parsley

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

| Simona

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versione in italiano

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ingredients:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C.

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

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

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

    Bake for 30 minutes.

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

    Serves 4-6.

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

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

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

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

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    graph divider

    tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta

    spinach pie with pine nuts and raisins
    tanta verdura in questo piatto (seconda versione) (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

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

    beet greens, turnip greens, tatsoi
    (da S a D) foglie di barbabietola, foglie di rapa e tatsoi (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

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

    baby turnip greens, spinach, pink radicchio, celeriac, golden turnip, pink daikon
    verdure dal mercato, comprese foglie giovani di rapa e spinaci (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

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

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

    Ingredienti:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Scaldate il forno a 170 C.

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

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

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

    Cuocete in forno per 30 minuti.

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

    Porzioni: 4-6.

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

    1 La pagina del libro sul sito web dell’editore

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

    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 chimichurri / chimichurri rosso

    | Simona

    jump to Recipe
    versione in italiano

    red chimichurri
    red chimichurri (chopped ingredients)
    (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by Kim Fay1. The novel, set on the West Coast in the early 1960’s, tells the story of the friendship between two women that develops through the exchange of letters started by Joan, who writes a fan letter to Imogen and encloses a packet of saffron (zafferano) and a recipe. From there, we follow the development of their friendship with the sharing of personal life details and food observations and experiences. It is a reminder of times when communication was slower and, in some respect, better savored.

    During the course of the novel, Joan starts exploring the food scene of Los Angeles and Imogen’s husband learns to cook, aided, in part, by a friendship that develops between him and Angelo Pellegrini, whose The Unprejudiced Palate (“a book on bread and wine in relation to life”) was a Cook the Books Club’s selection some years ago2.

    red chimichurri
    red chimichurri (partially blended ingredients)
    (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

    There are a number of foods mentioned in Love & Saffron and some recipes, none of which I wished to replicate. Instead, Joan’s love story with Mateo and her appreciation, through him, of Mexican food, reminded me of a dish I had wanted to make for a while: chimichurri. I thought it would be great on Francis’s (Imogen’s husband) omelettes. Except that, once I re-read the article that sparked my interest3, I realized the sauce is from Argentina, not Mexico: too late, my mind was set and chimichurri it was.

    Once I started reading more about chimichurri — including an article about it by Barbara Hansen, the food writer who was the inspiration for the novel’s character Joan4 — I realized the red version  of it (Chimichurri rojo) sounded even more interesting and would be a seasonal choice, given the abundance of both bell peppers (peperoni) and chili peppers at the farmers’ market. For this recipe for the first time I purchased peppers in the medium range of the Scoville scale. In the photo, you see the chili peppers on the bottom right corner: a jalapeño (left) and a Macedonian pepper5 (right), which I think is exceptionally pretty.

    ingredients for red chimichurri
    most of the ingredients for my rendition of red chimichurri
    (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

    As usual, after reading several recipes6, I did a bit of experimenting in my kitchen with available ingredients and below is my version of the sauce. I made both a chopped version and a partially blended one. I honestly don’t have a definite preference: blending makes a sauce that can be more evenly distributed and tones down the color, but I like to taste the small bits of roasted pepper.

    Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Red chimichurri

    Ingredients:

    • 1 red bell pepper on the small side (to be roasted before use)
    • 1 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
    • 1/2 Macedonian hot pepper, minced
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1/2 ounce / 15 grams fresh parsley
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
    • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
    • 1/4 cup / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

    Note: recipes instruct to use jarred roasted peppers, but this is pepper season so I use a freshly roasted pepper and freshly harvested chili peppers.

    Heat the oven to 400 F / 200 C.

    Place the bell pepper on a baking sheet, on one side. (For efficiency’s sake, I either roast several bell peppers or, if I need only one, I roast it together with other vegetables.)

    After 20 minutes, give the bell pepper a half turn. Continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes. The bell pepper is ready when it is slightly collapsed and the skin is charred in patches and soft. If it doesn’t look ready, let it roast for a few more minutes. When it is ready, take it out of the oven and let it steam for 15-20 minutes in a paper bag, a closed container or on your cutting board, under an upside-down bowl.

    In the meantime, mince the garlic. Trim the chili peppers, making sure to remove all the seeds, and mince them. Set these ingredients aside.

    With your hands, remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and peel it. The steaming process makes the skin easy to slip. Chop the roasted bell pepper and place it in a small bowl. Add the minced garlic and chili peppers, the lemon juice and vinegar, stir well and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

    For the chopped version: In the meantime, finely chop the parsley (I use a mezzaluna for this step). Add the chopped parsley, the two spices and the sea salt to the mixture and stir well, then slowly pour the olive oil while stirring.

