking dish in the oven. After 20 minutes, take the baking dish out of the oven and stir the vegetables. After another 5 minutes, check a piece of eggplant and a piece of zucchini: the dish may be done or may need a few more minutes.

When the vegetables are ready, take the baking dish out of the oven, sprinkle the sea salt and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve out of the baking dish or transfer onto a serving dish and serve. 

Serves 4

IMG_3405

ready for the oven

I confess that I eat the first portion straight out of the baking dish.

1 The novel’s page on the author’s website
2 Casseroles – Main courses for baby boomers in the 50’s, these classic American dishes are easy to prepare, low cost and nutritious [from the LA Times].
3 About Edox tomato
4 About Savory
5 Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming Seasoning contains ancho chili pepper, black pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, spices, cumin, citric acid, Mexican oregano, cilantro, lemon peel, chipotle pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, cocoa and natural smoke flavoring. [I do not have any business relationship with the company. This is the product I use and I share the link as information.]

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

melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia

or launch the melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia 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 Debra of Eliot’s Eats. (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 linens 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.

eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, side dish, Italian cuisine

recipe: roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes

| Simona

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konjac noodles and kelp noodles with greens and mushrooms / pasta di konjac e pasta di alghe con verdure a foglia verde e funghi

| Simona

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shirataki and kelp noodles with vegetables / 760896CD-FBA5-456B-B351-5ADB06937655

a bowl of great flavors
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our Cook the Books Club selection this time brings us to China (Cina) with the novel Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah1, which follows the adventures of the two Lee sisters in Beijing (Pechino). Born and raised in New Jersey, the sisters follow different careers: Claire becomes a lawyer and moves to the Chinese capital to work for a prestigious firm, while Isabelle works as a fact-checker at a magazine in New York and wants to be a writer. Isabelle loses her job in a bad way and her boyfriend ends their relationship. Nudged by friends, she joins her sister in China for a change of scenery, possibly a new career and an exploration of their parents’ country of origin.

In Beijing, Isabelle ends up working as food columnist for an expat magazine, which gives her a chance to explore the city and beyond, to meet people, to refine her knowledge of the language. Food plays a role in the novel in various ways: until her stay in Beijing, it was the only connection to China Isabelle had, via her mother; in her role of food writer, she comes to appreciate a much larger range of dishes from regions of China lesser known abroad; a number of important events and conversations in the novel occur around a table or at parties.

LongHouseChineseFood

dumplings anyone?

An important part of the story is for Isabelle to leave the comfortable known and try new things, which is something I like to do in my cooking, lest I fall into a rut. The tradition of wheat noodles in Chinese cuisine was not a surprise for me, having been introduced to that in 2015 at the LongHouse event, where there was the gorgeous hand-painted dumpling shack in the photo. Although inclement weather forced us to take cover inside the barn, we still spent time learning about different types of wheat noodles and to fold dumpling dough around delicious fillings. 

shirataki and kelp noodles / IMG_3348

the konjac noodles (left) and kelp noodles I use in the recipe

The reading made me want to explore some new types of noodles. Leafing through The Ketogenic Kitchen2 by Domini Kemp & Patricia Daly, a cookbook I like a lot, I encountered unknown-to-me konjac noodles and sea spaghetti, both gluten free and very low in carbohydrates. Konjac is a plant grown in South-East Asia, and according to Wikipedia3 it is native to the Chinese region of Yunnan. Spaghetti-shaped konjac noodles are also known as shirataki noodles. At the local grocery store, I found a version shaped as fettuccine. I also found kelp noodles, made from kombu (edible kelp), so konjac fettuccine and kelp noodles is what I used for my renditions of the dish (more details in the recipe below).

IMG_3347

leafy greens from my garden
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I read other recipes4 using these noodles besides the one that provided the original inspiration, and, as usual, below is what my experiments and personal preferences made me settle on. While I rely on store-bought noodles, the greens come from my small garden, while the mushrooms come from the farmers’ market. One of the vendors I buy from makes “mystery” bags and that is what I like to get, as they contain a selection of the mushrooms variety they grow. I have also made the dish with just shiitake.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Konjac noodles and kelp noodles with greens and mushrooms

Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces / 113 g kelp noodles
  • 3.5 ounces / 100 g drained konjac noodles
  • 4 ounces / 113 g leafy greens of choice (kale,  chard, tatsoi, etc.), clean weight
  • 4 ounces / 113 g shiitake mushrooms OR a mix that includes shiitake, maitake, king trumpets, wood ears, beech mushrooms, etc.
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml extra-virgin olive oil OR algae oil
  • 1.5 ounces / 42 g spring onion, red or white, OR torpedo onion, diced small
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed Aleppo pepper OR crushed chili pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce OR coconut aminos
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Fine sea salt, to taste

Prepare the noodles and all the vegetables before starting to cook the dish.

The konjac noodles I use are fettuccine-shaped, packaged in water. I drain them, weigh the desired amount, then rinse them and finally cut them into shorter strands to make cooking and eating with the other ingredients easier. 

I weigh the desired amount of kelp noodles, rinse them and prepare them according to the instructions in The Ketogenic Kitchen: I heat up water in a small pot (hot but not boiling), take the pot off the heat, plunge the noodles into in, stir and put the lid on. After 10 minutes, I drain the noodles and cut them into shorter strands to make cooking and eating with the other ingredients easier. 

Set aside the noodles until ready to add them to the pan. For both types of noodles, follow the package instructions for storing what you don’t use for the dish.

Rinse the leafy greens and cut off any tough stems. Thinly slice stems of chard or tatsoi. Pile a few leaves, roll them tights and slice into thin strips. Set aside.

Clean the mushrooms and thinly slice them. Halve slices if large.

Warm up a wok or sauté pan over medium heat, then add the olive or algae oil and swirl to coat. Add the onion and ginger, stir well and turn down the heat to low. Cook until the onion is soft, 5 minutes or so, stirring almost constantly. Add the garlic, stir well and cook for 1 minute, while stirring, until garlic smells fragrant.

Add the pepper, cider vinegar and soy sauce or coconut aminos and stir well. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute. Add the leafy greens, mushrooms, konjac noodles and kelp noodles and stir well. Turn down the heat to a level that makes the vegetables simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables and mushrooms are tender.

Adjust the salt (I find that the soy sauce or coconut aminos provide enough salt, so I don’t add any), give a final stir and serve immediately.

Serves 2-3

shirataki and kelp noodles with vegetables / IMG_3353

version with shiitake mushrooms only
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I am so glad I tried konjac noodles and kelp noodles! Together they complement well the texture of leafy greens and mushrooms. A lovely side dish for all seasons.

1 The novel’s page on the author’s website which includes excerpts of reviews
2The Ketogenic Kitchen website.
3 Wikipedia article about konjac
4 For example this recipe and this recipe

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

pasta di konjac e pasta di alghe con verdure a foglia verde e funghi

or launch the pasta di konjac e pasta di alghe con verdure a foglia verde e funghi 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 Claudia of Honey from Rock. (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 linens 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.

frittata, spinach, dill, parsley, thyme, lovage, eggs, Asian cuisine