From my Italian Kitchen: A Spring Pasta

April 01, 2019 by Joanne Bartram

Last spring I was introduced to agretti - an italian veggie with a very short season. Agretti, with its slender chive-shaped leaves, is considered a delicacy and its appearance in the market is always greeted with excitement.

Agretti, roots and all, comes wrapped in paper - clean and trim before using.

I began to cook with it last spring (see link at the end of this post to read last spring’s post). Experimenting was fun, but before I knew it the agretti season was over.

Since I’ve now waited a whole year for agretti season to roll around again, I was quite excited when I found the first agretti of the spring at my local ortofrutta (small fruit and vegetable market) recently.

I first cooked it as a side dish, a simple sauté in olive oil and garlic finished with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. This is a classic preparation, no recipe needed.

Next, I decided to try agretti in a pasta dish. I proceeded without a recipe, combining flavors that are classically paired with agretti - lemon juice and olive oil - along with ingredients I had on hand, including pancetta, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and penne pasta. The dish tasted bright and lemony, just like spring. I will definitely make this dish again and, if you come across agretti in your local farmer’s market, I hope you will be inspired to try it as well.

Penne with Pancetta, Agretti, and Lemon (Serves three as a main dish, four as a “primi piatti”)

250 grams penne pasta (amount 8 ounces)

2 Tablespoons good olive oil, divided

200 grams cubed pancetta dolce (about 6 ounces)

90 grams agretti (about 3 ounces), roots and thick stems removed, rinsed well, and rough chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil - add penne and cook al dente.

Meanwhile, rinse agretti well, remove roots and lower stems, rough chop into strands about 2 inches long. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan, add pancetta and cook over medium heat until cooked through but not crisp.

Add cleaned and chopped agretti. Cook until softened, stirring from time to time. This shouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes over medium low heat.

Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the penne pasta and return to the pot. Add the lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and the pancetta / agretti mixture and give it a stir. Add the grated Parmesan and toss.

Serve immediately with more grated Parmesan on the side.

This makes a nice, light main dish or a flavorful side with chicken or fish. It pairs well with a crisp white wine. -post by JMB

For more info about agretti:

http://www.twopartsitaly.com/blog/2018/5/1/agretti-a-taste-of-spring-in-italy

Fattoria di Fubbiano - A Winery with Tuscan Views

June 11, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Tuscany, Lucca, Italy travel, Walking, Italy, Travel, Wine, Cooking

If you close your eyes and picture the perfect Tuscan landscape, what comes to mind will likely look a lot like the area surrounding the Fattoria di Fubbiano. If your picture includes rolling hills, tall cedars, ancient farmsteads, vineyards, olive groves, and a small hill town in the distance, then you have it just right.

The direct translation of the Italian word fattoria is farm - but direct translations don't always capture the essence of a word. A fattoria can be anyplace involved in agriculture - from the classic farm with rows of vegetables and barnyard animals to a terraced hillside where grapes and olives are grown. The Fattoria di Fubbiano is the latter - 130 some acres of vineyards and olive groves tucked into the hills 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Lucca just below the hilltop town of San Gennaro.

A fattoria has existed in this spot for a long time - the property dates to the late 1600s. Local tax records list an even earlier date for the first cultivation of vines and olive trees here. Ownership of the fattoria has changed hands many times, with the current owners purchasing the antique property in 2002. They have since restored the fattoria buildings and original villa, converted some buildings into guest quarters and tended the gardens and view terraces.

The biggest project was the construction of a new and very modern cantina. This is where the harvested grapes arrive and where the Fubbiano wines are produced and bottled. The original cantina, a beautiful building with arching brick ceilings, now serves as an events space.

Several wines are produced at Fattoria di Fubbiano, including three reds, two whites, and a Vin Santo. All are DOC-certified (which assures place of origin as being from the Lucchese hills, as well as variety of grape and quality). Also produced is a rosé (labeled Schiller, the name of the family that owns the fattoria) and a super Tuscan (labeled I Pampini and a personal favorite). Along with these excellent wines, the grapes are used to produce grappa and a wine vinegar. The wines are well respected locally and internationally. Thirty percent of the produced wines are exported to the United States.

