LA CASA E IL GIARDINO

Scrippelle Abruzzesi - RECIPE

2012-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

At our home, it's not Christmas without the traditional Scrippelle Abruzzesi.

At the request of my blog readers, here is the recipe for Scrippelle.

Scrippelle sugared and ready to eat
All photos - Copyright - ©2012 - La Casa e Il Giardino

Good scrippelle must be light and airy inside (not doughy). In order to have light and airy scrippelle, the dough must be worked well.

In my childhood, homemakers worked the dough by hand inside a rectangular wooden vat (la misolle). What a job! Today, thanks to a good mixer and dough hook, the job is much easier.

Ingredients

1 kilo (approx. 2 lbs. and 4 oz.) of flour

20 grams (8 oz.) of fresh yeast (I buy it from the bakery - or pizzeria)

2 eggs

2 potatoes, boiled and riced

32 oz. tepid or lukewarm water (approx.)

3 quarts vegetable oil

Boil the potatoes and rice them. Melt the yeast well into the tepid or lukewarm water. Place flour in a very large bowl. Mix in the eggs and potatoes. Add water a little at a time. Consistency of dough should be soft and elastic but not watery. The dough should be well worked. Place a batch of dough in the mixer bowl and work it well with a dough hook (10 minutes). Remove the worked dough and place into a very large pot. Add another batch and so on until all the dough is finished. Place the worked dough in a warm spot, cover it and let it rise.

Dough doubled in size

The dough should double in size within an hour or so. In the meantime, place the vegetable oil in a deep roaster over a burner. Heat oil until it gets very hot over medium heat.

Stretch and hold

With your fingers take a little dough, the size of an egg, and stretch it over the hot oil very slowly. (It's an art - it takes practice). If you have trouble doing the long scrippelle, you can take a short cut. Grab spoonfuls of dough and drop them into the hot oil. Fry until golden.

Place fried dough on absorbent paper and add granulated sugar.

Fresh Pasta with Chickpeas and Arugula - Pasta Fresca con Ceci e Rucola

2012-01-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

Keeping with the chickpeas theme, here is an ideal recipe to eat light without sacrificing the palate. In fact, the home-made pasta with chickpeas and arugula constitutes a complete dish that can substitute meat or eggs, without making cholesterol, with a long satiating effect.

Sagne with Chickpeas and Arugula

Ingredients

1 lb. home-made pasta (alternate 1/2 lb. DeCecco - Sagnette Abruzzesi)

2 cups cooked chickpeas (2 - 15 oz. cans chickpeas, with liquid)

1/2 cup celery, diced

Fresh sagne (Sagne fatti in casa)

1 carrot. diced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, flattened with knife blade

1 small bunch of arugula, trimmed

2 leaves of radicchio, shredded

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

In a pot add the celery, carrot and chickpeas. Cover with water and cook for 1 1/2 hrs.

Skip this step, if using canned chickpeas.

Cooked chickpeas (ceci)

Cook the pasta and add to chickpeas. Add salt and pepper.

Put the olive oil and the onion and garlic in a heavy pan over medium heat. Saute' the onion and garlic until onion and garlic become soft. Add the arugula and radicchio and cook until wilted, 5 minutes. Add cooked vegetables to the chickpea soup and mix well. Add freshly grated Parmigiano and serve.

You may also like:

Ceci all Pignata

Escarole and Beans

Baked Beans and Swiss Chard

Roasted Chickpeas - A Nutritious Snack for Children and Adults

2012-01-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Chickpeas - Ceci - Garbanzos

As a child in Italy, the long winter evenings were spent around a large fireplace (only method of keeping warm) with family and friends. In front of the crackling logs we would munch on dried fruit, roasted chestnuts and chickpeas.

There were two methods of roasting chickpeas:

-- one utilizing sand and salt in a very large pot where the chickpeas would roast

until turning white;

--the other utilizing a large pan with a little olive oil.

Today, it's still our family snack choice. We prefer the pan method as the chickpeas are crunchy but not hard, therefore kinder to the teeth.

Ingredients

1 lb. dry chickpeas (alternate 2 cans of cooked beans).*

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Place the washed chickpeas in a large pot. Add water (3 times the amount of the chickpeas), and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. The chickpeas should not be not be fully cooked. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

*If canned chickpeas are used - Drain and rinse chickpeas under running water. Pat dry with a kitchen towel and proceed as follows.

