Insalata di Spinaci recipe

The Italian word for vegetables verdura, is an inaccurate term which poetically translates to 'greendom.' The farmers' markets these days are in fact a colorful feast for the eyes and imagination. The palette offered by the spilling stalls features tender mauve artichokes, Ferrari-red tomatoes of every size and shape, curly, spiked and ruffled field sprouts, pearly spring onions, opulent purple eggplants and lush Jamaican flag bell peppers.

With the heat of the season and colorful abundance offered by the markets, I find myself consuming ridiculous quantities of fresh green verdura. The salad I'll be making today is a rich and tasty Insalata di Spinaci, a warm spinach salad: the 80's in a salad bowl.

The heated pancetta drippings wilt the fresh spinach leaves, and along with the crumbled hard-boiled egg, provide a subtle diversity of flavors and textures.

Here's what you need for 4 eaters:

10-12 oz triple rinsed baby spinach leaves, stems removed
50 g (1/4 cup) minced red onion
2 soft-boiled eggs, 1 chopped, 1 sliced
5 strips of pancetta
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. white vinegar
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. water
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Place the dry spinach leaves in a large bowl, add the chopped onions and refrigerate, tightly covered.

Fry the pancetta until crisp. Save the drippings, but remove the strips to a paper towel and set aside. In a small jar or measuring cup combine the pancetta drippings with sugar, vinegar, water, salt and pepper, and give it a good shake. Refrigerate all ingredients until just before serving.

When ready to serve, microwave the dressing on 'high' for 30-45 seconds, or until the mixture boils. Toss the chopped egg with the spinach, then pour the hot dressing over everything; tossing again lightly to coat well. Top with sliced egg and crumbled bacon.

Deliziosa!

Image © kids vs produce

Insalata di Riso recipe

Yes, it's officially here.

Jumpers and overcoats get pushed to the bottom of the closet, with cool cotton and light linen beginning to forward in the frontline. Grassy patches are dotted with small daisies, and the balmy Roman air is swirling with pollen and sycamore fuzz (my heart is with you, allergic subjects. This time of year's not equally welcomed). I love spring. Clocks are wound forward, granting longer hours of sunlight; hormones surge and everyone looks happier on their scooters and bicycles.

I like to welcome the onset of primavera with exaggerated enthusiasm, spending lots of time outdoors, rolling around in damp grass with my toddler, and anticipating classic summer recipes.

Quintessence of these (and thrifty re-use of leftovers) is insalata di riso, a pasta salad that employs rice instead of pasta, and many finely chopped ingredients tossed in for flavor (and to clean the fridge).

Image © Corbis

I've made this recipe extra rich to give you an idea of what can go into Insalata di Riso. Feel free to tone it down, substitute other things, or adding more for variety, according to your taste. One ingredient I commonly find in this preparation is mozzarella. As much as I like the milky pasta filata cheese, and pair it to almost anything I can think of, I somehow find it inappropriate in this preparation. But that's just me.

300 g (1 1/2 cups or 5 fistfuls) parboiled rice (the grains should not stick)
Either: 250 gr(1 cup) oil-canned tuna, drained and shredded
Or: 2 franks, cooked and sliced in flat buttons
100 g (1/2 cup) slab of regular deli ham, diced
100 g (1/2 cup) Fontina or Swiss cheese, diced
50 g (1/4 cup) black olives, pitted and sliced
1 dill pickle, diced
2 ripe, peeled, seeded tomatoes, diced (optional)
50 g (1/4 cup) artichoke hearts in oil, diced (optional)
1-2 tbsp. cooked peas (optional)
One half yellow bell pepper, minced
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced or quartered (optional)
1 tbsp. capers (optional)
1 tbsp. fresh basil, minced
50 g (1/4 cup) olive oil or light mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste


Cook the rice in lots of boiling, slightly salted water. Rinse it with cold water, drain and let it cool off. Meanwhile, assemble the remaining ingredients. Once the rice has cooled, combine all the chopped ingredients, rice and dressing in a large serving bowl, and chill the salad in the refrigerator.

My favorite variation is a posh rice salad made with rice, smoked salmon slivers, 2 types of caviar (red and gray) and steamed, shelled baby scampi. I toss everything with a bit of mayo and chill before serving. It's very good.

Insalata di carciofi recipe

It's been a while since I last wrote about artichokes. I have a long-lasting love affair with thistle-like flowerheads that borders illicit.

I like to eat them in every fashion, be they steamed with just a dribble of melted butter, tossed in "vignarola" (sautéed peas, lettuce, fava beans and bacon), thinly sliced and then deep fried in batter, in pasta dressing, mixed in with braised sweetbreads, alla Romana. When I'm lazy, I pluck the raw inner leaves, and dip them in seasoned olive oil. There are so many ways of enjoying carciofi!

One of my favorite winter artichoke recipes, is the delightful and citrusy insalata di carciofi, a perky raw artichoke salad. Perfect for Sunday lunch, this makes for a great sidekick to rack of lamb with rosemary and roasted potatoes.

