Category: Contorno/ Vegetables

IL FRUTTIVENDOLO

I am writing a tribute to Gus and Carmel, owners of IL Fruttivendolo.

In 2009, I first wrote a post about Gus and Carmel Bressi’s enthralling seasonal, heirloom produce at the Queen Victoria Market on my blog, Sicilian Seafood Cooking. But my shopping at their vibrant stall began long before that.

When I moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in early 2002, I stumbled upon a hidden gem nestled in the QVM— a fruit and vegetable stall that felt like my own slice of Italy. I live just a stone’s throw away from the market and I found a profusion of seasonal delights that was reminiscent of my Italian background.

Gus and Carmel’s stall became my one destination for all things fresh. Here, I found a bounty of ingredients that were nearly impossible to find elsewhere in the QVM: the first cime di rapa, artichokes and cardoons (Carmel holding a cardoon).

Carmel was certainly very original and inspiring when displaying vegetables. Those brussels came from her.

Their shelves overflowed with fragrant herbs, crunchy fennel (both bulb and bunch), kohlrabi, and wild greens like nettles, milk thistle and amaranth that added adventurous variations to my cooking.

Endives, frisée and chicory were alongside bunches of puntarelle and senape – and I question if any shopper had seen this leafy green vegetable before (Senape is the middle photo).

There was an array of cauliflowers in every imaginable shape and colour and for many, much of the produce was uncommon. Above – Gus being enchanting to Mary Taylor Simeti who was visiting Melbourne from Sicily at the time. Although I had told him about her, when I introduced him to her, I dont think he realized just how much she knew!!! Mary is the queen of Sicilian Food writing. (Pomp and Sustanance, Bitter Almonds, Sicilian Summer – Cooking with my grandsons).

I marvelled at their diverse colours of eggplants, pink, white, violet and even striped eggplants, varieties that I had not seen since Sicily, crisp witlof of two different colours, and types of radicchio that I had not encountered since Trieste and Venice where radicchio reigns supreme (In the regions Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Veneto).

Fresh borlotti beans, broad beans, and the asparagus in colours and thicknesses, the thick white variety that was everywhere in Paris in Spring. The purple variety surprised me because it lost its colour when cooked.

And who could forget the first heirloom tomatoes, strikingly different carrots, and the sweetness of fresh figs and prickly pears?

While you might spot a few of these treasures at other stalls, Gus and Carmel were the true pioneers. Their passion for produce was profound, and they were more than happy to share tips on how to prepare even the most unfamiliar vegetables, turning every shopping trip into a culinary lesson. They were innovators, always one step ahead, knowing exactly what was in  and who to source it from. Others, like John from Tomato City specialises in tomatoes, he does have eggplants, radicchio and artichokes, as Italian stallholders generally do, but Il Fruttivendolo specialised in the uncommon, a great range of varieties of the same vegetables, those not usually seen in other greengrocers.

Below, broadbeans. notice how relatively small they are. theis is how they should be sold, not like the briadbeans that are generally found in other places that are picked far too mature.

Their stall was filled with vibrant colour and fragrances and each vegetable, fruit and herb was meticulously labelled and beautifully arranged in baskets and boxes.

It was no wonder that their display often attracted the attention of photographers and TV crews, even if their contributions went unrecognized.

Gus and Carmel were initially located in B Shed, Stall 61-65, their space later transformed into the beloved Il Fruttivendolo—a name that elegantly summarises their dual role as sellers of both fruit and vegetables.

 Il = the, frutti = fruit + vendolo = seller = fruitseller.

Just as greengrocers also sell fruit, fruit sellers also sell vegetables.

When the Queen Victoria Market underwent its redevelopment, they were relocated to a couple of temporary stalls before being housed in A Shed, where they continued to enthral customers.

Sadly, when I returned from a three-month trip away and I found that Il Fruttivendolo was no longer there. The operation of the stall came to an abrupt end early one morning when Carmel, alone and carefully organizing her produce, was threatened by an assailant at knife point. Fortunately, another stallholder intervened, chasing the assailant away. But the incident left its mark, prompting Gus and Carmel to accelerate their timing to retire.

Gus and Carmel Bressi were not just suppliers of fruits and vegetables; they were large contributors to the vibrancy of the Queen Victoria Market. Their absence is felt deeply by their customers and the other stall holders, especially those who just like Carmel and Gus have been there for a very long time.

They are remembered for their legacy, the flavours they brought to many kitchens, and their dedication and commitment to source quality produce.

There are many vegetable recipies in this blog – All Things Sicilian amd more.

Here are a few recipes, but if you use the search botton you will be able to find many more.

SENAPE, a new type of mustard green vegetable

CIME DI RAPE (A winter green)

ASPARAGUS and ARTICHOKES

NETTLES (Ortiche), Culinary uses and gnocchi

PASTA RIMESTATA COI CAVOFIORI; Pasta with cauliflower, sultanas, pine nuts and anchovies

FENNEL; male and female shapes

STUFFED BAKED FENNEL WITH PANGRATTATO; FINOCCHI RIPIENI

Melbourne; August: Winter Artichokes in risotto and stuffed

CAPONATA FROM PALERMO (made with eggplants)

SICILIAN CAPONATA DI MELANZANE as made in Palermo (Eggplant caponata and Eggplant caponata with chocolate)

MARY TAYLOR SIMETI and her new book:SICILIAN SUMMER An adventure in cooking with my grandsons

CARDOONS, What are they? (Cardoni or Cardi in Italian)

PASTA CON FINOCCHIO (Pasta and fennel; preferably wild). This is a recipe Gus gave me.

