La Tavola Marche Recipe Box

Prugnolino - Italian Sloe Gin

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Our woods are filled with plump deep blue sloe (blackthorn) berries, prugnole (or in local dialect brugnole). With stained sticky fingers, I gather them just in the nick of time during the late fall, waiting for them to be soft but not mealy and more importantly before the other booze makers can get to them!

That's right, just like local ladies have done for centuries I collect kilos of prugnole to be soaked in pure alcohol and made into a delicious port-like after dinner drink (digestivo) known as a prugnolino. I am very proud of my boozing because I can't cook, this is what I proudly contribute to the table. This is also an honored tradition to continue making homemade liquors and brings with it serious bragging rights when done right. The secret to creating a nice smooth flavor is time - the longer it sits, the better it tastes.

Sloe Gin of Italy

Brugnolino - recipe from the Candigliano Valley

1 kilo of sloe
1 litre of pure grain alcohol (or gin)
1/2 liter of white wine
250 grams sugar

Wash the sloe well.
Mix together & let sit 30-40 days in air tight jar - mixing every so often.
Filter well with cheese cloth.
Let sit in cool dark place - Wait for another year to start serving, however some start drinking immediately. I think over time the flavors round out so nicely.

Spiced Sloe

500 grams sloe
250 grams sugar
750 ml pure grain alcohol (or gin)
cinnamon stick
4 cloves
oranges zest

Clean sole berries/fruit well. Using a tooth pick, prick the sloe here & there so the alcohol can really penetrate the fruit.
Mix together all the ingredients in an large air tight jar.
Let sit in a cool dark place for 3-6 months, mixing every so often.
Filter well with cheese cloth into serving bottle.

Pear & Pine Nut Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

2011-11-28T03:58:00.001-08:00

Rosy cheeked, angelica pears, native to the Metauro Valley are found in the markets throughout autumn in our area of Le Marche. One of my favorite ways to use these sweet small pears is tossing them with pine nuts, parmesan and a sweet honey lemon vinaigrette - creating an irresistible salad!

Pear & Pine Nut Salad with Honey Vinaigrette Recipe
Insalata di pera e pinoli

Ingredients:
1 small head of soft leafed lettuce, cut, washed & dry
2 small pears, cubed
100 gr pine nuts, toasted
juice of half a lemon
honey
extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan

Method:
In a bowl, juice the lemon with a spoonful of good honey. As you stir drizzle in olive oil approximately twice the olive oil than lemon juice.
Give it a taste - if its too olive oily- give it a squeeze of lemon, like wise in the reverse order. Set aside. Toss lettuce with half the pears and pine nuts and the dressing add a crack of pepper and sprinkle of salt. Once in serving bowl, top with the rest of the pine nuts and pears and shaved parmesan.

Savory Chard & Prosciutto Tart

2011-11-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Eating your greens, never tasted so good: Savory Chard & Prosciutto Tart

Nutrient rich swiss chard goes by many names (bietola in Italian), found in many colors and is a cousin of kale. Chard is a hearty green with a nice bitter bite, holding up better than spinach when cooking. Its fibrous leaves wilt nicely into soups, perfect simply sauteed with garlic & olive oil or elevated to more than just a leafy green when mixed with prosciutto and packed into a savory pie shell!

Garden Tip: Chard is a regenerating plant meaning you can cut it to eat & it will reproduce more leafy greens.

Chard Tart Recipe
Torta di Bietola

Pastry Dough
Ingredients:
2 3/4 Cups (250 gr) all purpose flour
3/4 Cup (150 gr.) butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
2-3 Tablespoons ice water
pinch of salt

Method:
Sift flour into a mound, add the butter & pinch of salt. Rub together with your fingers or food processor. When mixture resembles crumbly coarse sand incorporate the egg & water. Knead 2-3 times.
Form into a disk, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Filling
Ingredients:
2 Cups (400 gr) of cooked, drained and squeezed dry greens (chard, spinach, escarole, etc.)
1 Cup (250 gr.) sheep’s milk ricotta cheese
zest of half a lemon
generous handful of Parmesan
2-3 slices of prosciutto, chopped
salt & pepper
1 egg, separated

Method:
Cook your greens in boiling, salted water depending on the toughness (spinach may only need 20-30 seconds, chard needs 3-4 minutes). Drain and squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the greens. Combine the greens in a bowl with the ricotta, parmesan, lemon, prosciutto, salt & pepper. Taste & check your seasonings.

To Assemble the Tart:
Preheat oven to 350 F/ 185 C

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and split in half. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm thickness and line the bottom of a tart or pie pan. (We use 9-inch or 25 cm but you can make individual tarts as well.)

Once pastry is lined in pan, brush with egg white then fill with a generous amount of the chard mixture (filling in evenly).
Top with the other half of the dough, rolled out to the same thickness. Pinch the edges, closing the tart securely. Brush the top with egg yolk. Cut 2-3 slits to allow the steam to escape.

Place in oven, bake 45 minutes - 1 hour until pastry is golden brown & filling is bubbly. Serve warm or room temperature.

Fall Farro Salad with Pomegranate, Walnut & Truffles

2011-11-15T04:18:00.000-08:00

A lovely fall take on a farro salad using local walnuts, pomegranates & shaved truffles atop - making it a delicious & decadent side-dish for the holidays!

Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants and delivers amazing health benefits, combined with the off the charts nutrients in farro and the protein packed walnuts - this isn't just a Superfood but a Supersalad!

Fall Farro Salad with Pomegranate, Walnut & Truffle Salad Recipe

Insalata di farro con melagrane, noci e tartufi

Author: Jason Bartner at La Tavola Marche

serves 4-6

Ingredients:
8 ounces (250 gr) farro or spelt
vegetable scraps to cook the farro in (piece of carrot, onion, celery, etc.)
1 small head of radicchio sliced thinly
4 ounces (100gr) toasted walnuts
seeds and juice of one pomegranate
shaved truffle or truffle oil to taste
salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons (30ml) vinegar
parmesan shaved into ribbons
1/4 -1/3cup(100-150ml) extra virgin olive oil

Method:
In plenty of cold water boil farro with your vegetable scraps until al dente (cooked but with a bite) - about 20-35 minutes.
Drain the farro in a colander & remove vegetable scraps. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
In a large seperate bowl combine the farro with radicchio, nuts & pomegranate seeds. Give it a good mix and season with salt & pepper.

For the dressing:
Drizzle over the salad a couple tablesspoons of vinegar followed by three times the amount of extra virigin olive oil. Do it in your minds eye, just remember the 3 to 1 ratio. You can always adjust later.
Give it another good mix.
To finish, give it a good shave of fresh truffles, if not available truffle salt or oil works well too. Top with a few pulls of a potato peeler across a wedge of parmesan.

Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes up to a day - it needs a little time for it to all come together.
Before serving - give it one last good stir, taste & adjust the seasoning - making sure the dressing is balanced (not too vinegary or oily). Serve as an antipasto or side dish.

Stuffed Eggplant: Bake until golden & bubbly...

2011-11-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

Need I say more?! Oh these are goooood! Just like a little mini quiche tucked into nice little eggplant shells just beggin' to be eaten! This is a great go-to recipe for a dinner party or when you want to make a few dishes a bit earlier since it's served at room temp. A hearty fill for the vegetarians out there.
Thanksgiving staple at our house:

Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 eggplants

3 Tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 red or green bell peppers, halved, seeded & chopped

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt & pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Halve the eggplants lengthwise & scoop out the flesh without piercing the ‘shells’. Chop the flesh & save the shells. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the chopped eggplant flesh, celery, bell peppers and tomatoes, season with salt & pepper and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Brush an ovenproof dish with olive oil.

Remove the pan from the heat & stir in the eggs. Fill the eggplant shells with the mixture and place in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until golden & bubbling!

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Serve cold/at room temperature.

Lavender + Orange Cake = Love at First Bite

2011-11-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

The perfect balance of orange & lavender makes for an absolutely heavenly cake that it is quick & easy to make!

Each year I add a few more lavender plants around the pool but never really knew what to do with the fragrant flowers. Sure, I dried them & placed them in the guest apartments but to be honest I was afraid to cook with them at risk of making a lovely dessert taste soapy! Well this year I was determined to try - Jason made the first attempt with lavender short bread cookies - they were amazing & eaten in one sitting. I was inspired and my taste buds were salivating for more... The perfect opportunity arose when a we found ourselves with extra yogurt in the fridge and I thought -great, I'll make a lavender yogurt cake. I actually made two - orange & lavender cake and rosemary cake with lavender glaze and they are both to die for!! I'll post the second cake recipe later -

Lavender & Orange Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (single-serving container) of plain yogurt
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 a tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lavender, chopped finely
1 tablespoon orange zest, chopped finely

Method:
Preheat your oven to 425°F and get a 9" round cake pan or 8"x4" loaf pan ready by generously buttering it.
1. Combine all your ingredients.
2. Mix with a wire whisk until you get a smooth batter (careful not to over mix), then pour into your pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes.

The Butcher's Favorite: Bone-In Braised Veal Breast

2011-11-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

photo by Melissa Ruttanai at Worldwinder

Literally a one pot dinner - thinly sliced roasted veal breast with layers of tomatoes & potatoes makes for a rich delicious meal that is easy to make. A classic example of cucina povera, peasant cooking using a tough piece of meat & simple ingredients to create rich dish fit for a king. (You can use slices of veal breast or other tough cuts of steaks or leg of lamb - anything tough with a bone it in.) Our butcher Beppe taught this recipe to Jason years ago & he's been sharing it with our students & guests ever since.

Featured in September 2011 Taste Italia Magazine

photo by Melissa Ruttanai at Worldwinder

Braised Bone-In Veal Breast with Tomatoes & Potatoes

Puntine di Vitello

Serves 4

4 slices of veal breast or tough cut of steak, bone in
3 tomatoes, sliced
4-5 garlic cloves, rough chop
small handful of herbs (we use rosemary & thyme)
glass of white wine
2-3 potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch)
olive oil
salt & pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a roasting pan, add a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Lay down in a single layer the sliced veal. Season generously with salt & pepper.
Next lay tomato slices to form a layer. Sprinkle garlic, herbs & a little more salt & pepper. Pour your glass of white wine over the top. Final layer will be your potatoes. Top with a generous drizzle of olive oil and salt & pepper.
Cover with foil or parchment.

Place in oven for about an hour until you can easily slide a knife into the potatoes. Then uncover & turn up the heat to 375 F and bake until your potatoes are browned.
If after 15-20 minutes you do not have a nice color on your potatoes, turn on the broiler for 5 minutes to add color.

Serve.

photo by Melissa Ruttanai at Worldwinder

Photos compliments of Melissa Ruttanai, Worldwinder during her stay at La Tavola Marche

Roasted Butternut Squash with Onion, Oregano & Mint

2011-10-14T02:59:00.000-07:00

A new spin on squash: oregano & mint instead of cinnamon & nutmeg. This is one of my favorite Mario Batali recipes - best used with butternut squash or turban pumpkins the meaty flesh makes for a hearty fall dish.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Onion, Oregano & Mint Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 medium butternut squash, or half a turban pumpkin seeded and cut into 1-inch slices
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 medium red onion, sliced paper thin
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 clove of garlic, sliced paper-thin
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Season the squash with salt and pepper, drizzle with 4 tablespoons olive oil, and place in a single layer on 1 or 2 cookie sheets. Bake in the oven until just tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the remaining oil, vinegar, onion, chile flakes, oregano, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Remove the squash from the oven and pour the marinade over. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the marinade, sprinkle with fresh mint leaves, and serve.

This dish can be made earlier in the day but should not be refrigerated.

Chicken Liver Crostini

2011-09-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

A classic appetizer in Italy is chicken liver crostini, served in homes as the perfect welcome antipasto with a glass of prosecco for hungry dinner party guests.

Chicken Liver Pate' Crostini

Crostini di Fegatini

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

6 chicken livers, trimmed

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

scant 1/2 cup dry white wine

2 egg yolks

juice of 1 lemon, strained

4-6 whole-wheat bread slices, lightly toasted

salt & pepper

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Dip the chicken livers into the vinegar, pat dry with paper towels and add to skilled. Pour in the wine and season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Remove the chicken livers from the skillet and chop finely, then return them to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes more. Beat together the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the egg yolk mixture. Spread on slices of lightly toasted bread.

Serve immediately.