My visit to the Fattoria di Fubbiano was to tour the grounds and winery and then to participate in a cooking class in the old cantina building. The winery tour was informative and interesting (even if it was hard not to be distracted by the amazing views of the surrounding vineyards and hillsides). The cooking class, offered as an afternoon cultural excursion by Lucca Italian School, was a delight. Together we prepared an appetizer of fried zucchini flowers with a filling of ricotta, basil, and pecorino cheese, a handmade-filled pasta (Tordelli Lucchese), a fragrant roasted pork, and a classic local dessert (Zuppa Lucchese).

After the meal prep was complete, our group of about 20 shared an aperitivo of Fubbiano wines and the crisp, melt-in-your-mouth zucchini flowers out on a wisteria-covered terrace overlooking a stunning Tuscan landscape. Sitting on that terrace in the soft light of a spring evening, sipping wine, and talking to the interesting people who come to Lucca to study Italian, was a special kind of wonderful.

Eventually we went back inside to eat the meal we had prepared. We dressed our salads with olive oil and vinegar from the fattoria, and had some of the white and red Fubbiano wines to accompany our dinner. Everyone agreed that all of the work to prepare the meal was well worth the effort, producing a delicious cena (dinner). Cooking classes are always a highlight of my time in Lucca and when combined with the setting of this characteristic Tuscan fattoria, they are especially wonderful. -post by JMB

A cooking class in the old cantina, Fattoria di Fubbiano

Contact information:

Fattoria di Fubbiano 55010 San Gennaro, Lucca, Italy. Website: Fattoria di Fubbiano.it

Lucca Italian School. Via dei Bacchettoni, 25 55100 Lucca, Italy Website: luccaitalianschool.com

Agretti - A Taste of Spring in Italy

May 21, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italian markets, Italy travel, Italy, Cooking, Tuscany, food

The springtime markets in Italy are full of wonderful vegetables - asparagus, little purple artichokes, and fava beans, to name a few. I have a strong memory of my first taste of fresh spring fava beans, eaten raw with a little bit of pecorino as I sat on a bench outside a neighborhood market in Rome. Heaven! Big piles of spring artichokes look like art to me, and taste amazing when used as the filling for a light-as-air lasagna. And asparagus in a delicate pasta primavera? Is there a better way to celebrate spring vegetables?

Along with these more common vegetables, the spring markets in Italy also have bunches of what look like thick grass or chives. They are dark green with long, thin tapered leaves and are often wrapped in wet paper to keep the intact roots moist. The appearance of these in the markets is a cause for excitement in Italy. They are only around for a short time in spring and are considered a delicacy. So what are these mysterious grassy bundles?

They go by several names. In Italy they are most commonly known as agretti or barba di frate (frair’s beard). In English, saltwort. The proper Latin name is Salsola soda, a member of the Chenopodiaceae (Amaranth or Goosefoot) family, which includes spinach, beets, and chard.

Agretti grows well in salty water, which means that the Mediterranean coast is the perfect place for it to thrive. It also means that it has become a rather unwelcome and invasive species following its import to coastal California - perhaps because we Americans don’t eat it often enough! And although agretti leaves look like chives or spring onions, they are not related to onions at all and the flavor is completely different.

As an interesting historical note, agretti were originally grown to be burned to ash. The result was soda ash, used in making soap and glass. Imagine how useful this was to the Venetians - why eat a product that could be used to make beautiful Venetian glass? Today, however, there are better ways to make glass and agretti is raised as a food crop.

Agretti can be eaten raw (it’s crunchy and tangy, with a slightly bitter mineral taste). Raw, it’s a good addition to salads. It’s also healthy - high in fiber, low in calories, and a good source of vitamins (A, B, and C) and minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron).