Below, a tribute from The Friends Of The Queen Victoria Market.

.

 

HERB-STUFFED MUSHROOMS: A CULINARY EXPERIMENT

In the realm of cooking, sometimes with a little spontaneity, the simplest dishes surprise us the most and are the most rewarding. These Herb-Stuffed Mushrooms, for instance are stuffed with just a handful of fresh herbs and a bit of kitchen intuition. Here’s the simple recipe that may encourage you to experiment with different herbs.

The stems of the mushroom are dense and meaty and when blended with the herbs thicken the stuffing.

Nuts, cheese or a bit of bread to the blend will also stiffen the stuffing.

In this mixture I added mint and a little grated lemon peel to add a fresh taste. I trusted my culinary judgement and  some bread crumbs on top of the stuffing to add some crunch and texture.

Once baked, these Herb-Stuffed Mushrooms had an irresistible aroma and a nice crunch from the breadcrumbs.

Whether served hot or at room temperature, they make for a delightful appetizer or a side dish that complements any meal.

In Italian, herbs are called erbe aromatiche. These mushrooms would be more appealing if they were described as: Funghi gratinati al forno, con erbe aromatiche.

Ingredients:

  • Large mushrooms, with a good cavity for stuffing and intact stems
  • Fresh herbs: thyme, marjoram, parsley, mint (adjust according to taste)
  • Grated lemon peel
  • 1 large clove of garlic, peeled
  • Extra virgin olive oil (sufficient for blending)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Breadcrumbs made from good quality, day-old bread, blended with a little extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a damp cloth. Carefully remove the stems, ensuring the caps remain intact.

Prepare the Herb Blend:

In a blender, combine the herbs (thyme, marjoram, parsley), mushroom stems (cut into small pieces), peeled garlic clove, a pinch of salt, ground pepper, and a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil. Blend until the mixture reaches a puree-like consistency.

Stuff and Bake:

Preheat the oven to 170-180°C (340-360°F).

Place the cleaned mushroom caps in a baking dish lightly greased with extra virgin olive oil.

Spoon the herb mixture evenly into each mushroom cap, filling them generously.

In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs with a little extra virgin olive oil until coated. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over each stuffed mushroom.

Bake and Serve:

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the breadcrumbs turn golden brown.

More Ideas:

Cooking, for me is about being creative and trusting my culinary instincts.

Experiment with different herb combinations or add a few nuts or a little cheese to suit your taste preferences. Here are a few ideas:

Use rosemary, sage, parsley as the herbs for the stuffing. If I wanted to add nuts, I would select almonds or walnuts. I am unlikely to add cheese here, as the mixture would overpower the taste of the cheese.

Oregano is a strong tasting herb and I might pair it with thyme and a bit of parsley to tame the aromas. I would probably add some anchovies because these will complement the strong flavours, no nuts, but a little grated pecorino would be perfect.

When using basil or soft spinach as the main ingredients for a stuffing, I would select pine nuts or pistachio. These are not strong tasting nuts and would not be overpowering. If I wanted to add cheese I would add Parmigiano or fresh ricotta. Both are mild cheeses. I would also add a bit of nutmeg.

 I recently blended leftover parsley, fresh coriander, and watercress stems (left over from the makings of a salad), which turned out excellent. However, if you’re hosting Italians, be mindful that coriander isn’t commonly favored in Italian cuisine. Nevertheless, there are also many non-Italian friends who aren’t fond of coriander. If you consider adding nuts, raw peanuts would complement the Asian flavors well.

Grated lemon peel added to stuffings is excellent.

STUFFED BAKED MUSHROOMS with Nepitella

STUFFED MUSHROOMS with pine nuts and fresh breadcrumbs – Funghi ripieni

 

CIME DI RAPA and pasta

This is the season for Cime di rapa and I can’t get enough of them.

Unfortunately this green leafy vegetable that is in season now (winter) can be hard to find, even at the Queen Victoria Market (Melbourne). Gus and Carmel who have a stall at the QVM called Il Fruttivendelo (Frutti+ vendelo= fruit+ seller) have bunches of Cime di rapa. A fruttivendolo doesn’t only sell fruit, and as this well stocked stall attests, they have a wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables; some that you will have trouble to find anywhere else, for example, I buy prickly pears, chicory, endives and much more.

The only other person who sometimes has Cime di rapa is John from Tomato City.

And by the way, another vegetable that is difficult to source is artichoke and both of these stalls sell them, in season of course.

I have seen bunches of Cime di rapa in greengrocers in the suburbs, at least those that have Italian proprietors. You won’t have any trouble finding them in Adelaide as most greengrocers are owned by Italians.