    For the blended version: Whiz the parsley briefly in the small bowl of a food processor. Add the mixture, the two spices and the sea salt to to the food processor and pulse several times. Slowly pour the olive oil and pulse some more until the desired consistency is reached. I recommend to leave some texture.

    For both versions: Letting the sauce sit for at least an hour will allow the flavors to better blend. I like to prepare it several hours or the night before, keep it in the refrigerato and take it out ahead of time so it is at room temperature by the time I use it. Taste the chimichurri right before using it and add a bit more salt, if needed.

    Serves 4.

    egg sunny side up with red chimichurri
    You don’t need meat to enjoy chimichurri
    (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Chimichurri is traditionally used on meat (carne), which is not what I eat, so I’ve been using it on other dishes, including egg, roasted corn, roasted vegetables and green salad.

    1 The book’s page on the publisher’s website
    2 From briciole’s archive: Broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano (à la Angelo Pellegrini)
    3 “Chimichurri in a hurry” (North Coast Journal)
    4 Article on chimichurri on Hansen’s site TableConversation
    5 Macedonian hot pepper
    6 A recipe for Red chimichurri and another one

    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 Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. (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

    chimichurri rosso

    red chimichurri
    chimichurri rosso (ingredienti tritati)
    (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Arrivati alla lettera O del nostro viaggio nel mondo degli ingredienti ho scelto di preparare una salsa con olio d’oliva. Era da un po’ di tempo che avevo in mente di fare il chimichurri, salsa verde tradizionale dell’Argentina. Nel leggere varie ricette, ho scoperto che ne esiste una versione rossa (chimichurri rojo) che utilizza peperone dolce arrostito e peperoni piccanti.

    red chimichurri
    chimichurri rosso (ingredienti parzialmente frullati)
    (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Essendo stagione di peperoni, in questo periodo ho una ricca scelta al mercato del produttore e per questa ricetta per la prima volta ho comprato dei peperoncini piccanti: un jalapeño verde (in basso a sinistra) e un peperone piccante della Macedonia1 (Vezena piperka, a destra), che penso sia proprio carino.

    ingredients for red chimichurri
    ingredienti per la mia versione del chimichurri rosso
    (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Come al solito, dopo aver letto alcune ricette2 e sperimentato con gli ingredienti a disposizione, vi presento la mia versione della salsa. L’ho preparata con gli ingredienti sia tritati a mano sia parzialmente frullati (vedi foto in alto). Non ho una preferenza: nella prima versione sentite i pezzetti di peperone arrosto e il colore è brillante. La seconda versione si distribuisce in modo più uniforme ed ha un colore più smorzato.

    Ingredienti:

    • 1 peperone rosso non molto grosso (da arrostire prima di essere utilizzato)
    • 1 spicchio d’aglio
    • 1/2 peperoncino jalapeño verde
    • 1/2 peperone piccante della Macedonia
    • 1 cucchiaio di succo di limone
    • 1/2 cucchiaio di aceto di vino rosso
    • 15 grammi di prezzemolo fresco
    • 1/4 cucchiaino di cumino in polvere
    • 1/2 cucchiaino di paprika dolce
    • 60 ml di olio extra-virgin di oliva
    • 1/8 cucchiaino di sale fino, q.b.

    Nota: le ricette che ho letto indicano di usare del peperone arrosto in barattolo, ma questa è la stagione dei peperoni quindi io uso un peperone colto e arrostito e peperoncini freschi dal mercato del produttore.

    Scaldate il forno a 200 C.

    Adagiate il peperone su una placca da forno. (Per amor di efficienza, io cuocio diversi peperoni allo stesso tempo oppure ne cuocio uno insieme ad altre versure). Arrostite il peperone per 20 minuti, poi giratelo di 180 gradi.

    Arrostitelo per altri 15-20 minuti. Il peperone è cotto quando la pelle è scura e in alcune zone distaccata dalla polpa. Se necessario, arrostirlo per qualche altro minuto. Chiudete il peperone in un contenitore dotato di coperchio o in una busta di carta e fatelo riposare per 15-20 minuti,

    Nel frattempo, tritate l’aglio. Mondate i peperoncini, assicurandovi di rimuovere i loro semi, e tritateli. Mettete da parte questi ingredienti.

    Rimuovete il gambo e i semi dal peperone e pelatelo. Taglietelo a pezzettini e mettetelo in una ciotola. Aggiungete l’aglio e i peperoncini tritati, il succo di limone e l’aceto, mescolate e fate riposare il composto per 10 minuti.

