Aug

25

A trip to Piedmont: Potato and Tomato Salad

August 25, 2008 |


I went to visit my relatives in Piemonte (Piedmont) for a short holiday. They live in a little village close to Turin where I spent many of my summer vacations as a child. The village is in the Pellice Valley surrounded by high mountains, rich with water springs and a thick vegetation: hazelnut trees, chestnuts trees, wild berries are all part of the landscape.

This time instead of going only to the mountains I decided to spent one day in Turin. It was a long time since I’d been there and I rediscovered its beauty. It’s really a wonderful city, once the residence of House of Savoy and later the capital of Italy (1861 - 1864), and  has not lost its grandiosity still reflected in its royal castles, elegant palaces, immense squares, churches, museums which are famous world wide like the Mole Antonelliana that now houses the National Museum of Cinema and the Egyptian Museum second only to the Egyptian Museum in  Cairo, universities and the Italian automobile industry.

Turin is also the heart of Piedmont’s gastronomy: chocolate and Gianduja cream, a delicacy made with cocoa and local hazelnuts, gianduiotti chocolates, famous wines like Barolo,  Dolcetto, Barbera, Arneis, Moscato and many more. Turin is the city where Vermouth was invented, a wine mixed with thirteen herbs and spices, Martini and the rite of the aperitivo served before dinner, usually accompanied with finger food in the modern and historical cafes. The cuisine of Turin and its surroundings is varied: agnolotti, bagna caoda, mixed boiled meats, outstanding cheeses like the Toma and tomino, salami and a real culture for herbs, home made liquors and desserts like baci di dama, bonnet etc. This description is very reductive because I’m naming only few of the traditional dishes and products but I hope to have given you at least an idea.

I feel very lucky because when I go to Piedmont my relatives always prepare me some of the classical dishes some that I’ve known since I was a child others that are still new to me after so many years that I’ve been visiting. I love some elaborated recipes as well as the simplicity of some others. When I came back from Turin in fact my auntie prepared this Potato and tomato salad and it was exactly what I needed after all that walking. Potatoes cultivated in the mountains and cuori di bue, ox heart tomatoes, picked fresh from her garden. Here potatoes are really good and tasty, my auntie usually has a good amount stored in her cellar so they can last for many months.

This recipe seems almost too simple but you don’t need too many ingredients to prepare something really delicious and healthy. It can be a side dish or a complete meal it’s up to you,  my auntie served it with cold boiled meats but it could be cheeses or tuna fish as well.

Potatoes and Tomatoes Salad

3 lbs. potatoes
2 cuori di bue, ox heart tomatoes about 1.5 pounds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Serves: 4 to 6 persons

Boil the potatoes in their skins until ready and let them cool for a little bit before peeling them. Cut them in big pieces and place them in a bowl. Slice the tomatoes and add them to the potatoes.
Season the salad with olive oil, salt and serve. It can also be eaten cold but I personally prefer it when the potatoes are still warm.


Comments

5 Comments so far

  1. Barbara on August 25, 2008 6:40 pm

    Hi Patti, I thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and anecdotes about Italy. I live in Florida, USA and I am so intrigued by your blog. I am going to make this because it sounds so delicious, yet simple. Keep sending us these wonderful recipes.

  2. rosaria canadeo on August 27, 2008 7:04 am

    LOve your recipes and interesting memories from your past. I am Italian and love Italy. Keep up the great work God Bless Rosaria

  3. Suzanne Connors on August 30, 2008 9:32 am

    Are the tomatoes you refer to in this receipe,equivalent too Roma tomatoes? Surprised no garlic - for flavor.

  4. admin on August 31, 2008 5:03 pm

    Thanks Barbara! I’ll keep them coming.

    Rosaria,
    I’m glad you like it. I’ll do my best.

    Suzanne,
    The tomatoes are not Roma tomatoes, they’re heart-shaped pink fruit that weigh up to 1 pound. They have very meaty flesh and contains few seeds. If you don’t find them you can substitute them with heirloom tomatoes like Delicious, Brandywine, Costralee, Box Car Willie and so on. I think it will be easier to find them at a farmer’s market than the regular store. If you really don’t find them at all use the tomatoes that have less seeds as possible.

  5. cathy on September 2, 2008 1:29 pm

    thanks for all your recipes. we visited your city, Verona), last Sept. What a beautiful place!

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