Italians mostly refer to them as Cime (tops or tips). A rapa is a turnip, Cime di rapa are turnip tips or tops, perhaps they are called this because this green leafy vegetable is a mustard tasting green, like turnips. As you see they look a bit like broccoli and they have a yellow flower.

As for my recent jaunt to the Dandenong Market, while Cime may have eluded me, the diversity of fresh produce on display was nothing short of mesmerizing The quality was superb, and the prices were amazingly cheap. Not surprisingly, there were very good looking, high quality, fresh zucchini, eggplants and okra at all the stalls.

Amidst the chatter of countless languages, the market’s vibrancy was enormous. I say not surprisingly, as the produce vendors and shoppers reflected the rich tapestry of cultures that live in Dandenong.

The City of Greater Dandenong is the most culturally diverse community in Australia, with residents from 157 birth places and 64 per cent of its population born overseas.

Among the more than 130 different languages spoken are Vietnamese, Khmer, Chinese, Greek, Albanian, a large Indian population especially Punjabi, Pakistani, Afghan, Sri Lankan and Sinhalese.

When it comes to sourcing ingredients, I’m no stranger to the busy streets of Melbourne’s CBD and I have no problems finding Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and Chinese ingredients, but I go to Dandenong mainly for the array of Indian hard to source treasures. That recent excursion yielded spices, dhal, and pickles;each ingredient an undertaking of culinary endeavours to come.

I was really keen to cook Cime that night and came home via a greengrocer that would have them, and they did.

Cime di rapa

Most cooks who are familiar with this green leafy vegetable are also familiar with the most popular and common ways of cooking them to dress short pasta, especially orecchiette – (little ears shaped pasta, photo above). The greens are usually softened/cooked first and then tossed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and chilli. It is a Southern Italian dish (made popular in Puglia, Bari is the capital city). Cows are widespread in the North, sheep in the South and therefore it is fitting that the grated cheese to top the pasta is Pecorino, made from sheep’s milk. Parmigiano is made from cow’s milk, leave that for Northern pasta dishes.

My relatives in Sicily (and most likely in other Italian regions) boil the greens in quite a bit of salted water and once the greens are drained they reserve the water to cook the pasta.

The drained greens are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, chilli and garlic. The vegetable water flavours the pasta and sometimes tinges that pasta green. It is a nice touch, but I prefer to sauté the cleaned greens without cooking them first. I like to concentrate the flavour of the vegetables and keep a little bit of crunch – not Italian at all.

Most of the time I add anchovies to the hot oil before adding the chilli and garlic. The anchovies dissolve easily in the hot oil before I add and sauté the chilli and garlic, and finally. Omit the salt if you are adding anchovies.

Cime cooked the same way are great as a side vegetable, so forget the cavolo nero, silverbeet, kale and spinach, try Cime instead.

There are other ways to cook Cime as an accompaniment to pasta. Popular is the addition of good pork and fennel Italian sausages, but most of the time I like to cook the Cime (with or without the pork sausages) with pulses – particularly chickpeas, cannellini or borlotti beans. With the pork sausages I tend to favour borlotti, they taste more meaty.

Sometimes I use feta instead of grated cheese. It is much creamier and definitely not Italian. One of the highlights of residing in a multicultural country is that one can mix and match without having a Italian looking over your shoulder.

I keep the feta in extra virgin olive oil and herbs in my fridge. Use tough herbs like Bay leaves and Thyme. Dried Oregano, fennel seeds, peppercorn or chilli flakes ate good but not soft herbs or fresh garlic… these oxidise and  rot.

Red tomatoes are also a good addition. In winter tomatoes are out of season, so if you are not able to use fresh tomatoes one tin is sufficient – toss chopped tomatoes and their juice in a saucepan, add a glug of extra virgin olive oil, 1-2 garlic cloves some fresh basil (seems to be for sale all year round) or some oregano (fresh or dried), a little salt and reduce it as you would to make a tomato salsa to dress pasta. Add the tomato salsa to the sautéed Cime cooked with or without anchovy. If you are using pomodorini as I am in the photos below , you may prefer to just sauté the tomatoes. I rather like the explosion of flavour that pomodorini provide.

Leave the above sauce as it is or add a cup or so of chickpeas, cannellini or borlotti.

 

There is very little waste (if any) because the larger stems that can be tough can be stripped of their outer peel.

Whether served as a comforting pasta dish or as a humble side, Cime di rapa with their depth of flavour do it for me every time.

Other information and recipes about Cime di Rapa (also referred to in the plural as Cime di rape).

CIME DI RAPE (or Rapa) with pasta, anchovies and lemon peel

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE VEGETABLES Cime di Rape

PASTA with ‘NDUJA, CIME DI RAPA and PORK SAUSAGES

EDIBLE WEEDS: Orecchiette e Broccoletti Selvatici (and cime di rape)

CIME DI RAPE (A winter green)

PARMIGIANA, uncomplicated

When I first came to Australia with my parents (1956), eggplants (aubergines/ melanzane in Italian) were non-existent commercially in Adelaide and probably in the rest of Australia.  I remember friends moving to Canberra in the 80’s and they had to order eggplants from the Sydney markets.