    Per la versione tritata: Nel frattempo, tritate il prezzemolo (io uso la mezzaluna per questo). Aggiungete il prezzemolo tritato, le due spezie e il sale al composto preparato in precedenza e mescolate bene, poi versate a filo l’olio mentre mescolate.

    Per la versione frullata: Tritate brevemente il prezzemolo nella ciotola piccola del robot. Aggiungete il composto preparato in precedenza, le due spezie e il sale alla ciotola e pulsate diverse volte. Versate lentamente l’olio d’oliva e pulsate di nuovo fino a quando il composto assume la consistenza preferita. Suggerisco di non arrivare ad un composto totalmente omogeneo.

    Per entrambe le versioni: Fate riposare la salsa per almeno un’ora, possibilmente diverse ore. (Io la preparo la sera prima). Refrigerate la salsa e tiratela fuori in anticipo in modo che sia a temperatura ambiente quando la servite. Assaggiate il chimichurri subito prima di servirlo e, se necessario, correggere il sale.

    Porzioni: 4

    egg sunny side up with red chimichurri
    il chimichurri è ottimo non solo sulla carne
    (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Tradizionalmente il chimichurri accompagna la carne, che io di fatto non mangio, quindi lo sto utilizzando per condire altri piatti, come uova al tegamino, mais dolce arrosto, verdure arrosto e insalata.

    1 Peperone piccante della Macedonia (in inglese)
    2 Una ricetta per il chimichurri rosso e un’altra (entrambe in inglese)

    Un mondo d'ingredienti logolettera O logo Contribuisco il mio chimichurri rosso con oliva dell’olio d’oliva dall’Argentina alla lettera O 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.

    Persian herb and greens frittata / frittata persiana di verdure ed erbe

    | Simona
    Persian herb and greens frittata / IMG_3163

    green to celebrate spring
    (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

    Our Cook the Books Club selection this time brings us to Ireland (Irlanda), yet the flavors are those of Iran (whose cuisine we savored also in a recent edition1). The novel Pomegranate Soup, by Marsha Mehran2 (zuppa di melograno), follows the adventures of the three Aminpour sisters, who escape from political turmoil in their native country to the UK and ultimately settle in the small Irish town of Ballinacroagh, where they open a small café serving dishes from their home country.

    The novel's cast includes the sisters' landlady, the town's priest, a young man with a passion for astronomy and other colorful characters. The author expertly weaves past events into the present narrative, so that as the story progresses we learn what pushed the sisters to run away from their home.

    Marjan, the eldest Aminpour sister, is the main force behind Babylon Café: she watches as many locals come to appreciate the dishes she creates, their appealing aromas and comforting flavors. The book mentions many dishes and includes a recipe at the end of each chapter. I was particularly intrigued by the description of "a good apple khoresh, a stew made from tart apples, chicken and split peas" (page 60 of the hardback edition), but while I was searching for a recipe for that, I read about Kuku Sabzi, a kind of herb frittata traditionally prepared for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that is celebrated on the spring equinox. I am a lover of greens, so I decided to try this recipe. I read a number of renditions3 and below is a description of what I made.

    In terms of greens, I went with what I found fresh at the farmers' market, namely spinach (spinaci) and dill (aneto). Parsley, thyme and lovage (prezzemolo, timo e levistico) come from my garden. The idea is that you can use greens and herbs you like and have available. A different combination means a different flavor, so this is a recipe that can be repeated without becoming boring. 

    When I tasted the first bite of my rendition, my first reaction was: why have I not tried making this before?

    Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Persian herb and greens frittata (Kuku Sabzi)

    Ingredients:

    • 4 1/2 ounces / 130 g leek, white and light green portion, clean weight (set aside the dark green portion to make broth or stock)
    • 4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
    • 2 bunches / 14 ounces / 400 g fresh spinach
    • 2 cups of finely chopped fresh herbs: in my case mostly dill (thick stems removed), some sprigs of parsley, leaves of a handful of fresh thyme sprigs and 2 sprigs of lovage
    • 5 large eggs from pastured poultry
    • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

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

    Warm up a 10-inch / 25 cm skillet over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons / 30 ml of the olive oil. Add the leeks, stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Cover the skillet and cook on low heat until the leeks are soft (12-15 minutes), stirring every now and then, making sure nothing burns. Transfer the leeks to a plate and clean the skillet.

    Wash the spinach carefully and drain. Discard the roots and thicker stems and chop the rest finely. This is a bit tedious but it makes cooking easier, because the amount of eggs is small with respect to the amount of greens.

    mezzaluna and chopped herbs / IMG_3156

    chopping herbs finely

    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the salt, pepper, and turmeric. Add the cooked leeks, the chopped spinach and herbs and mix everything well. A silicone spatula works well for this step, which requires patience.

