Braised Escarole with Pancetta

Braised Escarole and Pancetta Recipe

Serves 4

1 head of escarole
5-6 thin slices of pancetta or guanciale, prosciutto, speck
half a glass of white wine
2 cloves of garlic
couple of stems of thyme - leave in tact & no need to chop (it makes it easier to remove)

Start by cleaning the escarole. Cut it into six wedges, leaving the core intact. With a piece of kitchen twine, tie the wedges into bundles to prevent them from separating.

In a pan, rosalare or lightly brown 2 cloves of garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Raise the heat, add the escarole and a crack of salt and pepper.  Cook for a couple of minutes until the greens begins to wilt. Then give everything a turn. Add in the thyme sprigs and lay the slices of pancetta over the top. In goes the white wine. Cover with parchment paper, lower the heat and allow to braise on the stove top or in a 350/175 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the escarole is tender.

To serve, cut off the twine, remove the thyme and cloves of garlic and discard (unless you love them).

Spiced Baked Figs with Vanilla Panna Cotta

Sweet dreams are made of this... Baked spiced figs with creamy vanilla panna cotta is utterly decadent and gorgeous on the plate! During an unseasonably late fig season, we are celebrating with wild green figs from our neighbors tree. I love figs with pecorino cheese and honey, but now that our neighbor Caroline taught us this recipe its a new favorite! A beautiful finish for your late summer, early-fall dinner.

Recipe for Panna Cotta with Baked Spiced Figs

Baked Spiced Figs:
12 small figs
1 vanilla stick
a pinch nutmeg
a pinch cinnamon
60-75gr. Sugar
butter

Preheat your oven up to 200C.

Butter an oven tin.
Cut the figs in half and place them face up and close together in the buttered tin.
Open the vanilla stick and take the pods out, drizzle the pods, cinnamon and nutmeg over the figs.
Bake in the oven for 15minutes, lower the temperature to 160 C., drizzle the sugar over the figs and keep in the oven for another 15minutes. Let them caramelize.

Vanilla Panna Cotta
serves 8
Ingredients for Panna Cotta
3 sheets of gelatin
scant 1/2 cup milk or 120 ml
2  cups or 500 ml heavy cream
1/2 cup or 60 g 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 it to the milk. Pour the cream into another pan, add the sugar and vanilla bean and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Then 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.

fresh picked wild figs from Le Marche, Italy

Beet Citrus Salad

Brighten your bleak winter days with this colorful healthy salad of beets, citrus and whatever you've got!  Beets can be found from summer thru winter so this salad is versatile!

There are hundreds of variations; if your have beautiful carrots add them in, no green beans - don't worry about, you can even add in some nuts or shaved fennel. Play with the citrus, try grapefruit for more of a tangy flavor or blood oranges for the color & sweetness.

Beet Citrus Salad

3 beets, any color
2 oranges, supremed/sections and juiced
1 red onion, sliced paper thin
handful of green beans, blanched & cut into thirds
olive oil
salt & pepper

Scrub the beets and bring to a boil in plenty of salted water.  You'll know they are done when you can easily slip a knife in & out like potatoes. Cooking time will depend on the size of the beets, make sure to boil them whole. Drain them and let cool. When the beets are able to be handled, rub the beets with a kitchen towel to slough off the skins. Cut them into bit-sized chunks.

In a bowl, combine about 4 tablespoons of the orange juice, salt and pepper. While constantly whisking, drizzle in about 8 tablespoons of olive oil (you are looking for a 2 to 1 ratio).  (Don't throw out the rest of the OJ - drink it!) 

Toss the onions, beets and green beans with the dressing.  Check your seasoning and allow to sit for about 15 minutes, until the onions start to wilt a bit. Give the salad one more toss & taste, garnish with the orange supremes.

our homegrown beets

Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms

 

This has been a stellar season for mushroom hunting, collecting kilos of funghi from the woods surrounding our farmhouse Jason has made countless dishes incorporating the wild mushrooms. And to top it all off Gaggi stopped by the other day with a basket full of chanterelle or gallinaccio mushrooms. As soon as Jason laid eyes on these delicate golden mushrooms he knew he'd make fresh pasta and a simple sauce to let the chanterelle shine!

 

 

 Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms
Tagliatelle con Funghi

serves 4
2 cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
meat of 1 sausage
1/2 lb of chanterelle or other wild mushrooms like porcini
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.

Pumpkin Risotto

 A rich and creamy seasonal dish perfect for fall and a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving feast is Pumpkin Risotto. Make extra because the next day a risotto pancake (with a few sunny side up eggs) is amazing!! It takes a bit of time, but easy to make and gorgeous on your plate!