Like so many vegetables that were unfamiliar in Australia, it took a few seed smugglers some time before eggplants were grown in home gardens, and even more years before they were found in produce markets and green grocers’ shops.

Now of course, there are many types of seeds that have been imported legally into Australia and sold in many Italian produce stores.

There are Asian varieties of eggplants as well as the Mediterranean ones in Australia. Trade and migration has made eggplants a typical Mediterranean plant, but they originated from the south-east Asia and in particular from India and China.

Eggplants come in different shapes and sizes – long, thin, wide, round, small and large and they cam be grown commercially as well as successfully in most home gardens . (The eggplant above is grown in my son’s home garden in Adelaide).

The colour of eggplants range from the traditional dark purple types through to violet, lavender, pink, green and creamy-white varieties. There are also variegated types.

When I think of eggplants, I think of Sicily where the most intense cultivation takes place in Italy.

Sicily has the highest numbers of eggplants in terms of cultivation and production; they are available at all times of the year because they can be grown in serre (greenhouses) in all seasons especially in the Ragusa area, where my father’s relatives are based.

And Sicily is where some of the most famous recipes for Italian eggplant dishes initiated, for example:  Eggplant Caponata from Palermo, Pasta alla Norma from Catania and Parmigiana di Melazane (Eggplant Parmigiana) with some slight variations from all over Sicily.

Parmigiana is now one of the best-known and widespread dishes of Italian cuisine but its origin is disputed between the regions of Sicily, Campania and Emilia-Romagna. However I have always believed Parmigiana to be Sicilian. Since I was a young child I have eaten many servings of Parmigiana cooked by family and friends, in homes and in restaurants all over Sicily and I support the theory that it is a Sicilian specialty.

Parmigiana is what I am going to write about in this post.

Recently a friend (and an excellent home cook) prepared Yotem Ottolenghi’s Aubergine Dumplings Alla Parmigiana, from the book Flavor. It was a marvellous dinner and I enjoyed eating these vegetarian meatballs very much.

The ingredients for Ottolenghi’s recipe are cubed eggplants, roasted till soft and caramelized, then mashed and mixed with herbs and spices, ricotta, Parmesan, basil, bound with eggs, breadcrumbs and flour. While the mixture rests, a tomato salsa needs to be made, the dumplings are fried and then baked in the tomato salsa.

When I looked at Ottolenghi’s recipe, I was amazed at just how many steps have to be covered compared with the time it would take to cook the traditional Parmigiana. A few days later a friend came to dinner and I made a simple Parmigiana.

I baked the eggplants this time rather than fried them..

Made the tomato salsa.

Proceeded to layer the salsa, eggplants, grated cheese and because the Ottoleghi recipe had ricotta, and because ricotta seems to have become an addition to the traditional Parmigiana recipe all over the web, I also added ricotta between the layers.

What it looked like before I placed it in the oven.

And I presented the Parmigiana with roast peppers and a green salad.

I don’t know how long my version took, but it tasted good.

Parmigiana can also be made with fried zucchini.

Parmigiana can also be made with fried zucchini. It is worth cooking it.

**** I  first wrote a post on my blog in 2009 about how the name of the recipe originated and recipe of a traditional Parmigiana. The recipe is also in my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking.  The background information about Parmigiana is  fascinating. The post is worth reading:

EGGPLANT or ZUCCHINI PARMIGIANA

CAMPING AND COOKING IN W.A.

For me, it is very important to eat well, wherever I am.

I have recently returned from a nine week trip in Western Australia. It was in a very simple campervan with a basic pull out stove, but as always, I manage to eat well even if some supplies were difficult to purchase.

I realize that the range of vegetables I am accostomed to where I live (Melbourne and previously Adelaide) were not to be found even in the larger towns I visited.  Supply and demand is important and I consider myself lucky to live in cities where the the different ethnicities have contributed to what is grown and available.

But maybe I am expecting far too much.

I need to acknowledge that much of the produce I bought was in small, often remote communities and, as in the rest of country Australia, what was mostly available was limited to pumpkins, iceberg lettuces, carrots, cauliflower, cabbages and tomatoes (not the greatest). Potatoes, onions and sweet potatoes were everywhere. Beetroot, sometimes – but without their leaves. the sort of vegetables that my family was able to purchase when we first settled in Adelaide and I was eight years old.

In some places I found broccoli, green beans, spring onions and sometimes boc choy and red cabbage. On rare occasions there was asparagus and, if I was lucky, there were good bunches of silverbeet. I made sure to buy bunches of this leafy green vegetable wherever I could and cooked it in various ways: braised with chillies and anchovies, sautéed  in butter with a final dash of lemon juice, sautéed and deglazed with vinegar and a bit of sugar, or mixed with other vegetables.

Sometimes, I found curly Kale, but never Tuscan Kale, the Italian Cavolo Nero. Having said that, I acknowledge that growing seasons may be different in the West, especailly the North West, but if there was Kale there was never Cavolo Nero/Tuscan Kale which grows in the same season. I saw and bought Brussel sprouts in a few places but they were extremely expensive.

