Last night I had friends over for dinner and I prepared a typical meal from Calabria, the region where I often go on vacation. The menu was as follows: fried eggplants balls, pasta with ‘nduja, Pecorino cheese and onion marmalade, but up until the last minute I didn’t know what to prepare for dessert. I was thinking about some sort of dessert with ricotta I would have like to make Cassata alla siciliana but I didn’t want to work too much and also use the oven in this hot weather.  Then I had an idea to prepare only the Cassata filling and serve it in glass cups. I thought that it could be a great alternative, much faster than the classic recipe and less complicated even if the ingredients are the same except for the Pan di Spagna, sponge cake, the glaze and the almond paste. I’m usually against modifying original recipes but in this case I was just using the filling. If you want to see the real Cassata alla Siciliana check out this video.

The dessert came out really good, my guests appreciated it too and I think you should also give it a try. Remember the ingredients have to be extremely fresh especially the ricotta and of course the candied fruits, better if you find the whole fruit ones.

Cassata alla siciliana to go

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh sheep’s milk ricotta if you don’t find it use the regular one
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 vanilla pod
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 finely cubed mixed candied fruit (orange, candied squash called “zuccata”, cedar etc.)
1/4 cup peeled and coarsely chopped pistachios (optional)
1/4 tsp. orange flowers water

In a small pan melt the sugar at low temperature with water and the vanilla. When ready eliminate the vanilla pod. In the meantime pass the ricotta through a fine vegetable ricer twice and put it in a bowl. With a wire whisk combine the ricotta with the sugar syrup until fluffy. Blanch the pistachios in hot water, then peel them and chopped them. Add the rest of the ingredients to the ricotta cream and mix well.  Arrange the cream in each glass and decorate with the candied fruits. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours. This dessert can also be served the day after.

I hope you can find a good fresh ricotta cheese. In Italy is pretty easy to find it, but I don’t know abroad. In the States I’ve never been lucky enough to find a good fresh ricotta, so if you find a good quality one please let us all know here where you got it. Also, if you can avoid it, don’t buy the partially skim milk ricotta for this recipe.

Eggless Ricotta and Zucchini Cake

1/2 fresh white onions finely chopped
4 1/2 cups zucchini, cut in small cubes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups sheep’s milk ricotta or regular ricotta
1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbled
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Pecorino cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh minced chives
salt to taste

Sauté the onions in a skillet until translucent add the zucchini and cook them for about 10 minutes.
In a bowl mix the ricotta with the zucchini, the other cheeses and the chives.
Oil a 9 inch springform pan and pour the ricotta-zucchini mixture.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 Tbsp. Pecorino cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for about 30-35 minutes or until golden. Make sure you have a baking dish under because it could loose a little bit of liquid.

Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes and serve. It can be accompanied with salad greens seasoned with salt, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

This cake can be prepared one day ahead, kept in the refrigerator and then served at room temperature.

Maybe some of you don’t know but Kamut (Ka’moot) is not the name of a grain but it’s a registered trademark of Kamut International Ltd. used to market a grain which contains certain guaranteed attributes.  The word Kamut is an ancient Egyptian word for wheat. Egyptologists claim the root meaning of Kamut is “Soul of the Earth.” This new grain is an old relative of durum wheat, its common name is Khorasan wheat, Lat. Triticum.turanicum.turgidum. It’s 2 to 3 times the size of common wheat with 20–40% more proteins, higher in amino acids, vitamins, lipids and minerals. It can be an alternative to wheat and it’s nutritionally superior as well it has a sweet and buttery flavor and can be easily digested. Some Kamut products also have a low glicemic index . The introduction and cultivation of Kamut® wheat is an important new crop for sustainable agriculture. It is in fact an excellent crop for organic farming due to its ability to produce high quality grains without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. It’s cultivated in a small area of North America: Northeastern and Central Montana, Northwestern North Dakota (USA), Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.

Kamut Salad with Vegetables

2 cups of Kamut Berries uncooked
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 small eggplant or half of a big one
2 zucchini
1 small yellow bell pepper or half of a big one
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Italian chopped parsley (optional)
salt to taste

Serves: 4 to 6 persons

Cook the kamut berries as directed. You can usually soak them overnight and then cook them for about 40′ or just cook them directly for a longer time, about 80′. When ready drain the kamut and mix it in a salad bowl with 4 Tbsp. of olive oil and set aside.