More commonly, agretti is served cooked, either as a contorni (side vegetable) or incorporated into a frittata or a pasta dish . Can you say spaghetti con agretti five times fast?

There are two basic cooking methods. The most simple is to drop the cleaned agretti briefly into boiling water until crisp tender, and then drain and sprinkle with olive oil and lemon. It can also be sautéed with olive oil and garlic (and perhaps pancetta or anchiovies) and topped with a squeeze of lemon juice. The lemon juice is key to bringing balance to the slightly sharp, spinach taste and bringing out the bright, fresh-as-spring taste of the agretti.

I had seen agretti in the markets on previous trips to Italy, but never knew exactly what they were or how to cook them. After a discussion with friends who recently moved to Lucca and were experimenting with cooking local produce, I bought my first bunch of agretti in one of Italy’s spring markets. After trimming the roots and washing it well (it can be pretty sandy), I sautéed the agretti for about 10 minutes in olive oil along with 2 cloves of garlic. A little salt (it doesn’t need much), several grinds of black pepper, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice later and it was just right as a side dish to a lemony chicken fillet and some rice.

I can’t wait to try it in a frittata next!

-post by JMB

Sautéed agretti alongside pan-sautéed lemon chicken and rice.

Fagiolini Verde

May 11, 2017 by Joanne Bartram in Cooking, food, Italy

I admit it, I'm a food nerd. I love reading recipes. I find mountains of purple artichokes or eggplant stunningly beautiful. The scent of good (some might say stinky) cheese is like perfume to me. And the first salty bite of a fresh focaccia is a sensual delight. Yes, I'm a food nerd.

One of the things I love most about Italy is that it is heaven on earth for food nerds like me. The "slow food" atmosphere, the focus on quality over shelf life, the regional specialties, the artisanal bakers, cheese makers, and producers of salumi - all these things contribute to the fact that I love shopping, cooking, and dining here. It's also one of the reasons I like to have an apartment - apartments come with kitchens and kitchens are the pathway to experimenting with the use of local ingredients to make simple, seasonal, and tasty dishes.

My favorite place to buy fruits and vegetables in Lucca is the Ortofrutta in Piazza Salvatore. I love the eye-catching colors of the produce, the artful way they are arranged, the changing selection based on season and freshness, the friendly staff, and the whole process of purchasing here - pick out the fruits and veggies, put them in little paper bags, bring them to the counter to be weighed and priced, and then take your receipt to the cassa (cash register) to pay. No grocery store can compare!

Another view of the Ortofrutta, so much more charming than my local grocery store at home!

In addition to produce, the Ortofrutta has flavorful foods to go (think homemade pesto and other sauces, cooked spinach, little trays of lasagna, olives), along with basics - milk, eggs, dried pasta, jams, olive oils, canned tuna, wine.

Recently I went to the Ortofrutta without a clear idea of what I wanted to cook. I found beautiful, tiny fagiolini verde (the kind of green beans we would call by their French name, haricot vert) and pretty lemons. Together, they inspired me to make marinated green beans - a perfect accompaniment to the chicken I roasted for dinner.

Here's how I prepared them (amounts are approximate and based on kitchen spoons, not measuring spoons). Experiment!

Marinated Green Beans

Start with 2 big handfuls of fagiolini verde (using tiny green beans is key), cooked in boiling water until just fork tender (about 6 - 7 minutes). Rinse in cold water, let cool a few minutes, and then toss with marinade while beans are still warm.

Marinade:

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (use more or less to taste)

Juice of 1/2 medium lemon

A few shakes of good sea salt and black pepper (taste finished marinade and correct to taste)

Whisk well and slowly drizzle in about 4 tablespoons of good olive oil, whisking to emulsify

Pour half of the marinade over the cooked green beans, toss, and let sit at room temperature for 1 - 2 hours. Toss again before serving.