Capsicums/ peppers were pretty abundant, especially red ones.

In the larger cities produce was more varied. One of the things that I found quite perculiar is that zucchini were were exceptionally large and old singly. I only once found small zucchini (the size they should be) which was in Albany and I bought all they had. Green grocers seem few and far between and people shopped in supermarkets, but perhaps, on reflection supermarkets don’t necessarily have a wide range  .

The produce in the Fremantle market was certaily fresh and excellent in quality and i stocked up there as much as I could. Occasionally, we’d pass through a place that had a Saturday Market but most of the stalls had a limited range, usually more of the same. On one rare occasion I found a market stall that had broadbeans and English spinach, fresh bunches of basil, coriander and parsley. Heaven! I’m an opportunistic shopper and while I do pine for leafy green vegetables, I know I can always make a meal of whatever I have in the pantry. The occasional tin of  borlotti, canellini or black beans came in very handy as a mixer.

Whenever I saw red, teardrops tomatoes, as I did in the market in Fremantle and Saturday Market in Carnarvon I bought plenty.

I made many salads using what vegetables I had. In one supermarket in Denmark I found a celeriac. I teemed this with beetroot and dressed it with a mustard vinaigrette.

I  bought fennel in Fremantle and on another occasion radicchio in Albany. As well as salad I braised some with leeks and chicken breasts. Pretty good with mashed potatoes.

I bought a 2k tub of bocconcini and a burrata in Margaret River.

That was a real find!

My pantry in the campervan is always well stocked with extra virgin olive oil, vinegars, capers, olives, nuts, anchovies and a farly generous supply of spices including different types of pepper. The only dry herb I use is oregano. I am a big consumer of fresh herbs and I picked fresh rosemary wherever I saw it and kept it fresh in a container in the small fridge in the van. In some places I was able to buy fresh basil. I make harissa – strong and fragrant and take this with me.

For camping trips, I also marinade feta in extra virgin olive oil, bay leaves and black peppercorns and store it in the fridge. Feta is very versatile and when it is marinaded it lasts for a long time. I add this to salads, dress pasta with it and spread it on bread.

I also use wine or one of the vinegars (cider,wine, balsamic, chinese brown) for deglazing.

I bought fish wherever I could and even made fish stock for a risotto with the crayfish shells.

Meat was pentiful and there was some grass fed and organic in the larger places. I even braised a whole chicken. And there was stock.

And with stock, there is risotto.

Pulses are also plentiful in my camp kitchen as are different types of rice and pasta of various shapes. I have quinoa and couscous as well.

So as you can see, not much is impossible to cook when camping and I do enjoy making do with what I have.

Harissa made with fresh Chillies

HARISSA (A hot chilli condiment)

CAMPING and COOKING

GLAM COOKING ON THE ROAD; Camping

EATING WELL, Camping in Tasmania, BBQ chicken-Pollo alla Diavola

 

PEPERONATA(SICILIAN SWEET AND SOUR PEPPERS)

When it comes to making a Peperonata I become a testa dura (a hard head, someone who resists change).

For me, like so many other Sicilian recipes, I never include tomatoes or passata.

My maternal grandmother from Catania used to make it and I always remember her adding some water. You may find this strange, but it does soften the peppers and this water does evaporate.

The other thing I like to include in my Peperonata is vinegar and a little sugar. This also makes it an agro-dolce dish.

Yellow and red peppers are common in a Peperonata, simply because they are sweeter in taste. The multi coloured peppers add visual impact.

On this occasion I just used red peppers becausein South Australia red peppers are still abundant, they were firm and fresh specimens. 

There are variations to making Peperonata, and this will not surprise you one bit.  For example, apart from adding tomatoes, some add black olives or cubed potatoes.

But not me!

In some parts of Sicily, the Peperonata is topped with toasted breadcrumbs (good white bread, coarse crumbs tossed in a frypan with hot extra virgin olive oil). I must admit that the breadcrumbs (as the cubed potatoes) do soak up some of the juices and add a different texture.

But not me… well, not always!

I like to present it as an antipasto with good bread.
I always serve it cold.

Peperonata is relatively easy to make, you just have to make sure that there is sufficient liquid in the pan so that the peppers don’t stick.

Obviously, you can also imagine this dish paired with baked ricotta or burrata. Because of the vinegar and the sugar, and just like a pickle, it pairs well with some small goods – breasaola, lomba, ossocollo…those lean thin slices of meat.

It is delicious as a stuffing for a panino or for a bruschetta…not that I ever make bruschetta, it is far too trendy!

3 white onions, 1 clove of garlic chopped finely

6 peppers of mixed colours, but the red and yellow peppers are sweeter

 ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of white or red wine vinegar

salt and black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoons of sugar, to taste

Slice the onions finely. Core the peppers and cut them into strips.

Heat the oil, soften the onion and then add the peppers and the garlic and sauté the ingredients.
Cover with a lid and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent onions and peppers from sticking to the bottom.

When the peppers start to soften add about 1/4 cup of water. Stir to coat all the peppers well.

Cover with the lid again, add salt and pepper and continue cooking them on slow heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, turn up the heat, add the vinegar and the sugar. Turn up the heat, stir the ingredients to coat them and evaporate some of the liquid.