Saute the onions and the garlic in 4 Tbsp. olive oil until translucent. In the meantime cut all the vegetables in small cubes. When the onions are ready add the carrots, the celery and the eggplants and cook them for about 10 minutes.  At last add the zucchini and the bell peppers and cook them for about 5-10 minutes.

Combine the vegetables with the kamut berries, sprinkle the dish with freshly chopped parsley and serve. This dish can also be served cold or at room temperature.

If you have a garden you could try to grow them yourself. I found this web site, called Gormet Seed International that has a wide selection of pepper seeds and they have the “friggitelli” and “peperoncini a sigaretta” which are also suitable for this dish. They have pictures and little explanation about the different varieties so you can actually see and better understand the kind of peppers I’m talking about. I have never ordered seeds from them so I can not give you further info about their service nor the quality of seeds.

Getting back to friggitelli, I prepared them for me and my husband. He never tasted them before but he really liked them. They are easy and quick to prepare, just few ingredients and they are done. The recipe I made is lighter than the original one but still very tasty and flavorful. If you prefer to prepare them in the classical way just deep fry them in olive oil, salt them and serve them hot.

Friggitelli

1 lb. whole friggitelli
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves not peeled
salt to taste

Serves: 4 to 6 persons

Warm up a non stick skillet, I used a Wok.  Add the olive oil and the garlic cloves slightly crushed.  Then add the friggitelli and mix them quickly until cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Salt to taste and serve them warm.

Last month I read an interesting article published in the NYTimes: Salad Days for the Internet by Michelle Slatalla and I discovered that, like in Italy, more and more people in the States are trying to eat healthier, locally and organic. In the States it’s much more difficult to go direct to the farmer and get vegetables due to the long distances you have there. However, if you check the article you’ll see that it is possible to have your organic fruit and vegetables delivered at home. It also mentions a very useful website, Local Harvest for those who want to go directly to a single farmer instead. You only need to insert your zip code, check and see if there are some farms  near you. I’m so glad I found these links and when I go to the States to visit I’ll definitely keep them in mind.

I think it’s really a time saver to have your fruits and vegetables delivered at home, but on the other hand I still love to go buy and choose my own vegetables directly from the farmer or at the numerous local farmers markets here in Verona. In Italy distances are not that long  and I’m fortunate to have found an organic farmer  just few minutes away from where I live.  I love to go to buy my vegetables there, a green area surrounded by hills covered mostly by vineyards. It’s such a relaxing place not to mention its kind owners Gianluca and his wife Giorgia who started this organic farming 3 years ago. They decided to change their lifestyle by living in contact with nature and so they bought the farm and now sustain themselves by the products they cultivate.

This was not a completely new environment for Gianluca as he is a graduate in agriculture at the University of Padova, but as he told me most of what he learned he’s learned in the fields experimenting as he goes along. He treats the plants with natural preparations, allowed in organic farming. Two years ago he introduced beneficial insects for  pest control he said couldn’t believe the positive results he obtained. If you happen to be in Verona and want to try fresh organic vegetables just go visit them they’re in San Felice extra - Verona in Via Belvedere n. 38, give them a call (phone 045 533343 - mobile 328 7135954) just to make sure they’re open. The farm is generally open from April through December, 3 days a week (Tue-Wed-Sat). You can usually find  Guido, Gianluca’s father, or Giorgia at the stand. You’ll see Gianluca working in the fields.  He’s very busy but also very willing to talk about his work if you ask he’ll be happy to bring you with him in the fields to show you his vegetables.

Since I have started to buy my fruits and vegetables at their farm my eating habits have changed and every time it’s a pleasure to go there and find the first vegetables of the season. There’s a big difference in taste when you eat products matured directly on the plant  than the ones picked before they are  ripe and sold at the store. The latter are lacking in flavor and  they’ve lost part of their vital energy. I’m convinced that nourishing our body by eating natural foods, free of chemicals, will contribute to make us healthier.

Speaking about first vegetables of the season this week I found bell peppers! Needless to say that I immediately prepared one of my favorite summer dishes Peperonata: a joy for the eyes with its vivid colors and for the palate. I usually make it with yellow, red and green bell peppers, onions and fresh tomatoes. There are many versions of this recipes all over Italy, some people add celery too which it actually balances the sweet taste given from the onions and bell peppers, some only use bell peppers and onions. You can serve Peperonata warm or at room temperature, as a side dish accompanied with cheeses or meat and if you made too much of it you can use it as condiment in your pasta.