Place oil in a large cast iron skillet over the cooktop. Spread chickpeas out. Add salt and pepper and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are brown and crunchy.

Roasted chickpeas - Ceci arrostiti

According to the NY Times "US Children:Generation Snack", children are snacking on cookies, chips and other treats.

This snack satisfies children and adults snack cravings without the guilt. Enjoy!

Baked Beans with Swiss Chard - Fagioli e Bietola al Forno

2012-01-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

Beans and Swiss chard just married...and what a perfect union. The dark-green Swiss chard loaded with vitamins and minerals united with healthy beans creates a nutrition powerhouse. The small amount of ham gives this casserole rich flavor without adding much fat.

Baked beans with Swiss chard

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 bunch of Swiss chard, upper portion of stems removed and leaves chopped

1 cup lean ham (optional)

1 can chopped tomatoes

3 cups of cooked beans. I prefer Great Northern beans.

Use 3 small cans of your favorite beans.

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Cooking beans

Preheat the oven at 375*. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, salt and pepper. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally.

Add the chard, ham and 1/4 cup of water and cook until chard is wilted. Add the tomatoes and their juice and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cooked beans and their water, parsley and thyme and simmer for few more minutes.

Adjust salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables into a large baking dish. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Then uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

This casserole is delicious and satisfying even without the meat.

NEW YEAR'S EVE MENU

2011-12-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post my menu for New Year’s Eve!

I want it to be traditional but yet stylish and refined.

I like to start with an appetizer:

Smoked Salmon Salad
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

6 cups baby greens

8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

1 tablespoon capers (optional)

Procedure

Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl to blend well. Season with salt and pepper.

Place greens in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Place greens over a large plate. Fold smoked salmon slices and arrange over greens . Drizzle more dressing over salmon. Sprinkle salmon with capers. Garnish salad with red onion.

Lentil Soup

Pancetta or Cotechino may be substituted for the ham.

Stuffed breast of Veal - Punta di Vitello farcita

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. Veal belly or breast
4 eggs
1/2 cup grana padano cheese or alternate
2 cups cooked spinach
1/3 lb. speck or prosciutto
Sprig of rosemary
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Procedure

With the eggs, cheese and some of the black pepper make an omelet and save.

Flatten the veal belly with meat pounder, cover with speck or prosciutto, add the omelet and finish with the chopped spinach. Roll and tie with butcher's string.

Place the veal roll into a roasting pan. Add salt and pepper, sprig of rosemary, wine and the rest of the olive oil. Bake in a 325 degree preheated oven for 2 hours.

I believe I came up with a menu which is both tasteful and easy to make. What do you think?

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

SCRIPPELLE ABRUZZESI

2011-12-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Scrippelle Casalesi
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE

BUONE FESTE A TUTTI

TIMBALLO DI MACCHERONI E MELANZANE

2011-12-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

Among the many dishes on the table at Christmas time, I add this inviting TIMBALLO made with pasta and eggplant.

Timballo
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Curiosity: The dish gets its name from an ancient percussion instrument, the drum, which was inspired by a cylindrical container where the dish originally was cooked.

Varieties of timballo differ from region to region. Sometimes it’s known as a bomba, tortino sartu (a Neapolitan version) or pasticcio. Simply, it's an Italian molded dish, typically with pasta or rice with filling of meat or vegetables. Although there are many versions of timballo, I like the timballo with pasta and melanzane ( eggplant).

The dish is prepared in a dome. I use a springform pan.

Ingredients
1/2 lb. pasta (I use Ziti Rigati)
2 small eggplants
2 cups of tomato purée,
1 shallot
1 cup grated provolone
4 oz. butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Sprig of parsley (minced)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Wash and mince parsley leaves. Wash the eggplants and cut into small chunks. Place the eggplant pieces in a colander and under press to eliminate water. Add some salt and leave under press for 30 minutes. Remove the eggplant pieces, rinse, dry and fry in olive oil. Remove and place on paper towels.

Mince the shallot and saute' in a thread of olive oil. Add the tomato purée, eggplant and parsley. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the maccheroni in salted water. Drain and mix with tomato sauce. Butter the springform pan or mold. Cover with breadcrumbs. Distribute half of the pasta into the pan or mold. Add grated provolone. Add other half of the pasta and remaining provolone.

Bake the timballo for 30 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Remove and let it rest for 5.