    Heat the broiler: if your oven allows it, use the low setting; otherwise, move the oven rack down one level.

    Heat again the skillet and pour into it the remaining 2 tablespoons / 30 ml of the olive oil, then swirl to coat. Empty the bowl into the skillet and use the spatula to spread the mixture evenly across. Cover the skillet and cook the frittata on low heat until the bottom is just set: check it after 8 minutes and estimate the remaining cooking time.

    Uncover the skillet and broil, watching carefully, until the top is set, 1-2 minutes. Let the frittata cool slightly, then slide it onto a platter and serve.

    Serves 4-8

    Persian herb and greens frittata / IMG_3158

    why have I learned about this dish only now?

    The intense green of this dish nicely points at the coming spring season. The flavor is a treat for lovers of greens.

    1 My recent post featuring another Persian-inspired recipe: eggplant and yellow split pea stew
    2 The book introduction on the author's website
    3 Some recipes: on Bon Appetit (with useful video), the Kitchn, the Splendid Table

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

    frittata persiana di verdure ed erbe

    or launch the frittata persiana di verdure ed erbe 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.

    Small_NFlogoThis is also my second contribution to the 38th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started 12 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.

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

    tipula su prezzemolo / crane fly on parsley

    | Simona
    crane fly on parsley

    long-legged guest

    My morning strolls in the garden have brought me and my camera lens in contact not only with snails and slugs, but also with long-legged insects called crane flies.

    With each leg placed on a different parsley leaf, the insect seemed to enjoy its position and let itself be photographed without moving.

    I have an abundance of parsley and no longer harvest from the plant in the photo, so I am not concerned about other creatures enjoying it.

    New bww logoThis is my contribution to edition #128 of Black and White Wednesday – A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, now organized by Cinzia of Cindystar, and hosted this week by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

    The photo was shot in color with my iPhone and then converted to sepia (Lightroom preset Sepia Tone).

    The gallery of images contributed to the event.

     

    chiocciola sul prezzemolo / snail strolling on parsley

    | Simona
    snail on parsley

    small but strong (maybe it's thanks to the parsley)

    I don't mind sharing my garden with small creatures like this snail, whom I found in one of the parsley bushes.

    I admire the way it goes about its life with determination. The camera caught it stretched quite far outside its shell, getting ready to move onto a higher leaf.

    New bww logoThis is my contribution to edition #125 of Black and White Wednesday – A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, now organized by Cinzia of Cindystar, and hosted this week by Sanhita of Pocket full of Spices.

    The photo was shot in color and then converted to black and white (Lightroom preset B&W Look 4).

    The gallery of images contributed to the event.

     

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    | Simona

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    prezzemolo / parsley

    | Simona

    Petroselinum sativum Hoffm., Petroselinum hortense Auct., Petroselinum crispum Hill — apparently, these are all synonyms

    Prezzemolo derives from the Greek word petroselion, meaning celery of the rocks, and it refers to the fact that the herb can grow on less than hospitable terrain. I find this particularly encouraging, because I consider my little herb garden a rather welcoming place, which means parsley should find adequate accommodation in it.

    The best known varieties are the one with flat leaves, most commonly used in Italy, and the one with curly leaves, which I had never seen before moving to California.

    In Italy we often use the expression come il prezzemolo (like parsley) to describe someone or something that tends to be always present, because parsley is an almost ubiquitous ingredient of Italian savory dishes and it is the base of many sauces. Prezzemolo is a component of gli odori, our version of the bouquet garni. When I went grocery shopping for my mother as a child I always had this item on my list, and I would get it for free from our neighborhood fruit and vegetable store. The owner prepared it on the fly, choosing among what he had available: a few sprigs of parsley, a carrot and a celery rib were a constant presence, while other components varied according to the season.

    Parsley_2
    I have to admit I am still not adjusted to the fact that here I have to buy a big bunch of parsley: I would prefer to get a smaller quantity, even though that would mean buying it more often. About a month ago I scattered a small package of parsley seeds in a corner of my herb garden. I could not see anything happening, so last Saturday I bought a small plant of parsley Gigante d’Italia to cheer me up. When I went to transplant it (photo above), I noticed green speckles where I had put down the seeds (photo below), so I am hoping that in time the plant will have plenty of company. Then I will be able to pick prezzemolo fresco for my dishes not far from where I am preparing them.

    Parsley_1
    The promise of plants to be.

    Whblogging_3 This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, a food blogging event started by Kalyn’s Kitchen, hosted this week by the founder herself, just returned from a trip to San Francisco. Here is the roundup of WHB #89.

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

    prezzemolo

    or launch the prezzemolo 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.]