I hope you liked them. Here’s the collection:

1. Cantaloupe with ham: I think that “prosciutto crudo e melone” is one of the most classic Italian dishes ever. You can find it everywhere during summer time, the only difference is the presentation that varies from restaurant to restaurant. It is served as an appetizer but also as a main dish if you want to eat light. You may think of an unusual combination of ingredients, the salty and delicate flavor of prosciutto crudo and the sweetness of cantaloupe. My husband who is an American thought so at first but then he learned to appreciated it and eats it often now. The most famous brands of prosciutto are Prosciutto di San Daniele and Prosciutto di Parma, I hope you can easily find one of them. It would be better if it isn’t pre-sliced. The ham has to be sliced really thin and best cut at the moment of purchase. The end of the prosciutto crudo is usually the sweeter and softer part while the first cuts at the beginning are saltier so if you have a choice be aware of this.

2. La Caprese: If “prosciutto e melone” is the most common and appreciated dish during the Italian summer, caprese is the second. This dish is really easy and quick to prepare you only have to alternate slices of mozzarella with slices of tomatoes and season all with extra virgin olive oil a dust of origano and it’s ready. Make sure to use Italian mozzarella and choose the ripest tomatoes you can find better if matured on the plant.

3. Tuna and Bean Salad: I love this salad is so tasty especially if I’m lucky enough to find red onions from Tropea (which is not that easy up North). I use Fagioli bianchi di Spagna, Italian Butter Beans, tuna fish in extra virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. Green onions or fresh onions are perfect for this dish don’t use red onions if not fresh they’ll be too strong.

4. Stuffed Tomatoes with Tuna fish Sauce: this is an appetizer often served in our house. You can mix the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it for 2-3 days so if you have unexpected guests this appetizer can be ready in few minutes. I prefer to use cold tomatoes but not everybody likes cold vegetables even if during the summer.

5. Pinzimonio: a flavorful extra virgin olive oil from Puglia (Apulia) mixed with red wine vinegar and salt is the ideal combination to exalt fresh and crunchy vegetables. If you don’t like vinegar that much substitute it with fresh lemon juice. Choose seasonal vegetables like celery, carrots, bell peppers, fennels cut them in stripes serve. You can lay them in a big serving dish or in singular small plates, the oil mixture should be divided in small bowls for each diners.

6. Bresaola with Arugula: Bresaola della Valtellina is cured beef, seasoned with salt and spices. In Italy we eat it sliced really thin and use it in many different preparations. It is often laid on a serving plate and the easiest recipe is to season it with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and a dash of freshly grounded pepper. Bresaola has a very distinctive flavor due to the spices so the usage of other two strong ingredients like aged Parmesan cheese and arugula with its pungent peppery flavor create a perfect balanced dish.
If you want to know more about Bresaola check the Consortium that protects the origins of the product, promotes its image defending it from all the falsifications.

7. Frittata is also a quick and very satisfying. I normally don’t like to eat eggs that much but I love them combined with vegetables. During the summer I serve frittata at at room temperature cut in wedges. My favorite ones are: Frittata with Zucchini and Frittata with Green Onions.

The next recipes are a little bit longer to prepare, but than you can keep them in the refrigerator and have a lunch or dinner always ready. If you’re tired and don’t want to cook or if you have unexpected guests these are the perfect dishes.

8. Rice salad: there are many versions of this “insalata di riso”. I’ve published the one that I prefer the most but you can use your fantasy and add your favorite ingredients. Lately I’ve made some variations on this recipe. I substituted the Vialone nano rice with whole parboiled rice, fresh Pecorino cheese and added grated zucchini, carrots and cubed tomatoes to the usual recipe to give a fresher touch. You can also add boiled eggs if you like. It can also be completely vegetarian by removing ham and tuna fish.

9. Cold Pasta with Tomato Sauce: This is one of my favorite summer pasta recipes and you’ll understand it right away when you prepare it. This flavorful tomatoes sauce is not cooked so the ingredients you choose are very important for the final result. Be sure to use ripe tomatoes otherwise the sauce won’t come out good. I wrote in my recipes to use plum tomatoes but you can also use different kinds except cherry tomatoes. Make the sauce ahead of time and then add it to warm pasta and serve.

We have many other dishes we prepare during the summer but if I continue I’ll never finish this post. I promise I’ll write an other one with different new ideas. In the mean time I got hungry and I decided to cook one of the dishes that I’ve suggested you, guess which one?