If a mold is used, run a knife around the edge of timballo to loosen, then invert a platter over mold and invert timballo onto platter. Remove mold and it's ready to serve.

If a springform pan is used, run a knife around the edge of timballo to loosen and remove the springform pan.

CARDONE - Another Christmas Tradition

2011-12-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

In a previous post, I wrote how cardone is part of our Christmas feast. The first course on Christmas Day was, and still is, a traditional chicken soup (brodo di gallina) with little meatballs, cardoons (cardone) and egg dumplings. My relatives in Australia tell me that their parents insisted on having brodo on Christmas day even though it was 90 degrees in the shade. Be! Tradizione e' tradizione. (Well! Tradition is tradition.)

Cardone is cousin to the artichoke and considered a delicacy by the Italians. It's so unique and flavorful that it makes a great side dish any day of the week.
A cardone side dish I love is:

Cardone Cace e Ove (Cardoons with cheese and eggs)

Cardone Cace e Ove
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Ingredients
2 lb. of cardone
1 cup of diced tomatoes (or canned)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Black pepper
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup of grated pecorino cheese

Procedure:
Rinse the stalks well. Trim the ends and remove strings from the big stalks, just as you would with celery. Discard any discolored, outer stalks. Remove any of the small leaves that run up the center of the stalks. Slice crosswise into 1- to 2-inch lengths.

Because cardone can have a slightly bitter aftertaste, it is recommended you soak it in salted water and the juice of one lemon for an hour or so before cooking.

After trimmed and soaked, boil cardone for 30 minutes or until tender.

In a pan, add the olive oil and garlic. Cook garlic briefly, and add the tomatoes. Simmer gently for 15 minutes and add boiled cardone. Continue to simmer gently for 2o to 30 minutes.

Beat the eggs and cheese. Add the egg mixture to the cardone. Do not mix. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes until the cheese mixture resembles dumplings. Uncover, break the egg mixture gently with a fork.

Let it rest for a few minutes and serve.

Saint Nicholas and Fava Beans - San Nicola e Fave Secche

2011-12-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

The feast of St. Nicholas, patron of shepherds, is an event linked to the ancient cult of St. Nicholas, patron saint of Italy. According to tradition, the saint would have saved the people of Pollutri (a village next to my birthplace), during a terrible famine, by being able to feed everyone just with a handful of fava beans.

Since then, every year in memory of the event on the evening of December 5, on the main square are placed nine cauldrons in which fava beans are boiled and then distributed along with the bread and wine to all present. On the morning of December 6, a solemn procession with the statue of the saint takes place.

Fave cooking in caldrons - (Photo: Raffaella Valori)

Keeping with tradition, last night I cooked fava beans (fave secche).

Fave secche
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 lb. fava beans
- 1 potato
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 tomato chopped or 1/2 canned
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

The day before soak the fava beans. The next day, rinse the fava beans under running water. Place the beans in a pot together with the chunks of potatoes, chopped celery, chopped garlic, tomato and salt. Cook for 45 minutes over low heat. As soon as foam appears, remove it with a wooden spoon. Add additional hot water as liquid evaporates. Stir occasionally and cook slowly until the beans transform into a puree. At this point, close the flame, add the oil and adjust the salt and pepper.

Serve with rustic bread.

You Tube: http://youtu.be/PiZDQfIVHnY

CHRISTMAS EVE MUST-HAVES - Capitone and Baccala'

2011-12-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

At our home, besides other traditional dishes, it’s not Christmas Eve without capitone (eel) and baccalà. Capitone is for the diehards and fried baccalà for the younger generation. They refer to the capitone as “gross” and “slimy”. Did you know that capitone is a female eel so named because its head is bigger than the male ? The name derives from the Latin “capitonem” which means “with a big head”.

Cut Capitone

Capitone in Salsa di Pomodoro

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. capitone (eel)

3 garlic cloves

1 peperoncino or hot pepper

1 cup of tomato salsa

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Tradition

On December 23, I go to my Italian fish monger and, as tradition wants, I bring the eel home alive. I place it in a large plastic container where it awaits its fatal hour. In my basement kitchen, I grasp the eel by placing one hand on its neck and the other on the tail as my husband performs the decapitation by one blow on the neck with a cleaver. I immediately throw away the head and proceed gutting and quickly scrubbing it. At this point, one may choose to remove the skin. I leave the skin on and cut it into pieces.