Add fresh basil leaves or fresh oregano. Place into a container and leave the peperonata for at least 4 hours for the flavours to intensify. I like to leave it overnight in a covered container in the fridge.

Serve at room temperature.

At the time of serving you may wish to remove the spent oregano / basil and replace it with fresh leaves.

PEPERONATA; PIPIRONATA (Sicilian) Braised peppers

PEPPERS WITH BREADCRUMBS- PIPI CA MUDDICA – PEPERONI CON LA MOLLICA

 

SEASONAL WINTER VEGETABLES in Melbourne, Australia

I really like winter vegetables, the variety is immense, the quality outstanding.

Winter vegetables include: artichokes, Asian greens, avocado, beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrot, catalogna, cauliflower, cavolo nero, celeriac, celery, chicory, cime di rapa, cucumber, daikon, endive, fennel, kale, Kohl Rabi, lamb’s lettuce, leek, lettuces, mushrooms, okra, onion, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, radicchio, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, swede, sweet potato, turnip, watercress and witlof.

When I look at the above list of vegetables I know that I have not included recipes on my blog for the following vegetables: daikon, okra, parsnip, shallots, swede and probably turnip. This is not to say that I don’t use these vegetables, but   I tend to write more about Mediterranean vegetables.

My blog is called All Things Sicilian and More and I have written many recipes for winter vegetables. Although the “and More” in the title of my blog is supposed to imply that I cook more than Sicilian food, I tend to write about Italian cooking because this is my background, the cooking of my childhood and the basis of my cooking.

I use Asian greens in my cooking as well, and I particularly enjoy mustard greens, that I have cooked as I cook cime di rapa with pasta. I cook Chinese green leafy vegetables as I cook European leafy greens: stir fried in extra virgin oil and garlic. Sometimes I add anchovies and sometimes chillies.

During this season, I will revisit some recipes that include winter vegetables and the vegetables I have chosen to begin with are two chicories: Cicoria and Catalogna.

Cicoria – Chicory

Catalogna is a variant of cicoria. In Italy is also called Puntarelle or cicoria di catalogna or cicoria asparago: asparago means asparagus and this name is very appropriate as the plant looks like a head of shoots.

Catalogna (Puntarelle) has leaves that look like large leaves of chicory and dandelions, but more pointy and narrower; its leaves and shoots have the same bitter taste. And I love bitter greens.

Like chicory, the young and tender shoots of Catalogna can be eaten raw in salads. It is common to soak the puntarelle shoots in ice water for a while so that they curl. and then to dress them with a vinaigrette with anchovies and garlic. They are delicious.

Dressing with anchovies: 500g- 1 kilo puntarelle, 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1tbs of vinegar, 3-4 anchovies, 1 clove of garlic. Pound the anchovies and garlic, add the oil and vinegar.

I have been writing about cicoria and puntarelle for a very long time.

This post was published on Nov 9, 2009 and it is worth looking at:

CICORIA and Puntarelle (Chicory)

There are other posts with recipes and information about chicory:

CICORETTA CON SALSICCIA (Chicory with fresh pork sausage)

WANT NOT WASTE NOT- Chicken livers and chicory, twice

 BITTER GREENS and AMARI (Aperitivi and Digestivi)

 

 

 

THE MANY VERSIONS OF CAPONATE and grilled food

Cooking and eating is greatly influenced by the seasonal variations in weather and the available seasonal produce.

Abundant in summer are eggplants, tomatoes, zucchini and peppers/capsicum and I enjoy making the most of these vibrant ingredients during this time.  Summer is also a time for grilled food that adds both char and depth of flavor to food.

Celebrating what’s in season enhances the taste of our dishes and allows us to connect more closely with nature’s cycles.

There are recipes in this post for grilled sardines and squid. Also grilled zucchini,  eggplants and peppers and a version of caponata as baked in the oven. A celery caponata makes a perfect and easy accompaniment for grilled food.

I particularly like grilled fish, especially sardines.

And squid tastes fantastic grilled, the charring adds so much flavour and character.  The tentacles are good too and apart from having a more intense flavour they offer a different texture. Squid will not need much cooking, especially if it has been marinading beforehand for an hour or so. Cook the squid quickly – about 5 mins on one side, flip it over and cook the other side for less. The marinade can be as uncomplicated as a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and a few herbs of your choice. To the marinade this time, I also added a splash of white wine.

A simple drizzle of good, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice could be sufficient as a finishing dressing, especially it you are accompanying the squid with some flavourful side dishes.

There are also two accompanying,  Sicilian green, traditional sauces  –  Salmoriglio and Zogghiu to accompany all grilled food.

As for the accompanying dishes, I made two different Sicilian caponate (plural of caponata) and a green salad.

Caponate also make good starters and they taste better if cooked days before, making them an easy option. They are always served at room temperature: take them out of the fridge about 30 mins before serving.

Caponata as cooked in the oven

I cooked one of the caponate in the oven and used eggplants, onions, celery and peppers/capsicums. To make it different,  apart from baking the vegetables, I also added fennel seeds, plenty of basil and garlic as well as the customary green olives, capers, sugar, vinegar and pine nuts.