Save the other half of the marinade to use on a salad or to pour over steamed asparagus - that's what I did a couple of days later when I found beautiful asparagus at the market.

That's it! When you start with great ingredients and blend in a little creativity, you end with great taste.

-post by JB

Pranzo con Amici (Lunch with Friends)

January 05, 2017 by Joanne Bartram in Cooking

Today's post is all about pranzo (lunch). Judy and I are still in Lucca and we've invited friends to our apartment for lunch. These are really special friends - Angelo, Daniela and Eva are the trio behind Lucca Italian School, a wonderful language school and a place where I have spent many happy weeks over the past few years. They are, as I tend to think of them, the holy trinity of Italian teachers. Eva is also the school's master cooking teacher, but hey, no pressure!

The table is set for pranzo with amici, Lucca, January 2017.

I love to cook, especially for friends. It's a way of being creative, of welcoming others, of sharing a bit of myself. Conversation and laughter always surface when people share a meal. Often when I've hosted a meal in Lucca it's been for friends visiting from the United States. Today Judy and I are hosting Italian friends, so there is the added bonus of speaking in Italian and catching up on news from Lucca and the Italian School.

On the menu today:

Insalata mista, a simple mixed salad served with olive oil, lemon and a balsamic glaze.

Caprini aromatiche (an herb and olive oil marinated soft cheese). I could write a whole blog post on my love for this cheese and my attempts to recreate it at home; sadly I have not yet gotten it just right. Luckily in Lucca we can walk five minutes down to Il Mercantino on Via San Paolino and buy some.

Focaccia, soft inside with a beautiful salted crust. Fresh from Amadeo Giusti.

For the main course, a frittata with onions and zucchini (recipe below, adapted from Marcella Hazan).

Wine (this is Italy after all - wine with lunch is "normale"). Our friends arrived with a bottle of Sangiovese from the Lucca hills, which went perfectly with the meal.

For dessert a fruit crostata (or two) from a nearby pasticceria and a torta (cake) brought by Daniela, Eva and Angelo, filled with cream and raspberries. This came from what must be the most heavenly place on Earth, Pasticerria Sandra, L'angolo Dolce (the sweet corner), which is outside the walls of old Lucca in the Borgo Giannotti neighborhood. At L'angolo Dolce, pastry is art.

Heavenly pastry from a local pasticceria, Lucca, January 2016.

Coffee brewed stovetop in the Moka to round out the afternoon. Moka brewing is an essential skill and one both Judy and I have been practicing. We've just about perfected our technique.

A Moka, a coffee-brewing essential in Italy.

Pranzo today was "perfetto." Great company, conversation in a mix of Italian and English across a range of topics, and a chance to welcome friends into my Italian home (even if it's only a rented apartment for a couple of weeks). It's all a piece of my part-time but very real Italian life. -post by JB

The end of a lovely lunch with Daniela, Angelo and Eva, Lucca, January 2017.

Frittata with Zucchini and Onions (serves 5-6)

2 small or 1 medium zucchini, cut into thin rounds

1/2 of a large onion, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

10 large eggs

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over low-moderate heat. Add zucchini rounds in a single layer and cook on one side until slightly browned. Turn and cook a couple more minutes on the other side. Remove from pan and place in a large bowl.

Sauté onion in the oil remaining in the pan until golden and soft. Remove from pan and add to zucchini. Cool to room temperature. (Can be done several hours ahead of time.)

Add to cooled veggies: chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, eggs. Mix well to combine.

Preheat oven broiler.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet and pour egg/vegetable mixture into pan. Cook over low heat, pulling up the edges as they set to allow liquid to flow underneath. When nearly cooked through and just wet on top, place under broiler for a couple of minutes to set top and lightly brown.

Slide from pan onto a plate and serve hot.

Note: This is not a fussy recipe, It can easily be cut in half (just cook in a smaller pan). Try swapping out the zucchini for small rounds of parboiled red potato, or add roasted red pepper and use soft goat cheese instead of Parmesan. Experiment!