Capitone in Salsa di Pomodoro
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

As described above, clean, dry and cut the eel into pieces . In a casserole, add oil, tomato salsa, minced garlic and paprika. Bring to a boil and then add the eel and 1 cup of water. Let it evaporate and add the peperoncino, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Let it rest before serving.

Capitone Arrosto

Capitone arrosto

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. eel

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

4 or 5 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 lemons, zest only

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Rub the capitone pieces with the olive oil and minced garlic and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add the bay leaves and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes until done, turning once during the cooking process.

It is very fat and will roast in its own fat

Baccala' Arrosto

Baccala' arrosto

I just love the smell of dry peperoncini burning over the flame of a burner.

Fennel Salad - Insalata di Finocchi

2011-11-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

In a previous post I wrote about fennel (finocchio) being a powerhouse of nutrition and the many ways I use it. Today, I like to share this inviting and rich salad made of fennel, potatoes and beans. Insalata di Finocchio will make a great sidedish for the Thanksgiving table.

Insalata di Finocchi

Ingredients

3 fennel bulbs
2 potatoes
1 cup cooked beans
Sprig of parsley
Few drops of Tabasco
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean the fennel and cut into wedges. Cook in boiling water until tender and drain. Peel potatoes, slice and cook them in boiling, salted water for a few minutes. Drain and add to the fennel. Add the beans, chopped parsley, olive oil and a drop or two of Tabasco. Salt and pepper to taste.

Ladies -

Fennel contains flavonoids that balance hormone levels in females and help alleviate the symptoms of menopause by reducing the intensity and the frequency of hot flashes and sweats.

Artichokes and Fava Beans - Carciofi e Fave

2011-11-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

Carciofi e fave is an ancient dish, spread a little in all parts of Italy, but my recipe is a typical dish of Abruzzo, which was prepared in late spring, when all the vegetables used were fresh and available.

If the fresh fava beans are not available or too costly, I substitute frozen ones.

All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Ingredients
1 lemon
6 baby artichokes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red liquid gold or red pepper flakes in oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 pounds fresh young fava beans, shelled or frozen
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper

Directions

Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into a bowl of water. Trim the artichokes to the hearts. Remove the choke, cut the artichokes into 1/4-inch thick slices, then toss the slices into the lemony water.

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and add the onion and garlic. Sweat the vegetables in the oil until they are soft and just golden brown. Add the fava beans and stir to mix well. Drain the artichoke slices then add to the pan with the favas.* Add the liquid gold or red peppers flakes in oil and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and simmer gently. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Carciofi e Fave

* When using frozen fava beans, I cook them separately by boiling them in water until tender. Drain and add to the cooked artichokes. Mix well and cook for few more minutes.

You may also like Dandelions and Fava Beans - Cicoria e Fave

Fennel or Finocchio - It’s perfect for the autumn table.

2011-11-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

Fennel is a perennial plant (often cultivated as an annual) that grows wild throughout the Mediterranean and California. The sweet bulb fennel we find in the produce section at the grocer is known as Florence fennel or finocchio in Italian. It's is a powerhouse food: every part is edible, from the common bulb to the stalk, foliage, seeds, and even pollen, which is harvested from the plant's yellow blossoms.

If you never tasted or cooked with fennel, now is the time to fall in love with it.

Fennel's subtle, anise flavor works just fine on its own, but does wonders when combined with other foods. The stalks tend to be fibrous, like celery. I add them to stocks, roasts and braises.

Chicken soup with fennel (brodo di gallina)

A simple salad of oranges, red onion and lemon vinaigrette has more zing with the addition of crunchy, raw fennel.

Blood orange and fennel salad
Insalata di arance sanguine e finocchio

A mixed seafood salad has more flavor when chopped fennel fronds are included in the ingredients.

Seafood salad - Insalata di pesce

My sausages contain fennel seeds. The slightly sweet anise flavor of the seeds complements the hot spices in the sausages.

Home-made sausages

What would my porchetta taste like without the aroma of wild fennel powder?

My suggestion, if you passed fennel by in the produce section, take a second look.

Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

Insalata di Finocchio e Fagioli

Dinner at home with friends - Pranzo a casa con amici

2011-10-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

To me, a good meal at home with friends is what celebrating food is all about. Does it involve work? Certainly.