I was going to cook the zucchini with onions and olive oil (zucchini in tegame) but they were so fresh that I decided to make a salad out of them. I usually don’t like to eat raw zucchini, however when they’re still small and very fresh they taste really good raw. They’re usually added to mixed salads to give them an extra refreshing touch but this time I tried to use only zucchini.

My husband doesn’t like zucchini in any preparation at all but he actually ate this salad and liked it. I assure you that I was very surprised. My kid ate it too without any problem, he actually loves vegetables and luckily he already eats an ample variety of them. Even if you’re not a zucchini lover like my husband don’t run away, instead try this dish and tell me what you think about it. The zucchini you choose have to be pretty small though. Better if you pick them fresh from your own garden or if you find them at a farmers market near you. Needless to say that if they’re organic they’ll be even better.

Let’s get down to the recipe I made. This zucchini salad is really simple and quick to prepare. It can be served as a side dish, as an appetizer or if you want to eat light as a main dish. It can also be prepared ahead of time (1 hour) small zucchini in fact are firmer than the big ones and they won’t become soggy so easily.

Here’s the recipe:

Zucchini salad for every palate

1 lb. zucchini – about 8 depending on their size
2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
1 1/2 cups fresh thinly sliced Parmesan cheese, you can also add more if you like.

Serves: 4 to 6 persons

Preparation:

Shred the zucchini and put them in the salad bowl then whisk the oil together with the lemon and salt.
Add the sliced Parmesan cheese to the zucchini and flavor them with the oil mixture. Mix until well combined. Serve and enjoy it!

I started using millet few years ago when my doctor told me to eliminate wheat from my diet for awhile and since then I developed some recipes that now are part of my family’s eating habits. I was also very surprised that when I introduced solids in my baby’s diet he loved millet right from the start, first as ground flour or flakes and later as hulled seeds.

In modern times millet has been mostly known as bird food, but it has been now reintroduced as an important element in everyday nutrition mainly by persons that want to have a healthier way of living as well as a more varied diet. I discovered that millet is mostly cultivated for cereal in Africa, in the Middle East and Asia and been consumed by the populations of these regions for many centuries though prepared in different ways. In China it was considered by the ancient Chinese one the the five sacred crops, drank as wine during the Han period and prepared as a gruel cooked in milk during the Ming dynasty. In Italy it was already utilized during the Roman empire mostly as flour and mixed with other flours to prepare flat bread as well as in India where it’s still used to make roti.

There are many varieties of millet mostly in the subfamily Panicoideae, of the grass family Poaceae. The millet seed is really rich in starch and one of the richest in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and B vitamins. It has a high concentration of silicic acid, which can be released through body heat, it’s good for skin, teeth, hair and nails. Millet easy to digest and being without gluten it’s the perfect cereal for persons with celiac disease as well as gluten sensitive people.

It can be consumed only if hulled. It’s easy to cook but it needs a little preparation beforehand. It can be added to soups but I prefer to eat it together with vegetables and my favorite dish is baked millet with squash.

Baked Millet with Squash

1 1/3 cups millet grains
1/2 white onion
2 cups cubed squash
extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup feta cheese (optional)
Parmesan or Pecorino cheese to sprinkle (optional)
salt to taste

Preparation:
Wash the millet to eliminate dust, impurities and other seeds by putting it in a bowl covered with water. Drain it and repeat it until the water comes out clean. Toast the millet in a pan for few minutes until tan, I usually don’t use oil but you can add a teaspoon you you prefer. Add the water, previously warmed up in a saucepan. The quantity of water is usually the double of the millet volume. Add a pinch of salt and let it cook uncovered until it starts to boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and let it cook for about 20 minutes. The millet is ready when soft and all the water is absorbed. If it happens to be watery but already cooked, pour the extra water out and let it dry for few minutes. Not every millet is the same so check cooking directions on your package or at the store.

Meanwhile slice the onion and sauté it in 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil until translucent then add the squash and mix until well combined. Cover the squash with water, add a pinch of salt and cook it until tender and the water is absorbed. Blend the squash until creamy. Add the cream of squash and the crumbled Feta cheese to the millet and combine well. Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°, grease an 8″ springform pan with extra virgin olive oil, pour the millet and spread it evenly. Sprinkle it with a little bit of olive oil, the Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Every year in Pigozzo, a small village about 10 kilometres from Verona, they celebrate the Festa della sparasina, the Wild Asparagus Festival. Sparasina is the word in dialect for Asparagus Acutifolius from the family of Liliaceae. These wild asparagus grow spontaneously in the woods and close to rivers between April and May, and it’s in this period that the Festival takes place.