Cranberry Beans, Cherry Tomatoes & Cucumber Salad

2011-09-14T04:01:00.000-07:00

Garden Salad

Cranberry Bean Salad

Picnic perfect! A garden salad with fresh borlotti or cranberry beans, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers goes great with everything from fish to grilled meats or eaten by itself with toasty bread & a wedge of pecorino (sheep's milk cheese).

(All the produce for this salad is grown in our organic farm with homemade red wine vinegar.)

Cranberry Bean Salad

Insalata di Fagioli Borlotti

serves 4

2 cups fresh borlotti or cranberry beans
couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, peeled & sliced

fresh herbs of your choice, chopped: marjoram, oregano or basil work well
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive
salt pepper
vegetable scraps

In a pot with plenty of water, bring the beans to a boil with vegetable scraps: the bits from the fridge such as celery tops, the bendable carrot destined for the garbage, half an onion sitting in your fridge that doesn't look so great - toss it in! (The veggies give the beans a bit more flavor.)
Bring to boil then lower to simmer 20-30 minutes until the beans are tender.
Drain & discard the vegetables.
In a bowl combine the beans, tomatoes, onion, cucumber. Add in the herbs.
Combine the oil & vinegar then toss with the salad.
Season with salt & pepper.
Let stand 10-15 minutes to let the flavors come together. Recheck your seasonings (taste it) and adjust. Serve.

Fresh picked cranberry beans from our garden

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil

2011-08-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is a sauce you can make while you wait for your water to boil. Use this as a base & add any other vegetables to it you like. It is best when the tomatoes are ripe and sweet.

Super Simple Sauces:
Pasta Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes

2 big handfuls of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 onion med yellow
1 garlic clove
3-4 glugs of olive oil
chili flakes
2-3 slices of pancetta, prosciutto, bacon or ham
salt & pepper
basil, handful to top (optional)

In a frying paying on low heat sauté garlic and onion slowly for 10-15 minutes.
Add in a pinch of chili flakes as you like.
Toss in the tomatoes and pancetta, raise the heat to medium - medium/high.
Allow the tomatoes to cook down about 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes have melted down and made a sauce.
(It may be necessary to add a spoonful or 2 of water if too thick)

Taste and check seasonings, add salt & pepper.
Toss with fresh pasta and drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and top with fresh basil.

Pappa al Pomodoro - Slow Roasted Tomato Bread Soup

2011-08-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Slow roasted cherry tomatoes

Make your house smell outright divine with this Tuscan-based slow roasted tomato bread soup, Pappa al Pomodoro. Locally grown tomatoes, in-season, peasant cooking (using stale bread)- a perfect example of Slow Food. Our tomato plants are thriving in this long warm, Indian summer in Italy, the colors deepening & the flavors intensifying as the days go by. Originating in Tuscany (about an hour away) we can't resist sharing this mouthwatering recipe at our farmhouse using our plump & juicy homegrown piccadilly & cherry tomatoes!

Pappa al Pomodoro

Tomato Bread Soup

1/2 kilo of ripe cherry tomatoes.
few cloves of garlic, peeled & sliced
large bunch of basil, set aside soft stems for later (chopped)
good extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
2 medium cans of good quality tomatoes
2 big handfuls of good stale bread, crusts removed
olive oil for cooking

Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C
Toss cherry tomatoes with oil, 1 clove of garlic chopped, 1/3 of your basil, salt & pepper. Place on a cookie/baking sheet. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes burst open.

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat a couple glugs of olive oil SLOWLY cooking your garlic & basil until soft for a couple minutes. Turn up heat, add tomatoes & 1 can of water. Break up tomatoes with back of a wooden spoon. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Tear bread into bite size pieces, mixing well.
Season with salt & pepper
Turn down heat, cooking for another 10 minutes.
When cherry tomatoes are done cooking add them to the soup. Make sure to scrap all the good, caramelized juicy bits from your pan into the soup.
Stir & taste check. You are looking for a thick soup. If it is too dry, adjust with water. When you are happy with the consistency remove from heat. Stir in 7-8 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil and torn basil leaves.
Serve warm or hot.

Panzanella - Tuscan Bread Salad

2011-08-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

A summer staple in Central Italy is the Tuscan bread salad Panzanella, a classic example of cucina povera (peasant cooking), transforming stale bread into a flavorful dish with fresh tomatoes, basil & anchovies.

Panzanella

Tuscan Bread Salad

3 bell peppers, grilled, peeled, seeds removed cut into strips
500 gr or 1 lb loaf of good quality stale bread
2 lbs or 1 kilo of ripe cherry tomatoes, (small sized) halved or quartered
6-8 anchovy filets
1 small handful of capers, washed & drained
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 celery heart, thinly sliced
large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
couple cloves of garlic, peeled
red wine wine vinegar
good quality extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

In a colander place tomatoes and sprinkle with a generous spoonful of salt. Toss the tomatoes a bit. Put a plate or another flat object on top of the tomatoes then a heavy jar or container ontop of the plate to allow them to be pressed & drained.

In a bowl place the garlic cloves, anchovy filets & capers. Now place the colander into the bowl, allowing the tomato juices to drip onto the garlic, anchovies & capers. Allow this to sit for 20 minutes of so.

Meanwhile, in another bowl combine your onion, celery heart, grilled peppers & cucumber. Once the tomatoes have had a chance to sit, add the tomatoes to these vegetables and give it a toss.
For the dressing, use the bowl with the anchovies, tomato juice, etc. - remove the anchovies & garlic, chop the garlic & return to the bowl with the tomato juice. Add 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and about 10-12 good extra virgin olive oil. Stir well. Add a little salt & a good crack of fresh black pepper. Toss this dressing with the tomatoes & vegetables. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or so while you tear up your bread.

Remove the innards of the bread, tearing it into small pieces (leaving the hard crust). Add a about 2 handful of torn bread as well as 3/4 of your basil leaves to the salad. Stir and adjust the seasoning giving the bread time to soak up the juices. If after 10 minutes it looks a little watery, add another handful of the torn bread.

To serve: Adjust your seasonings. Place in a big bowl garnish with the remainder of your basil leaves and the filets of anchovies. Give a good drizzle of olive oil atop before it goes to the table.

Raw Tomato & Lemon Infused Olive Oil with Fresh Pasta

2011-08-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

In the height of tomato season try this light & refreshing summer pasta sauce with uncooked tomatoes and olive oil infused with lemons. A perfect pasta on a hot summer day!

Pasta with Raw Tomatoes & Lemon Infused Olive Oil

Pasta di Danielle

serves 8
1 cup (250 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
zest of 3-5 unwaxed lemons, depending on the size
1 kilo or 32 oz, passed tomatoes (through a food mill), the best fresh tomatoes you can find or canned
Salt and chili flakes to taste

A day or so before you would like to use the sauce combine lemon zest and oil in a bowl, cover and allow to sit out. The next day, strain out zest from oil and drizzle slowly into passed tomatoes as you constantly stir. When all the oil is incorporated, season with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to sit once more for a bit to allow the flavors to come together. To serve: Give the Sauce a good stir as it will have surely separated and toss with hot thin pasta and a sprinkle of grated aged pecorino.

Ravioli Stuffed with Greens in Butter & Sage

2011-08-15T05:23:00.000-07:00

Photo: La Tavola Marche

Homemade Ravioli Stuffed with Greens in Butter and Sage Recipe

Egg Pasta Dough Recipe

Pasta

Serves 1
100 grams (or 1 scant cup) of tipo 0 flour (high quality AP flour)
1 egg
pinch of salt

Pour flour onto the table in a mound. Make a well in the center & crack the eggs into the well.
Slowly incorporate the eggs into the dough using a fork - pulling in the flour to the center of the well. Form into a nice dough, knead for 5-10 minutes until you have worked the dough well & it has a nice shiny outside. Let stand for half hour to hour & then roll out. 

Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

Filling
1 cup (200 gr) (greens (chard, spinach), boiled, drained, squeezed
salt in the water
1/2 cup (125 gr) of sheep’s milk ricotta
1/4 cup (50 gr.) of grated parmesan
squeeze of lemon juice
salt & pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. The mixture/filling must be dry - a moist filling you will have difficulties closing the ravioli with too much moisture in-between the pasta sheets.

Mix it all up - use to stuff cappelletti, tortellini or ravioli.

Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

To stuff your ravioli ~

    •    Roll out a sheet of pasta to 2-3mm thickness -the thinner the better.
    •    Evenly space out small mounds of filling.
    •    Lay another sheet of pasta over the top.
    •    With your fingers gently smooth out any air bubbles, making the basic form of the ravioli.
    •    Cut out ravioli - either squares with a pizza knife or ravioli cutter or a shot glass for circular ravioli. Most importantly making sure the sides are closed without any trapped air.

Tip: To avoid having ravioli from bursting in the water - do not overfill. Too much filling makes the dough over-stretch

Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

Ravioli with Butter & Sage
    •    In a pan slowly melt a couple of tablespoons of butter & gently fry a handful of sage leaves for 1- 2 minutes.
    •    Raise the heat, toss in your cooked pasta with a bit of pasta water.
    •    Season with salt & pepper & serve.

Photo: Stephania Hua, Lick My Spoon

Tip: Ravioli can freeze well in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag. Will last for a few weeks in the freezer. To cook frozen ravioli toss in the boiling water frozen. Allow to cook 2-3 minutes and then try one to make sure the filling is not still cold in the middle.

Photos taken during a pasta class at La Tavola Marche Cooking School in Italy by Stephanie Hua of Lick My Spoon.

Simple Summer Salad: Radish, Cucumber & Chive

2011-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Radish & cucumber salad a is simple 5-minute summer salad! Fresh from the garden, our radishes are crisp & peppery, perfectly complimenting the cool cucumbers. We added a little chive because they were ready to be picked, with a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper -you're ready to eat!

Radish, Cucumber & Chive Salad Recipe

radishes, thinly sliced

cucumbers, thinly sliced

chopped chive

drizzle of olive oil

red wine vinegar

salt & pepper

Toss all ingredients together & serve!

Summer Soup Recipe - Ribollita

2011-06-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic spring or summer soup, light enough for a sunny day! Ribollita literally translates to reboiled and is a classic example of cucina povera, Italian peasant cooking, using stale bread, beans & seasonal vegetables.

Ribollita Recipe

serves 4

2 carrots, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup of peas (if available)
small bunch of asparagus (if available)
1/2 cup of beans of your choice (we use & grow borlotti or cranberry beans), soaked over night, drained or fresh
1 bunch greens of your choice, washed well & chopped into manageable pieces (we use & grow bietola): cavolo nero, kale, chard, etc
5-7 cups of chicken stalk (vegetarian alternative: vegetable stalk or water)
1 tomato
bay leaf
chili flakes
couple cloves of garlic
salt & pepper
olive oil
1 small can of chopped tomatoes/couple of fresh tomatoes
2 handfuls of the inside (guts) of stale bread, broken into pieces, crust removed
good extra virgin olive oil for topping

In a pot, add beans, bay leaf, and your vegetable scraps -carrot peals, celery tops, onion skins, squished tomato, etc. Cover the beans with plenty of water (a few inches above the beans).

Bring to a boil, lower to simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender (time varies depending on your beans). Strain beans, saving the cooking water for later. Remove the aromatics from the beans.

Next in a soup pot, add carrots, celery, onion and slowly sauteed in a few glugs of olive oil for 10-15 minutes with OUT color.

Season with salt & pepper.
Add your canned tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Add stock with some of the bean water. Bring up to a simmer. Add greens to your pot, wilting into the soup. Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending the toughness of your greens.

Once greens are soft, add in your beans & bread, one handful at a time.
Season with salt & pepper. Bread should dissolve, creating a velvety texture. Not a thick bread soup. Allow to cook for another 5-10 minutes. Taste check & adjust your seasonings.

Serve with a healthy drizzle of the best extra virgin olive oil you have and a ribbon of parmesan.

Eat, Drink, Italy - Blog from Le Marche Organic Farm, Inn & Cooking School

2011-05-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Visit our official blog - La Tavola Marche - eat, drink, Italy

Our bog is all about local seasonal Italian recipes, organic gardening, food festivals & markets, day trips in Le Marche, Tuscany, Umbria & beyond!

Tutti a tavola! (All to the table!) Jason and Ashley Bartner are American expats living the dream in the Marche countryside and own an Agriturismo (organic farm, inn) and Cooking School. From the hustle-bustle of life in NYC to organic farmers & inn keepers are life took a 360! Follow our adventures! Celebrating life at every meal - from the farm to the table. What better way to know a culture but through its food!