Don't believe the hype that you don't have to stir. You really do have to keep the spoon moving to massage the starch out of the rice to achieve a creamy constancy. It's worth twenty minutes of your time. Once you get it down, it's easy to become proficient at making risotto. Have fun, switch it up. The great part of this dish is that you can replace the pumpkin with any vegetable you like - try radicchio with a drizzle of aged balsamic from Modena for example.

Pumpkin Risotto
Risotto di Zucca
Serves 6

4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
3 big handfuls of diced pumpkin (about 3 cups or 400 gr) butternut squash or sugar baby
5 cups or so fresh vegetable or chicken stock
3/4 cup dry white wine
scant 2 cups risotto rice - Arborio or Carnaroli are best
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese
sage leaf or tig of thyme (optional)
few tablespoons of cream (optional)

Heat the oil in a pan over low heat, add the onion & garlic and a little salt and pepper and sweat for 10 minutes or so with out browning.

Next, add  the pumpkin with a few spoonfuls of vegetable stock and cook them slowly until tender. Then raise the heat, add the rice and herb sprig and saute for a minute or two. Add in the wine and let it cook out but be sure to continuously stir.

Season with a little salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in another pot and check that the rice is now on a medium low heat. 

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

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. Make sure to remove the thyme sprig or sage leaf.

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

If you like to make the rice a little richer, try adding 2 tablespoons cream at the point when the Parmesan is incorporated.  

Tagliatelle with White Truffles

The illusive white truffle is in season, found shaved over dishes all across the "Truffle Valley" we live in.  Travelers are enamored with truffles when they visit Le Marche in the fall and rightfully so with a price tag of 3,000 Euro a kilo. We recently served a truffle themed dinner with white truffles foraged from the woods behind our farmhouse. The aroma was so pungent the earthly smell filled our house, the guests were all curious how to cook this strange mushroom. But here's the secret you don't actually cook with them, instead shaving hundreds of euro over a finished dish like a paper thin fritatta, fresh pasta, risotto or a beautiful steak.  The truffle should never touch the heat of the pan or it will kill the flavor immediately. 

So go on and hock the family silver for a plate of irresistible homemade tagliatelle and white truffles!

Tagliatelle with Truffles
Tagliatelle con Tartufi

Serves 4

400 grams fresh pasta
 white truffles - as much as you can afford
2 egg yolks
1-2 sages leaves
salt and pepper
1 pad of butter
olive oil
3-4 spoonfuls of beef broth

In a pan melt butter with olive oil on low heat. Add in sage leaves and gently cook for a minute or two.

In a pot with plenty of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al'dente. Once cooked, scoop out the pasta and place directly in the pan with sage.

Remove from heat and toss the pasta gently. Add broth and egg yolks constantly tossing the pasta in the pan to coat the past in the egg without is scrambling.  Season with salt & pepper, remove the sage.

Transfer pasta to the plates and shave truffle on-top. The truffle should never touch the heat of the pan.

Autumn's Apple Harvest: Apple Cinnamon Cake

 

I love fall's crisp cool nights, sweater weather & endless cups of tea. Along our property we collect crates of wild apples to make sweet desserts & compotes. Apple cinnamon cake is a easy & tasty way to enjoy Autumn's apple harvest - plus it's a perfect something to nibble on as you sip a warm cup of earl gray on a rainy afternoon.

 

This is Jason's Grandma's apple cake recipe - now, to set the record straight she was not Italian, but she did pass on this fantastic, no-fail, super moist apple cake recipe!

Grandma's Apple Cake 

Torta di Mele della Nonna

Ingredients: 

3 cups flour

1 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

5-6 apples, thinly sliced

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup orange juice

3 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except apples, beat until smooth.

In another bowl, mix sliced apples with cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar.

In  greased 10 inch tube pan, make layers of batter 1/3 at a time, then a layer of apples. (You should get 3 layers of apple) Ending with apples on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes until a pick comes out clean.

Outright Divine: Porcini Risotto with Truffle Oil

This year the mushroom hunting has been prolific! Every couple days we head into the woods with the Good Doctor, Gaggi and bring home baskets full in no time! The weather conditions are just right...(A full blog post with photos to come!) So what better way to enjoy our bounty than with a rich decadent porcini risotto topped with truffle oil made by our neighbor Alessandro Rossi!

The kitchen will smell outright divine!

Porcini Risotto

Risotto di Porcini

Serves 6

4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
8 oz of fresh Porcini diced ( or other type of wild mushroom)
5 cups or so fresh vegetable stock/ chicken stock
3/4 cup dry white wine
scant 2 cups risotto rice - Arborio or Carnaroli are best
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese
chopped Parsley to taste
Truffle Oil (use it if you got it!)

If fresh porcini are not available in your area, try using crimini or chanterelle mushroom in combination with dried porcini that have been soaked in hot water to rehydrate. Do not discard this liquid!  It will have a strong porcini taste and should be added to the stock for the rice.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion & garlic and sweat for 10 minutes or so over med-low heat with out browning.  Add your mushroom  and sweat them slowly until tender with a little stock to ensure that nothing burns. Season with salt and pepper.

