Puntarelle or cicoria di catalogna (or cicoria asparago) is a variant of chicory. The heads are characterized by an elongated shape (about 40–50 cm), light green stems and dandelion shaped leaves. Puntarelle have a pleasantly bitter taste.Puntarelle appear on vegetable stands in late winter and throughout the spring. Puntarelle are picked when they are young and...
Vegetarian
Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite dishes, and one I make a lot when we have our summer garden.You can roast or grill the eggplant, but it doesn't yield the same flavor and texture satisfaction that frying does.Everyone has a different idea on how to prepare eggplant for frying: peel or not, salt & drain first,...
Vignarola, a celebration of spring vegetables in Rome
Vignarola is a celebration of spring and tastes just like spring in a dish. Prepare it at that magical moment when winter turns to spring and artichokes are still in season but you’re heralding the arrival of fresh spring peas and fava beans.Make this dish vegetarian or add some umami-rich pancetta or guanciale to the...
Taralli, delicious snack food from the Puglia region
Taralli are one of the most iconic foods from the Puglia region. Eat them any time of day as a delicious snack food (stuzzichini) or served as an antipasto with aperitivi. They are made either plain or with a variety of flavors like fennel seeds, hot chili pepper (peperoncino), or even sweet. The flavorings are...
Perfect Poached Eggs
If you’re an egg lover then you will definitely agree that there’s nothing more wonderful than a delicious and beautifully formed poached egg. It seems to be the simplest thing imaginable to make but for the longest time it was something that eluded me. Yes, it’s true, that anyone can make a misshapen scraggly looking...
Steamed Cauliflower with a Balsamic, Caper & Anchovy Dressing
Cauliflower and balsamic dressing is a wonderful way to serve this delicious winter vegetable.For those of you who live in Italy, or have visited Italy, you will surely have noticed how delicious the vegetables are on restaurant antipasto tables. The vegetables are served at room temperature...the ideal temperature for flavor to come out to its...
Zucchini Parmesan and Prosciutto
Zucchini Parmesan & Prosciutto is a deliciously gooey and cheesy dish that makes great use of all your summer garden zucchini. No frying or precooking needed! It’s not fair to call zucchini a weed but in many ways it acts like one in the garden. It self-propagates from year to year from any seeds left...
Easy Lemon Spaghetti - or use your favorite pasta shape!
If you haven’t figured out what to make for lunch today then go for a great plate of easy lemon spaghetti! I hadn’t made this spaghetti with a creamy lemon sauce for a while and since we have a wonderful lemon tree that yields lemons year round it was perfect. Best to use untreated lemons...
Spring Ravioli: Stinging Nettle and Ricotta Filling with Spring Peas, Fava Beans & Asparagus
I’m still strongly in foraging mode, and stinging nettle is abundant. Along with seasonal spring vegetables I’ve thrown all these ingredients together to make a wonderful spring ravioli recipe. We're in that magic moment of springtime when there’s an abundance of newly harvested fava beans and spring peas, and wild asparagus. It’s wonderful to be able...
Parboiled Baby Turnips Sautéed in Olive Oil and Garlic
Springtime is the perfect moment to find beautiful baby turnips. You won’t always find them in the market but when you do grab them and whip up this delicious Parboiled Baby Turnips Sautéed in Olive Oil and Garlic dish. You may think turnips don’t appeal to you and that their flavor is too strong: think again!...
Stinging Nettle Pasta
Stinging nettle pasta adds great color and some added nutrition to your pasta dishes. How many of you have started foraging now that we are in lockdown? Since there are no longer frequent visits to the grocery store – in fact none in our case since we are ordering everything for home delivery - there’s...
Homemade bread with home-ground flours
This has now become my go-to homemade bread. It's a recipe I've been working on for over a year now, adding and subtracting ingredients, and working with different flours and grains. I’ve started grinding my own flours and it really does make a difference. My favorite is farro, a 7,000 year old grain which is...