Jason is a professional Chef with years of experience as an Executive Chef in New York City. Ashley is a host-extraordinaire and writer for Italia! Magazine.

info@latavolamarche.com

http://www.latavolamarche.com

Rustic Italian Jam Tart - Crostata

2011-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Crostata is the most classic rustic dessert in Italy, it is a jam filled pastry crust & recipes vary greatly across the country. You will find this on the table of almost every nonna ready to serve in case anyone pops-in. It gets better after sitting out a few days & dries up nicely (if you don't eat it before!) and is erfect with your morning cappuccino. In our area the most popular jams are fig & apricot - just divine with chopped almonds toasted on the top!

Italian Jam Tart

Crostata

Enough to make two 9in tart pans.- top & bottom. Use what you have, we use round pizza pans.

1 1/3 cup butter
5 scant cups of flour
1 1/4 cups of sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 full eggs + 3 yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
drop of booze - grappa, rum, brandy, anything you like
favorite marmalade/jam, about a half a cup depending on your taste

Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in all the eggs & vanilla.
Sift together all the dry ingredients.
Incorporate the flour into the butter & egg mixture with a few strokes of a wooden spoon forming a dough. Take 1/3 of the dough & press into a parchment lined tart pan to 1/4 inch thickness. If the dough is sticky wet your finger tips slightly.
Generously spread marmalade on the shell.

To make the lattice work top:
Pull off a pinch of dough & roll into a long snake. This is an easy dough to work with if it breaks just pinch it back together. This is a rustic tart. Moist hands will help if the dough is sticky.
Continue until you have enough to make your lattice top.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour or until the top is nice & brown, the bottom is cooked & the dough should shrink away from the pan a bit.

Hard Boiled Eggs with Salsa Verde

2011-04-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

Everything sounds better in Italian: ouva sode con salsa verde sounds a lot better than boiled eggs with green sauce. Don't let the name fool you it is simple yet delicate and an Easter tradition. With 19 hens, laying daily its tempting to make this more often!

Green Sauce
Salsa Verde

2 handfuls of parsley (stems removed), chopped
2 cloves of garlic, skins removed, smashed
1 tablespoons of capers, chopped
4 filets of anchovies, chopped
pepper flakes as desired
2 - 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

In a small sauce pan add a couple tablespoons of the oil, on a low heat fry the garlic. When outside of garlic turns golden brown add capers & anchovies & pepper flakes. Pulverize into a paste with the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove pan from heat. Add vinegar & parsley incorporating into the mixture. Once mixture has had a chance to cool down for a minute, slowly stir in the rest of the olive oil and adjust the seasoning.

Allow salsa mix to sit out & rest for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to incorporate.

Meanwhile, hard boil your eggs. Once cooled, cut your boiled in half length-wise. Drizzle the salsa verde atop & serve!

Nutella Walnut Cake

2011-04-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here is our favorite Nutella recipe (first translated & tested by my lovely sister Meagan)- it is ridiculously simple! Think of it like a nutella nut brownie!

Torta con Nutella e Nocci

Chocolate Nutella & Walnut Cake

4 eggs

125 g sugar

125 g chopped walnuts

125 g Nutella

125 g butter

60 g flour

.5 teaspoon yeast

pinch of salt

Beat the eggs with the sugar.

Melt the butter & chocolate together.

Combine all ingredients.

Butter & flour a spring form pan. Add mixture to pan.

Cook at 375 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

(Since this recipe is Italian, it is in grams - click here for a conversion table.)

(notice how tightly she is clutching "the goods" to her chest!)

Get Down & Dirty - Homemade Pasta from Scratch!

2011-04-10T02:49:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered what's the difference between Barilla's pasta & mamma's pasta? Well it's HUGE! Dry, store bought pasta is just fine if you've never tasted the real homemade kind.

So try out the Cappelletti in Brodo recipe or just pasta & sauce - this will blow your mind - the color - soooo yellow, the texture - soooo soft and the taste - soooooo good!

So here's how to make pasta dough at home -

Standard Pasta Recipe

1 egg & 100 grams of flour = 150 grams of pasta

100 grams of tipo 0 flour for every egg

pinch of salt

Pour flour onto the table in a mound.

Make a well in the center & crack the eggs into the well.

Slowly incorporate the eggs into the dough using a fork - pulling in the flour to the center of the well.

Form into a nice dough, knead for 5-10 minutes until you have worked the dough well & it has a nice shiny outside.

Let stand for half hour to hour & then roll out.

1mm thick by 3mm wide - Tagliatelle

After you cut your pasta allow to dry for about 1-2 hours, depending on room temperature.

Boil for 1-2 minutes in plenty of salted boiling water.

Peposo - Slow Cooked, Peppery Veal Stew

2011-03-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Originally from Tuscany, Peposo is a meaty, peppery, spicy stew that is slow food at its best.

As with most recipes in Italy, the ingredients vary town to town. In our area of Le Marche we use wine & juniper berries creating a rich bold flavor without using tomatoes. Serve as a stew or pile-on the tender meat onto toasty bruschetta.

Peposo

5 1/2 lbs. of shank on the bone (veal, lamb or pork)
20 garlic cloves, peeled
4 heaping tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
couple of juniper berries
2 bottles of Chianti or other red wine
2 bay leaves

Slice your meat into chunky slabs & get it all off the bone (save the bone for later). Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a large pan, big enough to hold all the ingredients, place a layer of the sliced meat at the bottom of the pan, cover with a few cloves of garlic, sprinkle with pepper & salt and rosemary. Repeat starting with the meat & keep layering until the pot is almost full.

Pour wine over the top to cover, add the bone & the bay leaves.

Bring to a boil, cover tightly with a layer of foil & the pot lid, place in the preheated oven for 6 hours or until tender. If you want to cook the stew overnight (as many Italians do), lower the temp to 275F and cook for 8 hours or more, until the meat is moist & tender, falling apart. Make sure the foil is well sealed to keep all the moisture in.

Once the stew is done, remove the foil, skim off fat from the surface and remove the bone, the bay leaves & rosemary twigs. The meat should be super soft & juicy with a rich & powerful flavor. Taste & season if it needs it. Breakup the pieces of meat. Serve a ladleful of stew on toasted bruschetta & a drizzle of olive oil or serve with potatoes or kale.

Carnival Sweets ~ Castagnole, Italian Fritters

2011-03-07T04:03:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate Carnival & Fat Tuesday than with fritters fried in pork fat! Castagnole are a specialty of Carnevale and eaten across Italy during this period. The name castagnole derives from the word castagna or chestnut because of the color & size when cooked. I prefer them drizzled in lots of honey, but traditionaly in our area they are rolled in sugar & drizzled with the liquor alkermes - giving it that bright red color.

Don't be put-off by frying with lard, as this is the traditional method & its just freakn' delicious! The good Doctor Gaggi recommends frying in strutto and this is coming from a Cardiologist! It is possible to fry them in oil, however in his opinion, "Then they would not be castagnole!"

You only eat it once a year - so dig in!

Castagnole

4 eggs
400 gr. or 4 scant cups of flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 glass or 1/4 cup liquor (we use rosolio but anice, cognac or rum can work as well)
grated zest of a lemon
1 packet of "lieveto per dolce" or 1.5 tablespoons of baking powder
enough fat to fry in - we use strutto (lard) but you can use vegetable oil as well.
honey
alkermes liquor

Pile flour in the middle of your cutting board and with your finger tips, make a large well in the center.

Crack eggs into the middle of the well along with olive oil, sugar, lemon & leavening agent. With a fork, beat the eggs slowly drawing in flour from the edges of the well.(As you would with making pasta dough).

When all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough 2-3 times. You should have a very soft shiny dough. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough - NO MIXER) Rub dough with olive oil & cover with plastic or a kitchen towel and allow to rest for at least 1 hour.

Bring a large pot with fat up to temperature of 350F/180C. With a little oil on a knife cut off about a chestnut size piece of dough. (30gr or so)

Flatten out dough into irregular disk or rectangle shapes with your fingers. Fry in hot fat, turning regularly until golden brown. Castagnole will puff up as they cook. Remove from pot, blot on paper towel, roll in sugar & drizzle with alkermes OR just drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Sauteed Spinach - Garlicky Goodness!

2011-02-14T02:45:00.000-08:00

It doesn't get any simpler than sauteed spinach! When its done right I can't get enough of that garlicky goodness, when its mushy - its an inedible mess. (The key is in the squeeze! Read below) We grow loads of spinach, which requires lots of washing to get all the extra sand & grit off the leaves.

Enjoy this 5-minute dish, again & again!

As an old sailor used to say, "I'm strong to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach."

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic

serves 4

1.5 lb of fresh, raw spinach leaves, triple washed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
salt & pepper
squeeze of lemon

Be sure to wash your spinach well rinsing away all dirt & sand thoroughly.

Heat a med pot of boiling salted water. Blanch spinach 30-45 seconds. Drain & allow to cool.
In a large frying pan on very low heat, heat olive oil & brown 1-2 cloves of garlic. Once garlic is brown, remove & discard.  Press spinach between your hands to drain most of the water out. Give it a good squeeze!  Add it to the pan & sauté for 3-4 minutes, season with salt & pepper. Squeeze of lemon at the end & serve.

Italian Home Cookin' ~ Potato & Cabbage Mash

2011-01-22T02:40:00.000-08:00

Nothing says home cookin' like mashed potatoes. For a "new" spin try the classic rustic Italian recipe of Potato & Cabbage Mash (Lesso di Patae e Cavolo Verza) by adding cabbage to boost the flavor. You can't get any more simplistic - a perfect example of cucina povera or peasant cooking. This dish goes great with stews, roasts and chicken.

We grow kilos & kilos of potatoes and rows of cabbages so we eat this all winter long!

pounds of freshly dug-up potatoes from the garden

Potato & Cabbage Mash

Lesso di patate e cavolo

1 head of savoy cabbage or cavolo verza, rinsed, cored & chopped
3-4 medium potatoes, (I grow & use Yukon Gold but use what you like)
2-3 glugs of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil with a healthy pinch of salt.
Place cabbage in boiling water 8-10 minutes until extremely soft. Remove cabbage from water & set in colander, draining excess water.

In the same pot bring the water back to a boil, then toss in your potatoes with the skins-on. Cook until a knife slides into the potato easily (just like you would for mashed tatters), remove from boiling water & allow to cool slightly. Then peel potatoes once you can handle them.

In a large frying pan on med-low heat slowly heat oil, rough chop your garlic & add it to the pan. Saute for moment or two without burning or becoming brown. Then begin adding your potatoes to the pan, smashing them with a fork, incorporating the garlic & oil.

Give your cabbage a squeeze to remove some of the excess water, add the cabbage to the pan & continue smashing the cabbage with the back of the fork until the two are incorporated.

Taste. Season with salt & pepper, add another drizzle of olive oil if it seems dry.
Serve.

cavolo verza from our garden

Braised Lamb Shanks

2011-01-22T02:38:00.001-08:00

“I love braising meat" says Jason with a smile, "you take a tough cut, slow cook it & it turns into a wonderfully delicious hearty comfort food. You can make this dish with lamb or pork shank. I like to do this for a dinner party, it can be done in advanced & re-heated that day. Everyone loves braised meat - don’t you?!”

This dish will make your kitchen smell amazing as the lamb slow cooks in your oven. It is classic comfort food, perfect for dinner on a cold Sunday. The meat can be pulled off the bone to use in a variety of left-overs.

Braised Lamb Shank

Stinco d' Agnello

4 nice lamb shanks
1 carrot
1 medium onion
1 stick of celery
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 cup red or white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
aromatics as you like - rosemary, thyme, etc.
salt & pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F / 150 degrees C
Cover a heavy bottomed casserole pot (with a lid) with olive oil (about 4 tablespoons).
Dice your carrots, celery, onion & garlic - then saute slowly for 10-15 minutes.
Generously salt & pepper your lamb shanks,
When the vegetables are cooked & beginning to color, turn the heat up & add the meat to the cooking vegetables.
Turn the shanks frequently so they brown on all sides.
Once the lamb shanks have a browned nicely, add your wine & tomato concentrate & reduce by half. Scrap all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as the wine reduces.
Add your aromatics & chicken stock, bring up to a boil.
Slap the lid on & throw it in oven for about 2.5 - 3.5 hours, turning the shanks every half hour or so until the meat is so tender it wants to fall off the bone.

Serve with the cooking liquid (juices left over in the pot) over mashed potatoes, polenta, etc.