It's easy to make, and you can put it together quickly. It however benefits from marinading before serving. Here's what you need to serve 4 artichoke lovers:

6 small winter artichokes
A large chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Juice of 2 lemons
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Soak the artichokes in plenty cold water and baking soda to remove any traces of pesticides or field dirt, rinse several times and pat dry. Cut away outer leaves, inner fuzz and the outside skin from the stems. You can follow my step-by-step artichoke trimming tutorial if need be; or take advantage of the signora at your farmer's market who pares them for her aficionado clients.

Cut the trimmed chokes in quarters and slice them finely, directly into the salad bowl. Drizzle with the lemon juice. This will prevent them from darkening, and will provide the acidic base for the dressing.

Season with very little salt, plenty freshly ground black pepper and olive oil. Toss and let the salad marinate for at least an hour before serving.

When ready to bring at the table, use a mandoline to shave thin wafers of Parmigiano over the seasoned artichokes, I personally abound.

You could, of course, pour a red wine to accompany this dish, but we don’t want to go there. Artichokes are hard to pair. But a bottle of dry white, chilling in a bucket on the table, within easy reach is a fine solution.

Buon appetito.

Insalata di farro recipe

Farro is a grain much like pearl barley, but it’s dried after harvesting in such a way that instead of being fluffy when cooked, it becomes chewy and nutty.

In Italy it's been a major staple since the ancient Romans began using it to make bread and soup before they "discovered" wheat. Nowadays it’s employed in salads, soups, stews, even paired to pastas. You should be able to find farro in Italian specialty stores, and supermarkets may have started to stock it in health food selection aisles.

This refreshing “carbful” vegetarian salad is always a hit at my summer lunches. The recipe reported here is just a base, so go ahead and add ingredients to suit your food fantasies and personal taste.

Ingredients for 4
8 fistfuls of farro (spelt)
1 medium Mozzarella di Bufala, diced – in winter I substitute the mozz with shaved Parmigiano
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
20 black olives, pitted
A pinch of salted capers, rinsed
1 carrot, diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
5 fresh basil leaves
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste


Soak the farro in cold water for 20 minutes, this will shorten cooking time. Get rid of the foamy soaking water and place the farro in a large stewpot, cover with 2 quarts of lightly salted cold water and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 30 minutes–or until tender–and drain well. Cool the grains by rinsing them in the colander under running water.

Halve the tomatoes directly into a large salad bowl to save their juice.

Add the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked farro, dress with olive oil and season to taste. 

Refrigerate for 30 minutes, toss again, adjust seasoning and serve with a carafe of chilled Fiano di Avellino.

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{♥}

heart-friendly 

Puntarelle recipe

Rome's curious curled chicory salad, Puntarelle are the number two Roman quintessential vegetable after artichokes. They are the sprouts of a chicory variety called cicoria di catalogna, puntarelle chicory or asparagus chicory, picked while still young and tender. Of course I am craving them now. And of course, like many other of my cravings, they are in season only in winter...

The preparation of this raw salad is a little complex, fortunately puntarelle are sold in Rome’s farmers’ and corner markets already trimmed and "curled." If I was able to find puntarelle in a supermarket tucked away in the hills above northern Bologna, I’m sure you can get your hands on a crate too, whatever your location.

The sprouts and shoots of the puntarelle are cut lengthwise into long, thin strips and soaked in acidulated ice-cold water for an hour.

This causes the crunchy pale green chicory to curl up in extraordinary Shirley Temple-style, to become juicier and less bitter. The recipe for the punchy dressing of this very particular salad dates back to ancient Rome. Another bizarre flavor combination, but a delicious one at that.

When come November, your mind drifts to the Eternal City, and you mysteriously begin to long for the unique smell of roasting chestnuts and the particular glint of wet cobblestones in the morning sun, go ahead and assemble the following ingredients for a taste of true Roman flavor.

1 kg (2.2 lbs) puntarelle (can be substituted with Belgian endive or the youngest curly chicory you can find)
8 anchovy fillets packed in salt, cleaned (can be substituted with regular oil-preserved anchovies in extremis)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Red wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a creamy pesto with minced garlic, anchovies, splash of lvinegar (not too much!) very little salt, pepper and plenty olive oil. Pestle and mortar would be best, but if you use a mezzaluna or a kitchen knife to chop finely you can then mix with a wire whisk. 

Stir and allow the obtained "sauce" to sit for 10 minutes.

Drain the puntarelle, dry with a kitchen towel or spin-dry carefully. Trickle the velvety beige sauce over the chilled and curled puntarelle salad, toss, allow to sit for a few minutes, and––given the garlic content––expect to face reduced social life for the next 3 days.

Image © su-lin

Note: If you're particularly in a rush and decide to use anchovy paste instead of fillets, just cut down on the salt and count on my discretion.