I definitely prefer the traditional method of sautéing  of each of the vegetables in hot oil because although I roasted the vegetables at high temperatures, they released far too many juices. I drained the liquid and evaporated in a saucepan and then pour it back into the oven tray. In the end it did taste good, but the flavour took far too long to fix.

Cool the caponata. Place the basil and toasted pine nuts on the caponata at the time of serving.

The caponata in the photo below is made with celery.  This caponata is very quick to cook and the addition of sultanas accentuate the sweet taste. The vinegar (present in all caponate) provides the sour taste and this cooked salad tastes very much like a pickle.

This celery caponata has the addition of toasted almonds rather than pine nuts.

The celery and onions are the only two vegetable ingredients and they can be sautéed in the same pan at the same time. Once they are slightly softened, add the drained and plump sultanas that have been soaking in water for an hour or so.  Add a little sugar and once the sugar begins to caramelise, add a splash of vinegar and evaporate.

Friends also enjoy the chocolate version of caponata. Pieces of dark chocolate are added in the final stages of cooking the eggplant version of caponata that is characteristic of Palermo and its region.

The caponata that includes peppers is typical of Catania and its region.

GRILLED CALAMARI (CALAMARI ‘NTA BRACI (Sicilian) – CALAMARI ALLA BRACE (Italian)

SARDINES, grilled or barbecued with Sicilian dressings

SALAMURRIGGHIU – SALMORIGLIO (Dressing made with oil, lemon and oregano)

ZOGGHIU (Sicilian pesto/dressing made with garlic, parsley and mint)

ANTIPASTO – GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLES AND A SCOOP OF SALADS

CAPONATA FROM PALERMO (made with eggplants)

CAPONATA Catanese (from Catania) made easy with photos

CAPONATA DI NATALE (Christmas, winter caponata made with celery, almonds and sultanas)

For more recipes for different versions of Caponata, use the search button.

DELICIOUS ITALIAN SUMMER FAVOURITES – Zuppa Inglese etc

Over summer and the Christmas period I did make a few favourite standout dishes that were requested time and again: Zuppa Inglese and Caponata Catanese seem to have left such a lasting impression on my friends and family that they’ve become favorites for special occasions.

Egg Mayonnaise and Zogghiu (a green sauce made with garlic, mint, and parsley) are incredibly versatile sauces that pair wonderfully with almost anything.

November and December are always my busiest months, and while I spend a lot of time cooking, there’s rarely a moment to take photos or write about it. The Christmas period was no different.

Though I don’t tend to stick to traditional holiday foods, for family and friends some special dishes are memorable.

I had three requests for Zuppa Inglese, one was for this year’s shared Christmas lunch. I topped it with Chantilly cream, preserved cherries soaked in Maraschino, and bits of Torrone with pistachio. Instead of the traditional sherry used in an English trifle, the  Savoiardi biscuits are soaked with Alchermes, the ancient Florentine liqueur. I also spooned the traditional rich egg custard between the layers, te results are a decadent and obviuosly memorable dessert.

Caponata Catanese, a Sicilian dish from Catania, is another favorite. This version features eggplant, red and green peppers, celery, onion, and green olives and I also added capers. Each vegetable is cooked separately in olive oil, then combined after caramelizing some sugar and evaporating white wine vinegar. Finally, tomatoes are added and simmered until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency. The result makes a memorable antipasto that’s best served cold or can be placed as one of the choices if having salads with grilled food.

The essential ingredients of my Caponata Catanese, a Sicilian caponata from Catania, are eggplant, red and green peppers, celery and onion with green olives (I also added capers). Each of the vegetables in the caponata are separately cooked in olive oil and not mixed together until some sugar is caramelised before adding white wine vinegar that is evaporated and finally some tomatoes that are cooked till reduced to a cream.

I scattered this one with fresh leaves of basil, pine nuts and breadcrumbs toasted in some extra virgin olive oil. The breadcrumbs added the crunch.

Two other staples I often prepare are homemade Egg Mayonnaise and Zogghiu The green sauce is especially good with grilled meats, and it was fantastic with both crayfish and grilled squid this season. Egg mayonnaise is particularly good with asparagus.

I also enjoy a hearty meat broth, and one dish I hadn’t made in a long time was Stracciatella. This simple yet delicious Roman soup is quick to prepare and incredibly satisfying. The name “Stracciatella” refers to the delicate, shredded pieces of egg that form as you stir them into the hot broth. To make it, simply bring meat broth to a boil, then whisk in beaten eggs, fresh parsley, nutmeg, and Parmigiano, cooking over low heat until it thickens to your desired consistency.

Although the Christmas season has passed, all the recipes I’ve shared here are perfect for the summer months. I hope you enjoyed your holiday season, and I look forward to sharing more delicious recipes with you in the future.