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

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in another pot.  Add a ladle-full of the hot stock and cook, stirring constantly, 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 grated parmesan, a bit of chopped parsley and give the rice one more stir, check seasoning. (It's important to be still a little al'dente because it will continue cooking in the liquids even as you serve.) 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 each bowl and drizzle with extra special truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

Before and After

Hearty Farro + Sweet Leeks = A Delicious Soup Everytime

   

Nutrient-rich farro is an ancient grain with a nutty flavor & firm-chewy texture, making it wonderful to cook with in soups, salads & breads.  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! This recipe for Farro & Leek Soup can be built upon based on what's in-season, in the Spring add peas & asparagus for bright flavor or in the Fall try walnuts & porcini creating a rich meaty flavored stew.

You should be able to find farro at most Italian specialty shops or health food stores. We are lucky to find locally grown farro right here in Le Marche, Italy!

farro & leek spring soup

Farro and Leek Soup

Minestra di Farro e Porri

(Depending on the time of year, you can add in asparagus & peas in the spring or mushrooms & walnuts in the fall if you like.)

Serves 4

2-3 glugs or tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced finely

1 cup or 150 gr farro
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced

1 liter meat stock (vegetable or chicken stock is OK, however meat stock adds richer flavor) **Please do not use bullion cubes for this! There are only a few ingredients & they should be of the highest quality possible.
herbs of your choice - I use 1 sprig of thyme & a bay leaf

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt & pepper

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil on med/low heat. Add in the vegetables and sweat until translucent and soft WITHOUT browning. If the vegetables stick to the pan, lower the heat & add a spoonful of water.  

Then toss in the farro, toasting with the vegetables for 1-2 minutes. Add in the herbs & stock. Season with salt & pepper. 

Then Bring up to a low simmer and continue to simmer for 30-40 minutes until the farro is tender.

You can control the consistency of the soup: to make it more 'stewy'  hold back a little stock, and the contrary if you like it 'soupy,' add a bit more stock.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and serve with toasty bread.

Decadent Lasagna Bianco with Porcini & Sausage

During the snow storm of the century in Central Italy, I can't think of a better way to warm up than devouring a plate of decadent pasta & a good bottle of red after a day of shoveling the drive. Perfect for a cold winter's night, lasagna bianco,  'white lasagna' is made with porcini mushrooms, sausages & rich creamy bechamel, a local classic in northern Le Marche. A refined take on the usual red sauce classic, that will have your mouthwatering for more after the first bite. 

Extra Delicious Tip: Make sure to have your pasta sheets large enough to hang over the edges creating golden crispy edges!

Lasagna Bianco
White Lasagna

serves 6
1 recipe of egg pasta or 4 sheets of fresh pasta
1 recipe of béchamel sauce
8 oz. sausage meat (250 gr)
2 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
2 big handfuls (about 2 cups) chopped mushrooms (we use porcini, chanertelle and other local wild mushrooms)
small handful of chopped parsley
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

In a skillet on low heat slowly brown whole peeled cloves of garlic for 2-3 minutes turning frequently. Then raise the heat to medium, add the sausage meat to the pan and all to cook slowly until there is no pink in the meat about 8-10 minutes.  With the back of a fork smash the meat into little pieces.  Then add in your mushrooms and season with salt & pepper.

Once the mushrooms cook out their liquid, lower the temperature and cook for 10-15 minutes until nice & soft. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan if all the liquid cooks out so the pan doesn’t go dry.

Shut off the heat and taste, checking your salt & pepper, stir in parsley.

Assembly of the lasagna
Have ready parmesan, sausage & mushroom mixture, béchamel, pasta sheets & baking dish.

Start by placing a small amount of bechamel in the bottom of your baking dish - spreading it out.

One layer of pasta into boiling water until it is half-cooked. (Cooking time will vary based on type of pasta - fresh vs. dried)

Put the pasta down in the baking pan. Add a quarter of the mushroom sausage mixture, dotting the top with bechamel and a healthy sprinkle of cheese. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers.

Bake at 400 degree oven until the edges are golden brown & bubbly.
Freezes well. If you take out of the freezer, allow to defrost & come up to room temperature, then hit the corners of the lasagna with a few drops of milk to add moisture.

Pear & Pine Nut Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

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.

Fall Farro Salad with Pomegranate, Walnut & Truffles

  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.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Onion, Oregano & Mint

A new spin on squash: oregano & mint instead of cinnamon & nutmeg. 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 oregano
1 clove of garlic, sliced paper-thin
small handful fresh mint leaves

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. / 220 C 

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. 

Ravioli Stuffed with Greens in Butter & Sage

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.

Summer Soup Recipe - Ribollita

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.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

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)

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.

Butternut Squash Soup

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!!