I’ve always heard of this Festival but I’ve never been to it or to Pigozzo. This year I saw the advertisement and decided to go right away. Pigozzo is a really small village surrounded by hills that are covered by vineyards, olive trees and forests which made for a perfect setting. It was a fantastic day, sun was shining and the weather was so warm that I ate outside.

The Festival takes place close to the church and I should say that everything was really well organized. When I arrived people kindly indicated me where to park. I arrived early but the food stands were already crowded. I started with the appetizer called bruschetta speciale and it sure was special: half slice of bread with cooked wild chicory and dandelion greens and the other half with a pâté made with wild asparagus.

I then took Risotto con le sparasine (Risotto with wild asparagus). The risotto was made with Vialone nano rice which is produced in the surroundings of Isola della Scala, in the province of Verona. The rice was extremely good and surprisingly “al dente” as Vialone nano rice is easy to overcook if you’re not careful and that is hard to avoid when you’re preparing it for a big crowd. The rice had a slightly bitter taste due to the wild asparagus, but was well balanced with the butter and Parmesan cheese.

The second dish I chose, pictured above, was absolutely fantastic: sparasine (wild asparagus), a kind of wild chicory mixed with dandelion and candelina, ruscus aculeatus. The vegetables were blanched in hot water, then flavored with extra virgin olive oil and accompanied with hard-boiled eggs. The eggs were organic!

I concluded my lunch with a slice of cake called, “Torta con l’erba amara” , cake with bitter herb (Tanacetum Parthenium, feverfew) and I fell in love with it. It has a unique taste aromatic and slightly bitter and I want the recipe! What a lunch, a celebration of wild vegetables and herbs. Simple ingredients from nature cooked and presented in a very unpretentious way.
I went home very satisfied but also with a new inspiration: to start learning more about finding and cooking wild herbs. It will definitely be a future subject in this blog.

If you happen to be close to Verona around the end of April or early May don’t miss this festival. There’s a website dedicated to it www.sparasina.com but only in Italian. I’m sure you can easily check the dates and the map to get to Pigozzo without any problem.

It’s spring, warm weather, flowers blooming or at least I thought it was spring. In the last few days it has been cold again so I decided to allow myself one last winter treat, I bought Mostarda Di Cremona: whole fruits in a sweet syrupy sauce spiced up with few drops of mustard essence. Here’s the name Mostarda from the French “moutarde” but only because it uses mustard essence in fact it has nothing to do with moutarde or mustard.

A must in the Italian cuisine during the winter and especially at Christmas time. Mostarda is served along with other typical sauces with bollito misto (boiled meats) a real traditional Italian dish. It is also served with cheeses or used in the fillings like Tortelli con la zucca (tortelli with squash) . I love to eat it accompanied with fresh and creamy Stracchino cheese (Crescenza) as you can see in the picture above but most people prefers to eat it with Mascarpone cheese. I personally think that Stracchino is much lighter and tastier.

The tradition says that Mostarda was created around the 14th century but it seems that originally wasn’t a recipe at all. Legend says that a monk to punish himself from being greedy decided to cook something disgusting to eat so he boiled some fruit adding the worse things he could think of like must and mustard but as you can imagine it came out delicious. There are many citations about mostarda during the centuries even starting from the Romans but it’s until around the 17th century that we have documented resources about the mostarda recipe as we eat it today.

There are different kinds of mostarda from all the North of Italy and down to Tuscany, but the best one for me is the Mostarda di Cremona that keeps the fruit whole. Other preparations instead puree the fruit like mostarda vicentina (from Vicenza) which is only made with apples. Mostarda di Cremona is usually prepared with cherries, figs, tangerines, pieces of oranges, apricots, pears and so on.

It can be really spicy, which I prefer, but it will bring tears to your eyes. The quantity of mustard essence makes the difference and it only needs few drops to be strong. Mostarda can also be prepared at home but I’ve never tried to make it yet. I always find good quality mostarda available in the stores. One day or an other I’m going to make my own and you’ll be the first one to know. The procedure is quite simple but it takes some time depending on the recipe you’re following, it normally takes up to two days. If you prepare it yourself make sure you never breathe the mustard essence because you’ll faint for sure, my dad did it. Don’t use substitute like mustard powder or others it won’t be the same.

I hope you’ll have a chance to try it someday not everybody likes it but it’s worth to taste it. If you do want to taste it make sure it’s made in Italy and let me know what you think of it.