Recipe for Zuppa Inglese:

ZUPPA INGLESE, a famous, Italian dessert

LONG LIVE ZUPPA INGLESE and its sisters

ALCHERMES/ALKERMES (The liqueur used to make Zuppa Inglese)

Recipes for Caponata:

CAPONATA Catanese (from Catania) made easy with photos

A MOUNTAIN OF CAPONATA  two days before Christmas

CAPONATA SICILIANA (CATANESE  Caponata as made in Catania)

Recipes for sauces – Egg Mayonnaise and Zogghiu :

ZOGGHIU (Sicilian pesto/dressing made with garlic, parsley and mint)

GRILLED CALAMARI (CALAMARI ‘NTA BRACI (Sicilian) – CALAMARI ALLA BRACE (Italian)

PESCE IN BIANCO (Plain fish). MAIONESE (Mayonnaise)

Although the Christmas period is over, all of the recipes I have provided are summer recipes.

SENAPE, a new type of mustard green vegetable

The Italian word senape, is mustard in English, therefore it is very appropriate that this green, leafy vegetable is called Senape.

A few weeks ago I bought one bunch from Il Fruttivendelo, Gus and Carmel’s stall in A shed at the Queen Victoria Market. Unfortunately, they have not been able to source any since.

I did some research and apparently – sinapis arvensis – grows wild and around Ragusa in Sicily where my father’s relatives live. More research tells me that these leafy, mustard greens are also common around Etna and the Madonie Mountains.

I  remembered that I encountered Senape (also called Sanapu and Sinàpi) in the Market in Syracuse in 2007 and now realise that I also have a photograph of this wild green in my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

The bunch I purchased at the Queen Victoria Market is obviously the cultivated variety of Senape and it tastes very much like one other mustard tasting, leafy green of the Brassica tribe, Cime di rapa (broccoli raab, also known as rapini),

Recently, I was away camping for a couple of weeks and i do enjoy forging. apart from wild lettuce I picked two varieties of wild Brassicas. One variety, I am quite familiar with and I have written about this one many times; it looks and tastes like canola plants, the wild version. I notice that several Australian references call them ‘Wild Cabbage’. Sicilians may call them amareddi or cavuliceddi, rapudda, rapuzza, sanapuddhi and many more local terms.

The photo below demonstrates how in this plant’s advanced stage this variety looks so much like broccolini.

The other variety of wild green I foraged had an intense, fiery mustard taste with a hint of bitterness (photos below).

They tasted fabulous and after some research I think that in Australia these are referred to as ‘Mustard Greens’ and they could be related to the cultivated Indian mustard plant.

Both types have tiny, yellow flowers and unopened buds, similar to the distinctive flowers in broccoli heads,  the same as the Cime di rapa, or the bunch of Senape that I hope to be able to purchase again.

In the wild I foraged and collected the tips – the soft leaves and flowers of both of these wild plants.

In some places  there were plenty around and I made the most of them.

I cooked one harvest with Italian pork sausages and pasta, other yields with cannellini beans and plenty of shaved pecorino and another pasta dish with anchovies and feta.

It is a common practice to cook Cime di rapa or wild greens from the Brassica family by boiling them in plenty of salted water and once cooked they are drained before sautéing in the oil, garlic and chilli. I always omit the pre-cooking  phase and sauté the greens directly with the flavourings.

One disadvantage perhaps of not boiling the greens first is that I cannot use the drained water from the greens to cook the pasta, this being popular with Sicilian cooks. The pasta takes on a green hue and some of the flavour of the vegetables, but I prefer sautéed greens that still have some bite in them.

I cooked the bunch of the  Senape (about 500 gr) I bought from the QVM with ossocollo (smallgoods/cured pork neck), 3 cloves of chopped garlic, about 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil, salt and chilli flakes (or use fresh chilli). Speck or pancetta is also a good substitute for ossocollo, I chose this because I had some in my fridge.

Unlike the preferred quantity of 100g of pasta for each person, I think that 300g of pasta is sufficient for 4 people, however you may disagree.

Clean the green vegetables.

Fry the garlic and chilli, add the ossocollo and leave to  lightly brown in a pan.

Add the Senape and sauté it. I added some salt, a splash of white wine, put the lid on and cooked it till I was satisfied with the degree of done-ness.

Dress the drained pasta. I always like to drizzle some fresh extra virgin olive oil on the finished dish to add fragrance and accentuate the taste.

No grated Parmesan on pasta in Sicily, leave that to the northern Italians!

Parmesan can only be called Parmesan if produced in the neighbouring historical regions of Parma and Reggio (in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna). It is given the DOP label by the European Union (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta/Protected Designation of Origin). The DOP label guarantees that the product is “authentic,” or made in the original town or region with proper ingredients and process.

Use Pecorino, a strong-tasting alternative for a strong tasting dish. Pecorino is made from sheep’s milk and  Pecorino cheeses that have DOP protection are the Pecorino from Sardinia, Lazio and the Tuscan Province of Grosseto and Pecorino Toscano from Tuscany, and from Sicily.

Other Posts about wild greens:

EDIBLE WEEDS: Orecchiette e Broccoletti Selvatici (and cime di rape)

SICILIAN EDIBLE WEEDS and Greek VLITA

CIME DI RAPE (or Rapa) with pasta, anchovies and lemon peel

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE VEGETABLES ; Cime di Rape