Italian Christmas Chocolate & Nut Cake

2010-12-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

Snow covered Piobbico

Italian Christmas Chocolate Cake
with walnuts, hazelnuts & chestnuts

6 oz unsalted butter
6 oz sugar
325 gr dark chocolate, broken into bits
50 gr walnuts, shelled, halved, toasted & rough chopped (with a good mix of large & small)
50 gr blanched almonds, toasted & rough chopped
75 gr shelled hazelnuts
5 large eggs, separated
150 gr chestnuts, cooked & broken into bits
1 orange rind, grated
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
50 gr ground almonds
powdered (icing) sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Melt butter & sugar in a bowl set over simmering water. Add in chocolate, stirring well.
Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture, then mix in the all the nuts, orange rind & cinnamon. Whisk yolks until stiff, but not dry. FOLD in egg whites to the chocolate mixture. (You don’t want to knock the air out by mixing too hard.)
Pour into a buttered 8in spring form cake pan.
Bake for 45 minutes
Leave the cake in the pan to cool for about 20 minutes. It is a fragile cake, so handle with care.
The top will deflate & crack a little as it cools. Dust with powdered (icing) sugar.

Osso Buco - Eat this Immediately

2010-12-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

Osso buco, now here's a great winters dish that is so simple to make.

Most have heard of osso buco, but what is it? What literally translates as 'bone's hole' is simply an inch & a half slab of veal shank. There is a good amount of tough meat surrounding a large flat piece of bone with ample amount of rich marrow in the center. When cooked the marrow melts into the sauce leaving an open whole in the center, thus the name osso buco.

Try this on a cold sunday evening laddled into a bowl of wet polenta to soak up the rich sauce. Its a good stewy dish!

There are a hundred different variations of osso bucco, mostly braised. This one we did simply with the tomatoes we jarred over the summer.

OSSO BUCO

4 pieces of osso buco (veal shank)

a nice size carrot, chopped finely

nice onion, chopped finely

couple cloves of garlic, smashed & remove the skin

bay leaf

any aromatics you like - rosemary, we used juniper berries because we have them in the woods

a little flour for dusting

salt & pepper

a good handful (about 5 oz.) of canned tomatoes, skins removed or fresh tomatotes with skins & seeds removed

olive oil

butter

white wine (couple of glugs)

half a cup of water or stock

Salt & pepper the osso buco & then dredge in the flour

In a good size casserole or roasting pan, on med-high heat, add a glug or 2 of olive oil & a pad of butter.

Sauté the osso buco for 2 minutes on each side.

Then add the vegetables & continue cooking the osso buco, turning frequently until it is nice & colored

Add the white wine cook until the wine is reduced by 2/3

Add the tomatoes, aromatics, crack of pepper & salt, water or stock & bring up to a simmer.

Remove from stove & place in a 350 degree oven, uncovered for about an hour & half or until the centers of the bone have melted away & the meat is falling away from the bone

If you need to add a little more water or stock towards the end, do so

Serve over polenta, potatoes or rice to soak up the juices.

This is one of my favorite dishes because it really resonates with the simplicity of cucina povera.

Basic Italian Chicken Broth Recipe - Brodo

2010-12-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

Foghorn-leghorn - bound for brodo

This is one of those recipes every chef knows by heart, one of the fundamentals of the kitchen. Brodo is Italian for broth & is used in everything from risottos, minestras, stews. And, the varieties are endless; fish broth, vegetable both, beef broth, chicken broth.

We try to always have at least a liter of stock in the freezer. On a cold day you can instantly have a bowl of soup!

Broth Recipe

Brodo

1 whole chicken in pieces
1 beef bone
1 tomato
2 stalks of celery, chunked up
2 carrots, chopped in chunks
2 large onions, chopped in chunks
sprig of parsley
water

healthy pinch of salt

In a large stock pot add all ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil, skim the fat and impurities that come to the top.

Then lower to a very low simmer.
Simmer for 3-4 hours.
Strain stock - discard vegetables.

Now you have a delicious stock to be used in an array of dishes & soups.

Pick the meat off the bone & use in the soup, chicken salad or any other dish.

Stock will last a week in the fridge or you can freeze in usable portions.

Baked Vegetables with Bread Crumbs - Vedure Gratinate

2010-11-06T07:12:00.001-07:00

Now this is home cooking in Italy. Vedure gratinate (baked vegetables with bread crumbs) can be found on many tables here in our area, always delicious - warm & toasty or packed up for a pot-luck. The thick slices of onions are my favorite and are basically the best onion rings ever! They come out soft & warm inside with perfectly light & crispy crunch. To top it off this healthy dish is incredibly simple to make & can be served as an antipasto or at the end of the meal with your meat as a contorno.

Baked Vegetables with Bread Crumbs

Vedure Gratinate

serves 4

ingredients:

(Below are suggested veggies, you can use any kind of vegetables you like, cut in half, lengthwise so they have a large flat surface)
1 tomato

1 small zucchini

1 eggplant

1 onion (thickly sliced)

1 pepper

small handful of fresh herbs of your choice (we use: oregano, parsley or marjoram), chopped
salt & pepper
extra virgin olive oil
about a cup of plain bread crumbs

method:
Season plain breadcrumbs with fresh herbs.
Place veggies on cookie sheet, (covered in parchment paper) drizzle with olive oil, add salt & pepper.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs generously over vegetables, covering them (but not a half an inch of breadcrumbs).
Add another drizzle of olive oil.
Bake 375 degree oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until vegetables are soft & breadcrumbs are browned on top.
Serve warm or room temperature.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

2010-10-25T06:48:00.001-07:00

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

1 medium-large butternut squash, seeded and cut into thick 1 -inch slices
salt & pepper
8 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 medium red onion, sliced paper thin
1 clove of garlic, sliced paper thin
handful of fresh oregano
pinch of red chili flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Season the squash with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt & pepper. Lay squash in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Bake about 20 minutes, until tender.
Mix 4 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, herbs, chili flakes and salt & pepper - creating a marinade.
Remove the squash once tender and pour marinade over hot squash.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the marinade, sprinkle with fresh mint and serve.

Best served at room temperature.

Spezzatino (Stewed Pork)

2010-10-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better on a cool autumn Sunday evening than walking into the kitchen, welcomed by the glow of the fireplace and the rich smells of meaty goodness: a pot slowly simmering on the back burner with stewed meat, falling apart ready to top thick golden polenta. This is a "stick to your ribs" hearty dinner perfect for the fall & winter.

photo: iocomesono-pippi.blogspot.com

Spezzatino

Stewed Pork

1 lb of beef or pork for stew (or a mix of both)
1 carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
handful of olives
2-3 spoonfuls of capers, drained
1/2 glass of white wine
salt & pepper
flour for dusting
olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice
aromatics/herbs - thyme, sage, rosemary
stock, enough to cover the meat
optional: mushrooms

Dredge meat in flour.
In a heavy bottomed pot on medium/high heat, brown meat on all sides.
Remove meat from the pan.
Reduce heat to low, add in vegetables and sauté for 10 minutes.
Add meat back to the pot (as well as the optional mushrooms) with your aromatics.
Deglaze with white wine and lemon juice.
Cover meat with stock.
Toss in capers & olives.
Simmer very slowly for 1.5 - 2 hours until meat is very tender.

Serve over polenta or boiled potatoes.

Panna Cotta with Fresh Wild Berry Sauce

2010-09-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

An easy dessert to make that is always a crowd-pleaser is panna cotta with fresh picked wild berries - the combination of the rich, creamy, vanilla panna cotta with with tart & tangy berry sauce drizzled atop is a perfect match.

Panna Cotta with Fresh Berry Sauce
Panna cotta con frutta di bosco

Ingredients for Panna Cotta
2 sheets of gelatin
scant 1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise

Fill a bowl with water, add the gelatin and let is soak. Pour milk into a pan & bring to just below simmering, then remove the pan from the heat. Do NOT let it boil. Drain & squeeze out the gelatin & add the milk. Pour the cream into another pan, add the sugar and vanilla bean and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, remove the vanilla bean and stir in the milk mixture.

You can put the mixture into any kind of ramekin, mold, cup, you like. Rinse your 'glass' in ice-cold water, shaking out any excess water & fill with the milk mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours until set (at least 3-4 hours). Turn out onto a serving dish & serve with fruit sauce or chocolate sauce.

Ingredients for Berry Sauce
1 pint of your favorite berries or cherries
1/4 cup or less sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
1/4 cup of water
optional - mint, lemon juice, lemon zest, etc.

Put the berries, sugar & water in a pot & simmer for 15-20 minutes until the fruit breaks down & forms a syrup.

Drizzle over the top of the panna cotta once on the serving plate.

Sauteed Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

2010-09-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

Green beans, runner beans, french beans or fagiolini - whatever you call them they are in-season on our farm! If you read our last post you know we are eating them damn'near daily! Here we pick them while they are still young & tender - not the huge knobby tough beans I was used to before. And don't even get me started on the difference between fresh picked beans and the soggy, salty ones I was force-fed to eat as a kid...from a can!! (No wonder so many kids grow up hating vegetables). Now I eat them right off the vine!

This is a delicious, fast, simple and healthy way to devour these fantastic green veggies. The crunchy, toasty almonds pair so nicely with the al'dente green beans, just begging you to go back for seconds - guilt free!

Sauteed Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

serves 4

4 handfuls of green beans, trimmed and cut in half
2 cloves of garlic
pinch of chili flakes
100 gram toasted almonds, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
Blanch your beans in boiling salted water for 3-8 minutes depending on the size and thickness of beans or until half cooked.

Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a frying pan slowly heat 3-4 glugs of olive oil along with the garlic and chili flakes.

When the garlic is nicely browned turn the heat up and add in the green beans and saute for a minute or two.
Add quarter cup of water. Allow the water to evaporate fully cooking the beans for about 3 minutes.

Season with salt & pepper.

Toss in toasted almonds.
(If you like you can add in a squeeze of lemon.)

Serve.
(Leftovers: also delicious served cold.)

Green Bean Lover? Here's another great recipe:

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes & Balsamic

Pasta con Vongole - Little Clams

2010-08-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

The Adriactic Sea is closed - so in honor of my favorite dish this month's pasta sauce is: Tagliatelle con Vongole. I love these sweet little clams, you just can't get enough.
Enjoy your rest fish - we will eat you in September....Even the fish in Italy get a vacation in August!!

Tagliatelle con Vongole
Pasta with Clams

4 people

1.5 lb fresh vongole or small clams
1/4 of a yellow onion, diced
chop garlic as you desire - I use 3-4 cloves
glass of white wine
3-4 glugs of olive oil
handful of chopped parsley
chili flakes as desired

In a large skillet over medium - low heat olive oil, sauté garlic & onions - slowly until translucent. About 7-10 minutes with no color.

Add your chili flakes.

Turn up heat to med-high.

Throw in your washed clams into the pan & saute for 1 - 2 minutes.

Add in white wine,cover & bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer & cook 2-3 minutes until all the clams have opened.

Turn the heat off & toss in your parsley . Check your seasons - it shouldn't need any salt as when the calms open they release sea water.

Serve over al dente pasta and give a drizzle of good olive oil over the dish once its done.

Pasta with Zucchini & Squash Blossoms

2010-08-03T03:06:00.000-07:00

This is literally a 10 minute pasta sauce with a fancy name! You can use any vegetables you like cauliflower, broccoli - you name it - the harder veggies should be blanched first.

Pasta with Zucchini & Squash Blossoms

serves 4

3 medium zucchini, seeded & sliced
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 slices of prosciutto, diced
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
chili flakes as desired
salt
8 squash blossoms
fresh pasta of your choice

Cleaning the squash blossoms:
1. Wash in a bowl of cold water
2. Remove inner pistol & stamen
3. Pat dry with a paper towel
4. Rip into pieces

In a large skillet - brown the garlic in olive oil & discard.
Bring heat up to med-high & toss in veggies & chili flakes.
Sauté until veggies are half cooked (for zucchini about 4 minutes).
Then add prosciutto & tomatoes.
Continue sautéing for another couple of minutes until your vegetables are cooked through but not mushy.
Season with salt.

Toss your sauce, fresh cooked pasta & half of the squash blossoms. Note: It may be necessary to add a spoonful or two of pasta water if it looks a little dry.

Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle the remaining squash blossoms on top.

Tagliatelle Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms

2010-08-03T02:59:00.001-07:00

Fresh porcini mushrooms are meaty & delicious but light enough for a summer pasta!Porcini mushrooms found in the woods of Le Marche on one of our hunts!