But look at my reasons:

Everyone can bring a bottle and share, no inflated restaurant wine costs or corkage fees.
No restaurant rule about dressing totally casually and slipping off your shoes.
We can debate in a loud manner rather than whisper 'till the wee hours.

Flowers from the garden adorned the table

We feasted on:

Menu Planning

I always try to work some seasonal produce into my dinner menu - perhaps a fresh asparagus first course, or beautiful, sweet summer fruits in the dessert. I try to use fresh, natural produce wherever possible. You just can't compare the flavor of freshly roasted peppers or other fresh vegetables with those frozen or canned from the supermarket shelf.
When planning a special dinner, not only I try to maintain a nutritional balance but I also incorporate color, texture and flavor.

Vegetarian appetizer or antipasto
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Antipasto

Cold

A platter of roasted peppers, garden tomatoes, blanched cauliflower, grilled yellow squash and braised asparagus simply drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Hot

Fried Calamari

Calamari fritti

Ricotta Manicotti

Cannelloni di ricotta

Stuffed Chickens

Sausage Stuffed Chickens - Polli ripieni

Oven Roasted Potatoes - Patate arrostite

Dessert - Fresh fruit

Frutta

After dessert, I kicked off my shoes and relaxed with friends.

felicita

http://youtu.be/Q0wZQbK938Y

Saving Seeds

2011-10-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Every year, at the end of each harvest, we save some of our own seeds. It’s not only a great sustainable gardening technique but it also saves money. Our reason though is to have the seeds in time for indoor planting and outdoor sewing come next season.

What seeds we save?

Corona Beans

Allow pods to dry brown before harvesting, about six weeks after eating stage. If frost threatens, pull entire plant, root first, and hang in cool, dry location until pods are brown. The pods can be opened by hand.

Peppers

We use the dry method to process pepper seeds. Cut the bottom off the fruit and carefully reach in to strip the seeds surrounding central cone. Seeds need no further cleaning. Allow to the seeds to dry and save.

Tomatoes

From our garden, we choose tomatoes from the very healthiest plants.

Slice the tomato in half across the middle. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and their gelatin-like substance and place into a kitchen sieve and rinse them. Place the rinsed seeds on wax paper or paper towel. Spread them in a single layer allowing the seeds to dry for at a least a week stirring them occasionally.

All seeds should be labeled. While many like to store seeds in plastic bags, we prefer small, air-tight, glass jars.

What seeds are you saving?

Cream of Squash Soup with Spinach - Crema di Zucca con Spinaci

2011-10-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

At our local, open-air, farmer’s market I found spinach and yellow squash. I could have made spinach and brown rice or pasta with squash.

But what can be more enticing than the fragrance of bubbling warm soup?

It’s time for a bowl of Cream of Squash Soup.

Crema di Zucca con Spinaci
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. yellow squash

1 lb. fresh spinach

3 fresh ripe tomatoes

1 cup celery

1 carrot

1 onion

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and trim all vegetables. Cut into pieces the squash, the onion, the carrot, the celery and tomatoes. Place all vegetables in a low but large pot together with olive oil, two cups of water and salt and pepper. Cook for 25 minutes. Puree in food processor or food mill and keep warm. Briefly wilt spinach in salted, boiling water. Garnish cream of squash soup with wilted spinach.

Meatloaf is NOT Sexy

2011-09-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

It does not photograph well. Who said? I for one, think meatloaf is VERY sexy.

Meatloaf with dandelions
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Ingredients

1/2 lb. pork *

1 lb. beef*

2 cups day old bread crumbled

2 chopped tomatoes

1 red medium onion, chopped

1 yellow medium onion, chopped

2 red chilies

2 green peppers

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

* 2 lb. chopped turkey may be substituted

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, add the olive oil and cook the onions and peppers until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, chopped tomatoes, parsley, egg, and onion and pepper mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan.

Uncooked

Bake for 1 hour in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees until the meatloaf is cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Meatloaf cooked - nicely browned and very moist

Once out of the oven let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes. This should make it easier to slice. When slicing cut a generous slice.

Swordfish Rolls Stuffed with Zucchini - Involtini di Pesce Spada con Zucchine

2011-09-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, I like to propose tasty, light dishes without sacrificing the flavors and aromas of good food. In March, I posted Barley and Vegetable Soup. Today, I am suggesting another ideal recipe in order to eat light without sacrificing the palate.

