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...
Vegetable
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,...
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...
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!...
Pasta and Bean Soup - Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta and Bean Soup - Pasta e Fagioli I don't know why I never posted my mother-in-law's delicious recipe for pasta and bean soup – pasta e fagioli – but there you have it: it slipped through the cracks somehow.It was just when I made it the other day that I realized I had never...
Farro, Gorgonzola, Arugula & Tomatoes
Farro, Gorgonzola, Arugula & Tomatoes just happens to be one of the easiest, most delicious and nutritious recipes you can throw together in a flash.Farro is absolutely one of my favorite grains; it has a chewy consistency and almost nutty flavor, and it’s absolutely delicious almost any way you prepare it!I especially love it with...
Radicchio Ravioli with Chestnut Cream, Sizzled Pork Jowl and Fried Sage
When fall rolls around it's time to make dishes that bring together some of the season's best ingredients. Radicchio Ravioli with Chestnut Cream, Sizzled Pork Jowl and Fried Sage is one of those dishes! This recipe was adapted from a La Cucina Italiana recipe. Since these delicious ravioli can be made in advance and frozen they...
Cameroni farro pasta with pioppini mushrooms, peperoncino and tomatoes
Cameroni Farro Pasta with Pioppini Mushrooms, Peperoncino and Tomatoes has amazing flavor and a great textured farro pasta. I can't seem to give up eating well in the interest of shedding a few pounds so I'm always on the search for ways I can have both. Every once in awhile I come up with a...
Penne with Eggplant Sauce (alla Norma)
If you saw my recent Instagram post then you know we had a mega-festa for the ferragosto August holiday. I made enough Penne with Eggplant Sauce (alla Norma) for over 30 people and by the time we got to the pasta course we had eaten so much else that I ended up with leftover pasta!...
Bread and Tomato Appetizer
Bread and Tomato is just about the easiest and most delicious of all appetizers. If truth be told we have it just about every night while we prepare dinner, and often at lunchtime too. The key to preparing a delicious Bread and Tomato appetizer is simple: high quality ingredients! It sounds obvious, doesn't it? Just...