Here is a simple pasta sauce recipe using fresh porcini or other wild mushrooms. This dish is cucina povera at its best yet tastes elegant & refined at the same time. Seasonally this is a late spring/early summer dish. Procini in particular freeze surprisingly well, extending their season long after June, which is how we are still enjoying them today as this year's mushroom 'season' was highly anticipated but lack-luster at best.

We served this as one of the 2 pasta courses for the wedding we did in June. Not a single bite was left on anyone's plates - enough said! You can also use this 'sauce' as a topping for crostini as a tasty antipasta!

Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms
Tagliatelle con Funghi Porcini

serves 4
2 cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
meat of 1 sausage
1 lb of wild mushrooms - porcini are our favorites
2 tablespoons heavy cream
small handful of parsley, chopped
salt
pepper
tablespoon of white wine
fresh pasta

In a frying pan heat 3-4 glugs of olive oil & add brown whole cloves of garlic. Once brown, remove from pan & discard.

In the same pan, sauté sausage meat, breaking up into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon.

When sausage meat is broken into crumbly bits & it is thoroughly cooked (without pink meat) add the mushrooms & continue to sauté for a few minutes.

Add in white wine & lower heat, reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Pour in cream, cook for 30 seconds. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. If it looks a little dry add a spoonful or two of the pasta water.

Finish with chopped parsley.

Toss with fresh cooked pasta.

Whole Fish in Salt Crust

2010-08-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is delicious healthy fish dish that comes out super moist & buttery every time with a dramatic table-side presentation! Don't be afraid of the name - it is not salty at all. In fact the salt crust seals in moisture essentially steaming the fish inside. Because the salt absorbs the moisture, the texture and taste of the fish ultimately is more that of roasted than steamed fish.

Whole Fish in Salt Crust
Pesce in Crosta di Sale

whole fish (we use Spigola or Orate but you can use any whole round fish you like or that looks good at the market on any given day)

lemon
parsley
pepper flakes
sea salt, coarse ground or rock salt
egg
olive oil

Stuff the cavity with parsley & lemon slices.

In a separate bowl put 3 1/2 pounds of coarse sea salt per 1 1/2 pounds of fish, a small handful of pepper flakes, rind of one lemon and one egg for each fish & mix. (You can add any herbs you like - rosemary, thyme, garlic cloves - it doesn't matter you are just flavoring the salt.) It should have the consistency of for making good sand castles, add a water a little at a time to achieve this consistency.

Rub the fish down with olive oil and then lay a 1/2 inch bed of salt in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place down the fish and cover with the remaining salt. There should be a 1/2 inch crust of salt all around the fish. It is not necessary to cover the head & tail.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. You can insert a fork into the center of the fish & when the tips are hot the fish is done.

The fish will stay warm in the salt crust for well over an hour - this is something you can do ahead of time as pull it out as your guests arrive.

Crack the salt crust table side - for a dramatic entrance of the secondo! Use a pastry knife to gently brush away excess salt.

Farro, Chickpea & Arugula Salad

2010-07-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this fantastic, simple, delicious & healthy summer salad recipe that is one of my favs! We first devoured this at a medieval festival in Piobbico & have been recreating it at home ever since! Farro is a medieval grain the Romans ate to stay full & fight battles. More info on the history of farro - read our previous post here: Farro medieval grain.

Farro, Chickpea & Arugula Salad
Insalata di farro, ceci e ruccola

6 ounces farro or spelt
2 ounces chickpeas or garbanzo beans (soaked over night)
a bunch of arugula
juice of 1/2 lemon
parmesan (wedge to shave ribbons)
salt & pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In plenty of cold water biol farro until al dente (cooked but with a bite).
In a separate pot do the same with the chickpeas.
In a bowl toss together farro & chickpeas once cooked, add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper and olive oil.
Taste & check your seasoning - adjusting salt, pepper & lemon. (If too lemony add a bit more olive oil).
Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Before serving toss in arugula & shave ribbons of Parmesan.
Mix together & serve.

For more recipes with Farro try our Farro & Leek Soup Recipe!

Sauteed Radicchio with Cherry Tomato Crostini

2010-07-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

Ok so what is radicchio? Its an ancient leafy vegetable in the chicory family. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted. Its commonly found throughout Italy & we grow it on our farm too! Radicchio is such as versatile ingredient - eaten raw, grilled with olive oil or in risotto. Radicchio Rosso di Treviso Tardivo

Here's a quick & easy recipe to enjoy this under rated leafy veg, you can use this topping as crostini, atop grilled chicken or try it in a frittata.

Radicchio Crostini

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Radicchio, core removed, sliced
4-5 Cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Clove of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Soft cheese (we use stracchino a soft cows milk cheese)
Toasty bread

In a frying pan heat 3-4 glugs of olive oil and gently fry the clove of garlic. Once brown, remove garlic.

Raise the heat, add radicchio, season with salt & pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes as the radicchio will cook down a bit.

Add the cherry tomatoes and lower the heat to medium-low. Gently cook everything down, letting the tomatoes wilt about 10 minutes. It may be necessary to add a spoonful or two of water if it looks like its drying out.

Taste & check your salt & pepper.

Turn off heat & allow to cool. Add a healthy drizzle of extra virigin olive oil over top & mix in.
Toast your bread slices. Spread layer of soft cheese & spoonful of radicchio mixture.

Enjoy!

Radicchio crostini

Poached Pears

2010-05-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

A beautiful simple dessert absolutely perfect for a dinner party. Use that bottle of wine that's been collecting dust in the back of your cupboard (you know the one) - it will work great in this classic dish!

Poached Pears

4 pears (peeled, halved & cored)
1 bottle of wine (which ever kind you like)
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
aromatics - vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, thyme, orange, juniper, etc. - use what you like & be creative!
fresh whip cream or ice cream

Place wine, aromatics, 1/2 cup of sugar & pears into a pot. Bring up to a simmer for 10-20 minutes depending on size of the pears.

When a fork slips into pears easily remove from heat & allow to cool in liquid.
Once tepid - place the pears in to the fridge, leaving the juices in the pan.

Continue cooking the liquid until reduced by half and forms a syrup. Taste the syrup - if its tart add a bit more sugar.

Allow the syrup to cool once desired consistency is achieved. Strain out aromatics.

Server syrup drizzled over pears with a scoop of gelato or whip cream!

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

2010-05-15T02:42:00.000-07:00

Fennel - what is it? A big onion? A bulb? Is it even edible? YES and how delicious it is!

The secret is to know how to use it & what to pair it with.
Fennel can be a bit tough & fibrous with an anise flavor. It is also light, crunchy & refreshing found in many Mediterranean recipes. We not only grow our own big bulbs of fennel but another variety of fennel grows wild along our road - the more leafy/flowery type to used as an aromatic.

Here is one of my favorite winter/early spring recipes from Jason below. Other ways to use/eat fennel: roasted, braised in white wine and the most simplistic - young fennel can be cut into chunks & dipped into olive oil & salt.

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

1 bulb of fennel, cut in 1/2 and remove core
2-3 blood oranges
salt & pepper
3 glugs of extra virgin olive oil

Slice fennel as this as possible (use a food slicer or mandolin if available).
Peel & supreme the oranges. Save the extra pulp & squeeze the remaining juice into the bowl.
Mix sliced fennel, juice from the pulp & oranges - season with salt & pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil & toss.
Let stand for 10 minutes then serve.

Artichoke Risotto

2010-02-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Overflowing crates of artichokes fill the market streets - a sure sign that Spring is on its way! So what to do with these edible flowers - try one of my favs - artichoke risotto. We love to serve this for Easter feasts as well! If artichokes seem a bit overwhelming & you wonder where to begin?! Look no further: The Art of the 'Choke (Cleaning Artichokes)

This recipe takes about an hour total time & yes - you've gotta stir the risotto constantly. It's a labor of love & your work won't go unnoticed (hence the clean bowls!) You'll find some recipes with short-cuts however to really get the creamy chewy consistency you must work the starch from the rice & that means good old fashion elbow-grease!

Artichoke Risotto
Risotto di Carciofi

Serves 6

4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
8 fresh artichoke
5 cups or so fresh vegetable stock
3/4 cup dry white wine
scant 2 cups risotto rice - Arborio or Carnaroli are best
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese

Start by cleaning your artichokes (click here for help) and soaking them in lemon water.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion & garlic and cook for 10 minutes or so over med-low heat with out browning.

Chop up your artichokes and saute them slowly until tender - so you could mush with a fork.

Add a couple of spoonfuls of vegetable stock to help the process along and keep from browning the 'chokes.

Now raise the heat, add the rice and saute for a minute or two. Add in the wine and let it cook out a bit.

Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in another pan.

Add a ladle-full of the hot stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed into the rice.

Continue adding the stock, a ladle-full at a time, constantly stirring until each addition has been absorbed. This will take 18-20 minutes.

When the rice is al'dente, turn off the heat, add in a handful or two of graded cheese and give the rice one more stir, check seasoning. Rice should be thick & creamy but not runny. Cover the pot and allow the rice to sit for a couple of minutes.

To serve, spoon the rice into the bowls and sprinkle with parmesan, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

Buy a couple of extra chokes’ and You can top the dish with a couple of the hearts steamed or boiled separately.

Now MANGIA!! Serve immediately.

Sauce of the Month: Norcina ~ Rich & Creamy

2010-02-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

For a richly flavored creamy sauce with sausage - it can't get much easier than this! Plus it pairs perfectly with store bought dry pasta (we recommend rigatoni or penne). If you have access to fresh truffles, you can shave a few ribbons over the top to transform this rustic dish to something exquisite!

Most of you know this sauce as Norcina - but at our house we affectionately call it - pasta di Rossana in honor of our dear friend who first taught Jason this simple winter sauce! We'd arrive for dinner with a hungry look in our eyes begging for 'pasta di Rossana' and its meaty creamy goodness. She would laugh & say "Dear it is not MY sauce but the sauce of Norcia." We nod understandingly, smile back & ask for another serving of pasta di Rossana!

Pasta di Rossana
Norcina

Serves 4

6 oz. of sausage meat
1 carrot, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, peeled
olive oil
pepper
ladle of bechamel (panna per la cucina)
parmesan cheese
1 lb. pasta of your choice (penne or rigatoni work wonderful)
(Optional: Truffle shavings)

With a little olive oil in a pan, throw in the garlic clove whole & brown. Then discard garlic.

Add chopped carrot & saute over medium heat for a minute or two.

Add in sausage meat & crack of pepper. Cook sausage until brown, mashing & breaking up into little pieces.

Lower heat & add in ladle full of bechamel & some parmesan cheese.

Cook for a minute or two. Add a little pasta water if it gets too thick.

Toss with cooked pasta & serve.
(If you are able to find truffles, shave a few ribbons over the top.)

Ashley & La Rossana!

La Rocciata: Rustic Apple Roll with Pine Nuts, Cinnamon & Sambuca

2010-02-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

If you like to cook/bake with wine, olive oil & sambuca - this is the dessert for you!

A favorite fall/winter dessert at our farmhouse is la rocciata - a rustic apple roll stuffed with pine nuts, walnuts, cinnamon & golden raisins. Don't me mislead - the translation (the rock) has little to do with the consistency of the dough (as it is actually very light & flaky) but more to do with the word for 'round' in dialect. It is very similar to a strudel (and may even originate from it)-but better!

La rocciata may be most well known as a dish from our neighbors in Umbria. (Here's a fun fact- if you look across the 'street' from our farmhouse there is literally an island of Umbria in our front yard!) And since we love to share the little know recipes of our area, we'll let it slide this isn't traditionally known as Marchigiano - because it's just so delicious & simple! (Don't let the long ingredient list turn you off - half of it you just toss into the food processor.)

To really enjoy this spicy flaky treat buy a bottle of vin santo (wine of the saints or holy wine) & dunk your pieces in this rich woody-smokey dessert wine.

La Rocciata
Rustic Apple Roll with Pine Nuts

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 green apples, peeled, cored & chopped (cut to about the same size as the raisins)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cut pine nuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Sambuca, anisette or brandy
1 egg, beaten

Mix oil & wine in a bowl
Pulse the flour, sugar & salt in a food processor. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time. Pulse. Add butter. pulse until in tiny pieces.
With motor on, add oil & mix until dough forms.
Turn out dough & kneed for about 2 minutes until smooth, adding a little flour if needed.
Wrap in plastic & refrigerate for 1 hour
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit or 185 Celsius

Toss apples, nuts, sugar, raisins, spices & liquor in a bowl.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.
Roll dough between parchment to form 4 12x8 rectangles. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Return the dough to a lightly floured surface. Spoon a cup of the apple filling onto each rectagnle in a thick stripe about 1/2 inch up from along the edge. Roll up the pastry to enclose the filling, pressing the seams to seal. Transfer the rolls to a large cookie sheet, seam sides down & brush the tops with the beaten egg.
Bake until golden brown - about 35 - 40 minutes.
Serve warm & cut in half or into chunks.