Ingredients for 2 people

6 filets of swordfish (other firm fish filet may be substituted)

2 small zucchini

2 fresh tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

Sprig of mint

2 tablespoons of wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the skin from the tomatoes and chop.

Wash and cut the zucchini into sticks. Saute' them in a pan with ½ of the oil and one clove of chopped garlic. Add the vinegar, chopped mint and salt.

Place the cooked zucchini at the center of each fish filet and create a roll.

In a pan add, the rest of the chopped garlic and sauté the fish rolls for few minutes. In the same pan, add the chopped tomatoes and warm up for a few minutes. Serve by placing the fish rolls around the tomatoes.

Why I like Marigolds

2011-09-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Marigolds get no respect.

Many people I know do not like marigolds because of their colors—gold, yellow, and orange which many people think are autumn colors. Some people don’t care for the scent. Others say that marigolds seem out of place in summer. I think otherwise.

Petunias, impatiens, roses and hydrangeas are not the only flowers to decorate our yards in the summer.

I love marigolds. The colors are spectacular and when mixed with purple petunias or foliage and red geraniums, they make for a great show of color.

I also find marigolds to bloom reliably, are very low maintenance and some of us like that smell.

In the fall I pick the dried flower heads and save to plant the next spring.

I think marigolds are beautiful flowers. I like them. How about you?

Preserving Garden Herbs - Conservare le Erbe del Giardino

2011-09-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

What makes those summer dishes flavorful are the fresh garden herbs. To relish those flavors all year long, I preserve my garden herbs.

We cultivate these culinary herbs: sage, rosemary and mint. In mid summer, I pick them at their peak and hang to air dry in a warm dry place until they are crunchy to the touch. I then place each dried herb in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

How can my leg of lamb or pheasant dish be flavorful without the rosemary?

How can the string beans, pasta maritata and zucchini fritters taste spring-like without mint?

Basil

Basilico sott'olio

Basil can be preserved two ways - dry and in oil. I prefer the oil method.

Remove the basil leaves from the stalks, wash them, dry them with a cloth and leave for a few minutes stretched out to dry. To keep the basil in oil take a glass jar with a wide opening and fill it completely with dry basil leaves, spreading and overlapping them well. Add olive oil, pressing the leaves so that they remain under the thread of the oil. Close the jar and keep in the refrigerator. Basil kept in oil retains much of its fragrance. Use basil to make savory sauces and on baked fish.

Celery Leaves

Celery is not just for salads but great to spice up foods. Celery leaves from our garden are worthwhile leaves with intense flavor that fall somewhere in the scent category between cilantro and parsley.

Like basil, wash the celery leaves, dry them with a towel and leave for a few minutes stretched out to dry.

Place the dry celery in a zip-lock bag and freeze.

Celery is excellent with zucchini and potatoes, baccala', chicken soup and a must in bird stuffing.

Buon Appetito!

The Art of Womanhood

2011-09-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Even in this digital age, I believe that having some hand skills is very relevant.

http://elisascustomcreations.blogspot.com/2011/03/gift-bags-for-any-occasion.html

When I see many women not knowing how to sew a button, cook a meal with fresh ingredients or bake a cake from scratch, it worries me. Many women I know shop as some form of therapy, for gratification and for simply having something to do. Having hand skills beats loneliness and the feeling of uselessness especially in retirement. Thanks to the skills I learned from my mother, today not only do I know how to stay hyper-connected, but I know how to cook, sew, butcher, garden and anything in between. Creating something, whether it’s making pottery, knitting, sewing or cooking, gives anyone a sense of pride.

“Work with your brain... you're a thinker. Work with your hands, you're a craftsman. Work with your brain and your hands together and you can become an artisan."

Kitchen towels in eco-friendly packaging

Hand-stitched giftcard packaging

Seafood Extravaganza - Estravaganza di Pesce

2011-09-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day weekend we had a seafood feast and we sent summer out with a bang.

No, it was not a clambake. We did not have the pleasure of eating on the beach within the sound of ocean waves, but simply a feast in our own backyard shared with friends and family.

Anchovies alla Ligure

1 1/2 lb. fresh anchovies
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 can of pitted black olives

Clean and fillet anchovies. Chop onion. In a baking pan, lightly oiled, put the onion. Add the anchovies in a single layer. Cover them with tomato and olives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Leave to rest and serve lukewarm.