Pumpkin Stuffed Ravioli with Butter & Sage

2010-02-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Ravioli Filling

1 hard squash (butternut, sweet pumpkin, etc)
olive oil
salt
nutmeg
parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Cut pumpkin into chunks & drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt.
Roast at 350 degrees until pumpkin is soft. Allow to cool.
Scoop pumpkin out of its shell into a bowl.
Add a handful of grated parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt & pepper. (If you like you can add ground cloves or ginger - any spice you like to give it that fall feel.)
Mix it all up - use to stuff cappelletti, tortellini or ravioli.
Can also be served as a side dish without the pasta.
Once pasta is filled, throw into salted boiling water until they float to the top.
Freezes well: place in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer into zip lock bag.

Make your own pasta using our "Down & Dirty Pasta Dough from Scratch Recipe" - Click here! or buy fresh sheets of pasta.

To stuff your ravioli ~

Roll out a sheet of pasta to about an 1/8 of an inch thickness -the thinner the better.
Evenly space out small mounds of filling.
Lay another sheet of pasta over the top.
With your fingers gently smooth out any air bubbles.
Cut out ravioli - either squares with a pizza knife or ravioli cutter or a shot glass for circular ravioli. Most importantly making sure the sides are closed.

Circles or squares you make the choice! We do both - but I've gotta say there is something about the circles I love.

Ravioli with Butter & Sage

In a pan slowly melt a couple of tablespoons of butter & gently fry a handful of sage leaves for 1 - 2 minutes.

Raise the heat, toss in your cooked pasta with a bit of pasta water.

Season with salt & pepper & serve.

We use 'ugly squash' for our pumpkin ravioli filling & it comes out so creamy with a bright orange color!

Attention Bacon Lovers: Italian Cured Pig's Cheek

2010-01-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Cured pig's cheek or guanciale di maiale (literally translates to cheek of the pig) is hands-down the BEST bacon Jason & I have ever eaten - and have yet to find someone who disagrees once they taste it's porky goodness! I know it sounds a bit weird to some to eat or order cheek - but trust me - just go with it - especially if you are in Italy. In our neck of the woods in Le Marche, it is served at home and commonly found on the menus of rustic traditional osteria's, family run restaurants just like our farmhouse, as an antipasta atop crostini. The recipe below calls for red wine vinegar which perfectly cuts the fat and combined with the sage makes for a rich meaty buttery deliciousness with a kick!

Bacon lovin' seems to run in the family - after 6 months of living in Italy, my sister Meagan returned to the States with only 2 things Italian: a new pair of shoes & a huge cured pig's cheek! Our good friend Fusciani proudly presented her with a home-cured cheek, proclaiming "my gift to America!"

America's gift from Italy

Recipe for Cured Pig's Cheek Guanciale di Maiale

cured pig’s cheek (guanciale di maiale)
fresh sage leaves, few handfuls
olive oil
garlic cloves
red wine vinegar

Slice cured pig's cheek very thinly or ask your butcher.
In a frying pan, on medium heat add 2 glugs of olive oil, garlic cloves & sage leaves, add pig's cheek.

Cook for approximately 30 seconds - 1 minute on each side, until changes color to a nice golden brown, but not burned.
Blot with a paper towel.

Lightly sprinkle with red wine vinegar.
Serve immediately with the sage.

Pair best with crusty bread to soak up the juices or better yet blow your diet and serve for breakfast with eggs & toast!

Jason showing a guest how to slice prosciutto & guanciale paper thin

Spiced Wine ~ Vin Brule'

2009-12-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

Recipe for Italian Spiced Wine ~ Vin Brule'

1 liter of red wine ~ 1 litro vino rosso
100 grams of sugar ~ 100 gr zucchero
a few cloves ~ alcuni chiodi di garofano
a stick of cinnamon ~ una stecca di cannella
a bit of nutmeg ~ un po' di noce moscata
lemon peel grated (or half lemon, half orange peel) ~ una scorza di un limone oppure una scorza di mezzo limone e mezza di arancia

Bring all ingredients to a low boil & add the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved - lower flame. Filter or strain. Serve warm & enjoy!

Bollire fino a quando si scioglie lo zucchero, levare dal fuoco e filtrare con una tela bagnata. Servire caldo.

Peperonata ~ Stewed Peppers and Grilled Sausages ~ Perfect for the Game

2009-12-06T07:58:00.002-08:00

This year we had over 80 pepper plants in the ground yielding hundreds of pounds of peppers!! Needless to say we ate A LOT of peppers this summer & fall! They have such a great flavor & we used them in tons of dishes. But everyone's favorite is peperonata or stewed peppers. They are delicious piled on crostini to soak up the juices or even better with grilled sausages - awesome! (Not to mention - this is THE perfect lunch or dinner to feed a hungry crowd for a football game!)

Stewed Peppers
Peperonata

4-5 bell peppers, cut into large pieces, cleaned
a big handful of whole cherry tomatoes
1 yellow onion sliced
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil

In a large skillet or pot , heat 1/3 cup of olive oil.
Saute garlic until golden brown & then discard.
Reduce heat to low & slowly saute the onion 12 - 15 minutes until well cooked. but do not brown it.
Raise heat & add peppers.
Season with plenty of salt & pepper.
Allow peppers to cook, stirring frequently 10 minutes until the ends start to shrivel.
At this point, throw in your cherry tomatoes & allow to cook another 10 -15 minutes until the peppers are soft & not mushy and the cherry tomatoes have let their juices out.
Taste to check the seasonings.
Serve hot, warm or cold.

a perfect pepper from our garden

Lasagna

2009-12-06T07:54:00.001-08:00

Lasagna ahhh, a classic meaty cheesy mess. But it doesn't always have to be - This recipe however is one of my favorites & not that cheesy Italian restaurant cliche'. The key is to use fresh pasta in this recipe - for a lasagna that is light & delicate. If possible use your own tomatoes, we use jarred tomatoes from the garden - you just can't get that kinda flavor from a store bought jar.

Lasagna

Ragu (see recipe)
Bechamel
Parmesan cheese
4 sheets of pasta to cover your dish

In your casserole dish ladle a little of the ragu.

In plenty of boiling salted water, cook your pasta until a bit further than al dente. Cook only 1 -2 sheets at a time (otherwise they will stick & it will be a mess)

Lay down the sheet of pasta in your dish, ok if it comes up over the edge of the dish (that will make for the good crunch bits!)

Add a ladle of ragu - cover completely but don’t over do it - less is more.

Dot bechamel.

Now a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Repeat these steps ending with sauce on the top layer of the pasta

Bake at 375/190 C oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is brown & bubbly!

Classic Italian Ragu

2009-12-06T07:46:00.001-08:00

Everyone has gotta have one - here is our classic ragu (meat & tomato) sauce. Perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, tagliatelle .... the list goes on!

Ragu

1 small carrot, finely diced
1 med onion, finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic
quarter pound of sausage meat
half pound ground veal
1.5 pounds peeled, seeded, pureed fresh tomatoes or 1 large can of peeled tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a pot add a couple glugs of olive oil & sauté clove of garlic until brown then discard.

On med heat sauté veggies slowly for about 10 minutes - so they are not brown but translucent.

Raise the heat slightly & add in meat - breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt & pepper.

Add tomatoes & half a glass of water.

Bring up to boil.

Lower to a very low simmer for 2.5 hours stirring occasionally.

Toss with your favorite pasta.

If sauce becomes too thick, add a little pasta water.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice & Shrimp

2009-10-18T05:02:00.001-07:00

Stuffed Tomatoes
Pomodori Ripieni

serves 4

4 ripe round tomatoes (about the size of a tennis ball)
4 tablespoons of rice
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
clove of garlic, skin removed
herbs of your choice, I use basil or parsley
olive oil
salt & pepper

Wash your tomatoes & slice off the tops, with a spoon, hollow out the flesh of the the tomato being careful not to pierce the cup you are making.

Save the pulp & juice, pass through a food mill or give it a turn in the food processor, blender, etc.

In a small pot, brown 1 clove of garlic in a glug of olive oil.

Remove & discard.

Then on low heat, slowly sauté your onion until it is translucent - approximately 10 minutes.

Add in your rice & sauté for 1 minute, then raise heat & add tomato pulp.

Season with salt & pepper.

Bring to a low simmer for a minute or two. Remove from heat and add in herbs.

NOTE: If you are using a different rice other than long grain white rice, you will need to par-cook the rice first, for example brown rice, wild rice, etc.
Also this is where you can be creative. Incorporate shrimp with the onions or a little ground veal or sausage if you like also veggies work great too. 
Spoon mixture into cups of tomatoes and replace the tops of the tomatoes.

Bake in a casserole dish with a little olive oil rubbed on the bottom at 375 F/ 190 C for 20-30 minutes.

When the rice is cooked and the tomatoes have started to split it’s done.

Serve hot warm or cold with a drizzle good olive oil atop.

Fried Anchovies with Sage

2009-10-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

If you have not tried anchovies before - you must try them now! Get over any weird apprehensions or that its just bait or a punchline for a joke about pizza ("extra anchovies")! These little suckers are delicious & actually good for you! Baked, fried & grilled - they are ohh so good and worth a try. If your not up to it, then pass me your plate because I love'em!
Here is my favorite - Fried Anchovies - the recipe below adds a sage leave to each piece of fish as well for an extra burst of flavor & color.

Fried Anchovies with Sage
Acciughe fritte con Salvia

1lb of anchovies cleaned, spine removed
sage leaves (optional - if you are not a fan of sage just omit)

batter
1 cup of flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
seltzer water

vegetable oil for frying

In a bowl combine flour, eggs, salt & baking powder. Slowly add in seltzer water & mix until forms a thin batter. Cover with plastic & set in the fridge for at least an hour.

Heat oil in a pot to 350 degree.

Remove batter from fridge and mix once or twice (batter will have separated)

Take a sage leaf & anchovy put them together & dip into the batter - allowing access batter to drip off.

Fry 20 seconds a side until golden brown.

Remove from oil & drain on a paper towel.

Sprinkle with salt & serve immediately.

Pairs great with prosecco or white wine.

Bruschetta con Pomodori

2009-09-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Bruschetta (pronounced: brew-sket-ta) is one of the most well-know & butchered Italian words! And what exactly is it? Grilled bread most often piled high with chopped tomatoes.
Originating from a Roman dialect, the word "bruscare" means "to roast over coals."

Pane pomodori, bruschetta, crostini con pomodori... it's almost all the same to me - bread & tomatoes with lots of olive oil! So simple, so delicious and with loads of fresh tomatoes from our farm - I eat it literally almost everyday!

Bruschetta con Pomodori

good crunchy bread
1 large tomato of peak ripness, chopped
extra virigin olive oil - this is when to use the good stuff
1 garlic clove
salt & pepper

Grill your bread
Rub garlic on the bread once nice & toasty
Drizzle a bit of extra virigin olive oil
Top with chopped tomaotes that have been dressed with salt & pepper

Another hit of olive oil on ontop

Serve!

Garden Casserole

2009-09-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Perfect for those crisp fall nights- hearty fall veggies in a casserole with crunchy bread - keeps you toasty by the fire! Our garden is filled with these veggies & it is one of the easiest ways to utilize what we've got! Plus - this recipe is ridiculously simple!!

Ingredients

* 2 nice sized potatoes (yukon gold are best), peeled & thinly sliced
* 2 medium zucchini, sliced on the bias with seeds removed
* 2 shallots, chopped
* couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
* handful of fresh herbs, chopped (oregano, parsley or marjoram)
* salt & pepper
* extra virgin olive oil
* good bread

The Steps~

* Pour a little oil in a casserole dish (oven safe).
* Make a layer of potatoes covering the base of the dish
* Layer of zucchini
* Salt & pepper
* drizzle of olive oil
* couple of tomatoes ( does not have to fill in completly)
* sprinkle of shallots
* salt & pepper
* drizzle of olive oil
* chopped herbs
* repeat these steps until the dish is filled eding with potatoes on the top & a final drizzle of olive oil
* bake in a 400 degree oven until it is bubbling & a knife slips in easy & soft. Cooking time depends on size & height of your caserol dish - normally about an hour - hour & half.

Thinly Sliced Zucchini

2009-07-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

Thinly Sliced Zucchini
Fine Fine Zucchini

zucchini
salt
pepper
olive oil
lemon
parmesan

Use mandolin or slicer, slice zucchini very very thinly - paper thin.

Lay out one layer on a plate or plater.

Crack of pepper, crack of salt, drizzle olive oil, squeeze of lemon & shave parmesan over the top.

Let sit for 15 minutes & serve.

Fava (Broadbean) Crostini

2009-07-14T02:06:00.000-07:00

Fava crostini - the color & crisp flavor on crunchy bread - how can you only eat one?!

Fava (Broad bean) Crostini:

Serves 4

1 cup of double shelled (outer pod & inner shell removed) fresh fava or broad bean
couple glugs of olive oil
garlic clove, skinned, whole
squeeze of lemon
water
shaved parmesan
salt & pepper
baguette or crusty bread, sliced & toasted

Throw the fava in a pan & cover with water & a little salt. Bring to a boil & lower to a simmer. Cook a couple of minutes until the fava are tender. Drain.

Return the pan to the heat. Pour in a couple glugs of olive oil and the garlic clove. Fry the garlic until browned. Then discard garlic.

Toss the fava into the pan & sautee for a minute or two. Then begin mashing with the back of a wooden spoon until you form a paste. If you need to add a bit of water, do so.

Remove fava paste from heat & season with salt & pepper add a squeeze of lemon.

Toast slices of good bread & rub warm fava mixture & top with shaved parmesan. You can drizzle a little really good quality extra virgin olive oil as well if you like.

Lemons Cooked in the Oven - Limoni Cotti al Forno

2009-07-06T00:52:00.001-07:00

Not only is this antipasta super simple, it is great for a party - a 2-bite taste explosion! Even if you think you don't like anchovies - give it a go!

Lemons Cooked in the Oven
Limoni Cotti al Forno

2 Large unwaxed lemons
1 or 2 5-oz. balls of buffalo mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
4 fresh basil leaves
2 anchovy fillets
2 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Remove the ends of the lemons & discard them (don’t cut in to deep - you want to keep a closed bottom). Then cut the lemons in half crossways, giving you little lemon bowls.

Using a small knife, remove the lemon flesh, leaving you with 4 hollow lemon rind bowls. (Again you don’t want to break-into the rind)Cut a piece of mozzarella to fit inside, then lay a basil leaf, half an anchovy fillet and half a cherry tomato on top with a pinch of salt & pepper. Put another slice of mozzarella on top - the lemon should now be filled up. Do the same to the rest of the lemon bowls.

Place on a baking sheet & cook in a preheated oven for 10 - 15 minutes, until golden & bubbling.

Remove from the oven & allow to cool for a few minutes - serve with crostini. Scoop the mozzarella out & eat with the toast to mop up any juices!

Lesso con Salsa Verde - Poached Beef with Green Sauce

2009-06-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Lesso di vitello con salsa verde

Poached beef with green sauce

A quick note about lesso or boiled/poached meat: you can make a lesso of anything - fish, chicken, beef even potatoes. A great secondo for a hot day - as you can make it far ahead of time & then there is no need to turn on your stove in the heat of the day!

Meat
serves 4

little over a lb. of a tough roast: rump roast, eye round or chuck roast will work well
enough broth to cover
1 carrots,
1 rib of celery
half an onion
1 bay leaf
1 leek
couple of sprigs of parsley

In a large pot, bring your broth to a boil. Drop in your aromatics (herbs & veggies) and return the pot to a boil.

Gently add your meat to the broth & veggies. Allow pot to return to a boil.

Lower to simmer for 2 - 4 hours until meat is extremely tender.

Remove meat & place in the fridge to cool.

Broth can be strained & saved to be served as a soup or another dish. Freezes very well.

Salsa Verde

2 handfuls of parsley (stems removed), chopped
2 cloves of garlic, skins removed, smashed
1 tablespoons of capers, chopped
4 filets of anchovies, chopped
pepper flakes as desired
2 - 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

In a small sauce pan add a couple tablespoons of the oil, on a low heat fry the garlic.

When outside of garlic turns golden brown add capers & anchovies & pepper flakes. Pulverize into a paste with the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove pan from heat. Add vinegar & parsley incorporating into the mixture.

Once mixture has had a chance to cool down for a minute, slowly stir in the rest of the olive oil and adjust the seasoning.

Allow salsa mix to sit out & rest for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to incorporate

Meanwhile -
Remove the meat from the fridge. Slice thinly against the grain. Lay meat on a plate in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt & top with salsa verde.

Allow for the finished dish to sit for 15-minutes or so once topped. It can be done far ahead in advance & refrigerator - but remember to pull it out of the fridge early so the oil comes back up to room temperature & is not congealed.

Serve a bed of salad underneath the lesso.

Cherries with Mascarpone

2009-05-30T01:56:00.001-07:00

Cherries with Marscapone

Serves 4
Pound of pitted cherries
3-4 leaves of mint, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons of liquor of your choice (we use brandy or cognac)
white sugar
3/4 cup of mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Toss cherries with liquor in a bowl with a little sugar, if cherries are tart add more sugar, if cherries are already sweet you can omit the sugar.

Refrigerate for an hour or two.

In a separate bowl whip cheese, chopped mint & cream adding in a spoonful of sugar of two until incorporated & smooth. Mixture should have just a hint of sweetness to it - not sugary.

Spoon cherries with syrup into a pretty serving dish or cup (we use a martini glass) and top with a couple spoon full of marscapone.

Garnish with fresh mint.

We added a short bread cookie for a little crunch! You could also fill a tart shell with a layer of the cheese & then top with cherries - that is really good too!

Enjoy! The perfect ending to a summer lunch.

Pork Roast

2009-04-20T03:38:00.001-07:00

You will not be disappointed, this comes out delicious & juicy!

Pork Roast
Arista di Maiale

pork loin roast, tied (the butcher will do this for you)
rosemary
thyme
fennel seed
sage
red pepper flacks, to taste
rind of half a lemon, chopped
garlic
olive oil
white wine

Combine all ingredients (except the meat) and form a paste. Food processor, mortar & pestle or a small food chopper will work, you can also do it by hand.

Transfer above mixture into a bowl & add a glug or two of olive oil so the paste is spreadable.

Work paste into meat evenly & refrigerate over night or at least 6 hours.

When ready to cook preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Generously salt the meat & place in a roasting pan.

Roast for the first 15 minutes at 425 degrees, remove from oven. Add a 3/4 cup of white wine

Then return to oven & lower to 350 degrees cooking for about 15 minutes per pound,or until juices run clear.

Baste the meat once or twice during cooking.
(If the top starts getting too brown, cover for the last bit. If liquid at the bottom of the pan cooks out, add a little water.)

Once cooked, allow roast to sit for a few minutes. Remove string & slice thinly. Use the pan juices as a sauce.

NOTE: pairs well with white beans.

Maria's Artichokes ~ Carciofi alla Maria

2009-04-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

Spring brings bright fresh flavors! This artichoke dish, courtesy of our friend Maria, is a fantastic example of spring on your plate! We serve it as an antipasta, but you could easily serve it as a side-dish. Sometimes Jason leaves out the olives (as he doesn't really like 'em) & it still comes out great.

To be honest, the first time Jason said he was making artichokes with capers & olives, I thought it sounded kinda gross because I'm not a huge fan of capers - BUT! I can't deny it - these are soooo good!! Now I'm beggin' for more! If you love spring artichokes, try this pasta recipe ~ Pasta with spring vegetables (fava, artichokes, peas) Spaghetti alla chitarra con vedure primavera.

Maria's Artichokes
Carciofi alla Maria

Serves 4

juice of 1/2 lemon, strained
8 globe artichokes, remove tough outer leaves, scoop out choke & cut into wedges
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon capers, drained & rinsed
scant 1 cup green olives, pitted & chopped
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt & pepper

Half-fill a bowl with water, stir in the lemon juice, add the artichokes & let soak for 10 minutes, then drain & pat dry.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic & cook for a few minutes until golden brown, then remove & discard.

Add the artichoke wedges to the pan & cook over high heat for 5 minutes, then add the capers & olives.

Season with salt & pepper to taste and add 2/3 cup warm water.

Mix well, cover & simmer for about 30 minutes until tender.

Remove the lid & boil off any excess liquid.

Transfer the artichokes to a serving dish, sprinkle with parsley.

Served both warm & at room temperature.

Rabbit Hunter's Style ~ Coniglio alla Cacciatore

2009-04-02T01:20:00.001-07:00

I slightly hesitate even adding this recipe & topic (so I won't even think about a suggestive photo)....but here we go:

Rabbit is sooo good for you & incredibly lean meat. (In fact, I remember hearing that if you only had rabbit to eat to survive, you would probably die because there is not enough fat!) I know many of you have strong feelings on eating a little bunny - but isn't it the same as eating lamb, pig or any other meat for that matter. (And for the record I had a pet rabbit as a kid & have no qualms eating rabbit for dinner.) Now it seems that rabbit is more associated with French cuisine than Italian, but we are here to set the record straight! Coniglio or rabbit is on many many Italian menus all across the country - from roasted, stewed, sauces & even in the style of porchetta!

I know it can be hard to find in many grocery stores in the States, here it is readily available at every SMA, Conad & butcher! Just ask your butcher & order a whole rabbit - it will be worth it!

We offer a no-choice, "you'll eat what you're fed dinner" at our Agriturismo and we have served this dish many many times - always with happy guests thanking us for giving them the opportunity to try something new & different that they probably would not have picked off a menu on their own. So the next time you see rabbit or coniglio - give it a shot!

This recipes like many many many in Italy, varies from region to region & house to house.

Coniglio alla Cacciatora (Rabbit in the style of the Hunter)- La Tavola Marche Agriturismo

Rabbit 3-3.5 lbs

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2-3 sprigs of sage

salt & pepper

2 cups wine vinegar

3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons capers

Clean the rabbit & cut into serving pieces. Wash is carefully & wipe dry.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan & sauté the rabbit pieces with garlic & sage until brown all over. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Dilute the vinegar with an equal amount of water & pour half of it into the pan.

Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, adding most of the remaining vinegar, a little at a time, as the rabbit dries out.

When the rabbit is tender, transfer the pieces to a deep heated serving dish. Keep hot. Discard the garlic cloves. Stir the anchovies and capers into the sauces, and continue cooking & stirring until the anchovies are reduced to a paste.

Bring to a simmer and stir over a moderate heat until the sauces has thickened. Pour over the rabbit & serve immediately.

NOTE: Best served with roasted potatoes - patate al forno!

Rabbit Hunter's Style ~ Coniglio alla Cacciatore

2009-04-02T01:20:00.000-07:00

I slightly hesitate even adding this recipe & topic (so I won't even think about a suggestive photo)....but here we go:

I know it can be hard to find in many grocery stores in the States, here it is readily available at every SMA, Conad & butcher! Just ask your butcher & order a whole rabbit - it will be worth it!

This recipes like many many many in Italy, varies from region to region & house to house.

Coniglio alla Cacciatora (Rabbit in the style of the Hunter)- La Tavola Marche Agriturismo

Rabbit 3-3.5 lbs

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2-3 sprigs of sage

salt & pepper

2 cups wine vinegar

3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons capers

Clean the rabbit & cut into serving pieces. Wash is carefully & wipe dry.

Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, adding most of the remaining vinegar, a little at a time, as the rabbit dries out.

Bring to a simmer and stir over a moderate heat until the sauces has thickened. Pour over the rabbit & serve immediately.

NOTE: Best served with roasted potatoes - patate al forno!

Seafood Risotto

2009-03-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

If you've got 20 minutes to stand over the stove stirring - try this immediately! Jason's seafood risotto recipe is soooo good! I beg him to make risotto - any kind cheesy, mushroomy (ok i know that's not really a word) & fishy - delicious & hearty! Risotto is perfect for cold fall or winter nights a real stick to your bones dish.

Here it is served as a primo (first course, after antipasti) since it is in the pasta / rice family but I think it is a meal in itself. So when you just don't feel like tagliatelle (the pasta of our region) try this! The key is the rice - it's gotta be ARBORIO!!

Yes, it really does take about 20 minutes of stirring, but it's totally worth it & your guests will know that you love them because you have spent the time to make this.

Just remember this MUST be served at the moment it is ready - risotto is very temperamental: known problems: it can dry out easily or be too crunchy & get stuck in your teeth or it can go the other way & just become mush!