<><><>

Acciughe alla Ligure

Stuffed Mussels alla Pugliese

2 lb. mussels, rinsed and debearded

1 cup of tomato pulp

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

basil and parsley minced

salt and black pepper to taste

Cozze Farcite alla Pugliese

In a pot, add the mussels with a little water, cover and cook for 10 minutes on high heat. Eliminate the shells without the mussels. Puree' the tomato pulp with the oil, cheese, breadcrumbs. Add the basil and parsley. Add black pepper and minimal salt. Distribute the mixture over each of the mussel. Place the stuffed mussels in a baking pan with a few tablespoons of water at the bottom and bake them in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Clams with Garlic and Lemon

24 littleneck clams, scrubbed

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Juice of one lemon

Clams with lemon - Vongole con limone

Place the scrubbed clams in a pot, add the chopped garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over moderate heat. Eliminate the clams that did not open. Remove the clams and filter the juice. Place clams back in the pot and add chopped parsley. Place pot over flame for a few more minutes and serve.

Dandelions and Fava Beans - Cicoria e Fave

2011-08-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Wild dandelions

As Italian children, who among us has not been in the meadows with their parents or grandparents to collect wild dandelions (cicoria)?

Those days are gone and so are the meadows due to roads and housing.

Today, we grow chicory (Catalogna variety)
in our vegetable garden.

Not only they are visually beautiful, but their bitterness goes well with strong summer flavors.

The Catalogna variety is known as Italian dandelion. It is dark green and it has toothed leaves. It’s a “cutting” chicory in one of its most wildish forms. The inner tender leaves I use in salads and the outer leaves I cook with fava beans or other mixed greens like Swisschard.

Mixed salad

Ingredients for 4 people

Dandelions – 2 lbs. (available in most supermarkets and farmers' markets)

Fava beans – 2 lbs.
Chili – one dried one, chopped
Garlic – 2 cloves
Olive oil – 1/3 cup
Salt and pepper to taste

Cicoria e Fave

Wash the dandelions well, cut them up roughly and put them to boil in plenty of salted water. Boil for 15 minutes or until the thicker bits are soft. Drain. In another pan of water, cook fava beans until tender. Drain. In a pan, heat the oil on a low flame and add the garlic roughly cut into quarters, the chili pepper, salt and pepper to taste. After a few minutes add the dandelions and cook slowly for another 10 minutes. Add the cooked fava beans into the dandelion mixture and mix well.

Italian Flat Green Beans with Garden Fresh Tomatoes

2011-08-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Every year in our vegetable garden, we grow two varieties of beans – String beans and Italian flat beans. Italian flat beans are also known as Italian Pole or Romano beans. They are broad, flat podded, green snap beans with 5 to 6 inch pods.

Italian flat beans can be eaten in two forms. The first green ones are eaten whole, pod and all. They are crispy and crunchy, with a mild beany flavor. Italian flat green beans can also be found in farmers' markets.

Dried beans

We also allow them to mature on the vine so that we have dried beans. They have more nutritional value but require a long cooking time to soften . They are great for soups and casseroles.

We plant the flat beans seeds directly

into moist soil in mid-spring and they

mature in the summer.

Beans on vines

Seeded flat beans

We provide support for the bean vines

to climb and grow.

Italian Flat Green Beans with Garden Fresh Tomatoes

Ingredients

2 lb. Italian flat beans
3 fresh tomatoes chopped
Sprig of basil and parsley
2 cloves of garlic whole
1/4 cup olive oil
2 hot peppers (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Add oil in a pan and saute' garlic until golden. Add the chopped tomatoes, basil and parsley. salt and pepper and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, in a pot of salted water, cook the flat beans until tender. Do not overcook. Drain beans, mix with sauce and serve.

A Bountiful Harvest from Our Vegetable Garden

2011-08-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

We are celebrating this year’s bountiful vegetable crop thanks to a glorious early summer here in the North East.

Pears - Pere

Yes, it required some work – seeding, planting, mulching, fertilizing, watering and weeding.

Swisschard

Cabbage

Some plants required special attention -

Pole beans

Tomatoes on the vine

....keeping an eye on the pests

such as staking up the tomato and bean vines

Eggplants

........but look at the harvest

Cucumbers

Dandelions

Jersey tomatoes

Italian flat beans

In my opinion, eating vegetables that you have grown yourself is an experience everyone should enjoy. They taste so much better than anything you can buy in a grocery store.