Now for you to try your hand! Here is a basic Seafood Risotto recipe, but you can change it up & use mushrooms or cheese too!

(A recent class on risotto, they asked to learn how to make a 'proper risotto' & they did just that!)

SEAFOOD RISOTTO

Serves 6

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove

1 lb 5 oz. cleaned mixed seafood - calamari & shrimp (Italians chop the seafood to about the same size as the rice so it's not in big chunks, it all blends together)

5 cups fish stock

3/4 cup dry white wine

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

scant 2 cups risotto rice - Arborio or Carnaroli are best

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion & garlic and cook over low hear for 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Remove and discard the garlic, add the seafood to the pan and cook for a few minutes more.

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in another pan.

Sprinkle the wine over the seafood & cook until it has evaporated, then season to taste.

Pour in 3 tablespoons water, add the tomato paste and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until it has absorbed all the liquid.

Add a ladleful of the hot stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, and stirring until each addition has been absorbed.

This will take 18-20 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil & serve.

Now MANGIA!!

Pasta with Spring Veggies (Spaghetti alla Chitarra con verdure di primavera)

2009-03-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Perfect for spring - looking for something fresh & light, delicious & a little different? This it it!

This dish is a great way to incorporate all the fresh vegetables of spring. It's roots are Roman as they called it vignarola or vignole but it is found all over Le Marche!

A versatile dish that you can make as a primi - pasta dish or as a stew/soup by adding more vegetable stock.

It is so simple, Jason has made this for many dinners this spring as his "go to" pasta - everyone has loved it! (One group of Italians even asked to take the rest home with them!) The longest part is the shelling of all the fava. (For the vegetarians out there, sadly, just omit the prosciutto)

Please, please use fresh pasta in this dish - it will make it much softer & worth the effort or cost. We used Spaghetti alla Chitarra a local pasta, but you probably won't find that in the States, so try regular spaghetti, linguini or fettucini.

Pasta with Spring Veggies (Spaghetti alla Chitarra con verdure di primavera)

serves 6

12-16 oz. of fresh pasta

4-5 small artichokes

sea salt & pepper

1 leek, outer leaves removed, cut into 3-inch lengths, washed

1/2 lb. chard (or other nice leafy greens)

extra virgin olive oil

1 small white onion, chopped

3/4 cup of vegetable stock (add another 3/4 cup if you are making into a stew) - use the water you will using to blanch the veggies in.

12 oz. fresh shelled peas

12 oz. of fresh shelled fava (or half a grocery bag full of the beans)

one bunch of asparagus

4 thick slices of prosciutto

small bunch fresh mint & parsley (we have both growing wild)

Put artichokes into a pot of cold, salted water & bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes or until tender (you can check by inserting a knife into the heart) and drain. (Tip: Jason puts a plate on top of the boiling water of artichokes so they don't pop out & stay under water!) Allow to cool, then peel off the outer leaves until you find the pale tender ones, remove the choke (fuzzy white parts) using a spoon. Cut the hearts into quarters.

Fill the pot with new water, add salt & bring to a boil. Blanch the fava beans for a minute, remove from water with a slotted spoon. Blanch the leeks for 3 -4 minutes, until tender, and the chard until just wilted.

Heat a large saucepan, big enough to hold all the ingredients, and add a good splash of oil. Cook the onion, low & slow for about 10 minutes until soft. Cut the tough parts of the asparagus off the bottom & discard, cut into quarter inch pieces. Sauté for 2-3 minutes with onion. Then add the vegetable stock (the water used to blanch the fava, leeks & chard) and the peas, bring to a boil. Cut the prosciutto into bits & add in - simmer for about 10 minutes, until the peas are cooked and soft and the prosciutto has flavored it all nicely.

Chop leeks into strips, run a knife through the chard & stir into the pan. Add the artichoke hearts & fava beans and let simmer for a few minutes. Finish with salt & pepper to taste a small bunch of chopped fresh mint & parsley. Add a few glugs of olive oil.

Toss with pasta & drizzle with a bit more olive oil for the bright flavors & colors of spring! Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan or grana padano.

Note: you may need a few spoonfuls of pasta water if the dish looks too dry.

Cappelletti in Brodo - Little Pasta Hats in Broth

2009-03-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a slam-bang dish - look no further!

Cappelletti in brodo or little hats in broth - I was once told is a dish served for only those you love because it takes so much time & patience to make! This dish is traditionally served on Christmas day for lunch and New Year's Eve for dinner- special occasions. Just yesterday we gathered a group of friends to help us make over 6 kilos (about 13.5 pounds) of pasta! We used 30 eggs in the dough, 4.5 pounds of meat & a ton of parmesan!

Take the time, buy the freshest eggs (it will make the color of the dough nice & golden) & enjoy homemade pasta the way it was meant to be eaten - it is TOTALLY worth the time!

Pasta Dough Recipe:

(serves 4)

400 grams of flour (type 0)

pinch of salt

4 eggs

To make the dough - follow our recipe - click here

Filling:

6 oz. lean beef cubbed

4 oz. pork loin, cubbed

half a chicken breast, cubbed

1 sausage, without casing, cubbed

1 carrot, diced finely

salt & pepper

a healthy pinch Nutmeg

handful of grated parmesean cheese

1 egg

pad of butter

glug of olive oil

salt & pepper

In a pot, melt the butter & toss in all the meat & carrot.

Cook over medium heat, until meat is cooked & 2/3 of the liquid is reduced.

Set aside & let cool.

When the meat is cool toss it into the food processor & pulse until it resembles ground beef - not a paste.

Add the egg, salt & pepper, nutmeg & cheese - mix with your hands. (It will hold a ball when squeezed together, but not wet)

Roll out pasta dough into about 2mm thick sheets.

Cut into 1 inch squares. Place a pea size amount of filling in each square.

Fold the square into a triangle - making sure to seal the edges very well! (Super important)

This is when it gets difficult to explain...Then take legs of the triangle & pinch them together -(take a look at the picture to help explain)

Make sure not to overstuff your cappelleti & to seal them properly - otherwise they will burst when you boil them.

Boil in brodo (broth) until they float - if they are fresh about 2-4 minutes. Jason suggests that when they start floating - try one.

To freeze for later: Let the pasta sit & dry overnight in a cool dry room in a single layer with parchment paper underneath.

Butternut Squash Soup

2009-03-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Fall in a bowl - this would make a perfect dish to add to your Thanksgiving lunch or dinner! It can be served day of or is even better the next day! Which makes it great for Thanksgiving since you can cook it off a day or 2 before, one less thing to do on turkey day! This soup has become a tradition in our house - it's so creamy & delicious.

photo: www.recipegirl.com

Butternut Squash Soup

2 medium butternut squash - peeled, diced, seeded
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, peeled, diced
2 ribs celery diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
vegetable stock
olive oil
bay leaf
fresh thyme
salt & pepper

In a soup pot heat 2 glugs of olive oil over med low heat, add carrots, celery, onions & garlic - until translucent - about 15-20 minutes.

Then add your squash, bay leaf & a couple sprigs of fresh thyme and salt & pepper. Sautée for another 15-20 min. on med-low heat until the squash starts to fall apart & gets soft.

Cover with vegetable stock & cook another 20 min. until the squash is now totally soft.

You may need to adjust the amount - if it looks like it is getting too thick, add a little water.

Blend with a hand blender & then add in about half a cup of heavy cream.

Adjust the seasonings to your liking: you can add in cinnamon, nutmeg &/or a clove to make it a bit more spicy & festive!

Toast a piece of bread & float it on top - garnish if you like with a little parsley

I know the cream sounds heavy, but it really rounds out the vegetables. Enjoy!!

Lentil Salad

2009-03-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves this dish - even if they don't think they like lentils. It light & fresh - perfect for summer!

Serves about 6

1 1/2 cups green lentils

1 seedless english cucumber

1 medium red onion

Handful of mint & parsley (cleaned & picked off the stem)

Juice of one lemon

Salt & pepper

1/2 of a yellow onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

In a pot, place lentils, 1/2 yellow onion & garlic cloves with skin removed. Cover lentils with water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame & simmer for 25-35 minutes until lentils are tender - BUT NOT MUSHY. It might be necessary to add a little more water during cooking process as lentils absorb the water.

When lentils are tender drain. Pick out onions & garlic, discard.

Peel cucumber, slice lengthwise & remove seeds. Dice into small pieces about the size of a lentil. Dice the red onion to the same size as well. Chop parsley & mint. When lentils are cool, combine with above ingredients.

Juice the lemon & combine with double the amount of olive oil (1 part lemon juice/2 parts olive oil) and dress salad. Season with salt & pepper.

Greenbeans, Tomaotes & Balsamic

2009-03-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

1 lb of green beans

3 good fresh tomatoes

good quality olive oil

extra virgin olive oil

garlic

salt & pepper

fresh herbs

Serves: 6

Clean the green beans.

Blanch beans in salted water. Drain & rinse in cold water.

Score the bottom of 3 nice good quality tomatoes and remove the stem root. Plunge into boiling water for 20 - 30 seconds. Drain & shock the tomatoes in ice water.

Slough the skins & de-seed tomatoes. Give them a good rough chop into chunks.

In a frying pan, over low heat add a couple of glugs of good quality olive oil. Throw in 2 whole garlic cloves (skins removed). Gently fry for a couple of minutes.

Raise heat, add the green beans & sauté for a minute.

Throw in tomatoes. Toss a couple of times in the pan & cook for 3-4 minutes until the green beans are tender but not mushy.

Remove garlic cloves. Season with salt & pepper. Add a small handful of one type of your favorite fresh herbs, chopped. (for example basil, oregano or marjoram) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

At our agriturismo we finish the dish with 30 year aged traditional balsamic. (To find the good stuff in the States can be hard & expensive). It's totally OK to use regular balsamic, it is just more acetic or use a squeeze of lemon.

Farro & Leek Soup

2009-03-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Farro is an ancient grain, the original grain from which all others derive. Farro has been eaten & cultivated in Italy for centuries most notably by the Roman Legion! The Romans ate farro to give them strength as they marched across the Western World & would arrive with a full belly & battle ready thanks to this hearty grain!

Farro is like spelt, but has a firm chewy texture. You should be able to find it at an Italian shop, health food store or speciality shop. We are lucky to find locally grown farro right here in Le Marche! (If you can't find farro - spelt or barley should work)

This recipe has only a few ingredients but is full of flavor and a great first course, not to mention super easy to make!

Farro & Leek Soup

Minestra di Farro e Porri

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced

1 1/2 cups pearl farro

6 1/4 cups meat stock **Please do not use bullion (or stock) cubes for this! There are only a few ingredients & they should be of the highest quality possible.

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a pan, add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Add the farro, pour in the stock, season with salt and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours or until the farro is tender.

Season with pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls or a soup tureen and sprinkle with Parmesan & drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Tiramisu

2009-03-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh baby! This one is good! I am not a big fan of Tiramisu in that States, it tastes totally different - much boozier, mushier & all together not my fav. So when I was given a heaping plate for dessert at a friends house when we first arrived, I was a little nervous about how I was going to finish my plate - well it didn't seem to be a problem at all because it was DELISH!

Below is a simple tiramisu recipe that we have shared with our guests both for dinner & for cooking classes - loved by all! We just had 2 big groups of Italians in town & they asked the following morning if they could have the tiramisu for breakfast! I think we found a winner -

Serves 6

2 egg whites

4 egg yolks

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1 3/4 cups mascarpone cheese

7 oz. ladyfingers

3/4 cup freshly brewed extra strong coffee or espresso, cooled

7 oz. semisweet chocolate, grated

unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Stiffly whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in another bowl until pale & fluffly.

Gently fold in the mascarpone, then the egg whites.

Make a layer of ladyfingers on the base of a deep serving dish & brush them evenly with coffee (don't be shy)

Make a layer of the mscarpone cream and sprinkle/cover with grated chocolate (again don't be shy- a nice layer of chocolate dusting)

Continue making layers until all the ingredients are used, ending with a layer of mascarpone cream.

Dust with cocoa and chill in the fridge for about 3 hours.

Enjoy!!

Secrets to the recipe:

1. The eggs- you can add more egg whites & yolks for a richer flavor

2. Booze it up - add your favorite Bailey's, Nocino, Kahlua - any coffee complimenatry liquer will go nicely in this, add it into the coffee after cooled.

3. It's all in the ladies - ladyfingers, that is - in Italy everyone know to only use one type Pavesini - they are hard to find in the States but its worth a try. These ladyfingers give it the perfect texture & really soak up the coffee.