As far back as I can remember I would love to go dandelion picking with my grandmother. Late spring and early summer were the time we would set out on our adventure. I would know the time had come when Nonna got a paper grocery bag and her knife. Her property was bounded by a huge pasture where her neighbor grazed his cows. When the cows left the field, we would walk down her path to the stone wall fence and climb down into the pasture. The fertile ground revealed it's tender young crop of dandelions. Now, some would consider dandelions just weeds, but to us, they were a delicious delight. We would walk together looking for these tender young plants. When We found one, we would bend down and insert the knife into the ground, making a circular sweep to release the plant from its root. Into the bag it went. As we walked sometimes she would pick a "buttercup" blossom and showed me if you held it under your chin, the sun would reflect on the yellow blossom and it would show up on your chin. I also collected the dandelion flowers and their long stems in MY bag. I had fun making chains from the stems when we got back. We walked through the field cutting and depositing the dandelions into the bag until it was full. Then we would return to her kitchen to wash and rinse them in the sink. We made many trips to the pasture over the spring and summer to harvest the dandelions.
There were two ways we prepared them; either raw in a salad or sauteed. My Nonna called them "grunia" a sort of slang dialect for "greens".
My favorite way to eat them was raw, dressed with olive oil and wine vinegar and tossed with fresh pressed garlic, salt and pepper. A fun ending was when the bowl was empty and the dinner was over, we would grab a hunk or fresh bread and sop up the remaining dressing in the bowl.
RECIPE: Grunia Two Ways
#1 Fresh
What you need:
Fresh dandelions (no flowers or buds), either harvested by you (no pesticides please), or store bought. You can find these in whole food stores, usually called Italian Dandelions (sometimes spendy I might add).
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Fresh garlic, pressed
Salt
Pepper
What you do:
Wash the dandelions and cut the root off, separating the leaves. Remove any buds or flowers, (stems included).
Cut into bite size pieces if necessary and place in a bowl.
Add oil and vinegar in a ration of 3 oil:1 vinegar. Add pressed garlic to taste, salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Toss and serve as a side salad to your meal.
We would sometimes also add anchovies to our salad.
#2 Cooked
Wash the dandelions and cut root off, separating the leaves. Remove anhy buds or flowers (stems included).
Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add pressed garlic and saute just until garlic softens. Do not let it brown. Reduce heat and add dandelion greens. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Saute until wilted.
Serve as a cooked side to your meal.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
New Year's Eve Lentil Soup at Nonna's
The holidays were always filled with love and excitement and a LOT of cooking. There were three of us kids, my brother Phillip, my cousin Raymond Argeo's son) and me. Following Italian tradition, the children did not leave the house until they got married. My oldest uncle Argeo and my mother, Liliana (Lillian) married young and moved out. My uncle Vincenzo (Vincent) married late in life (I think he was 42) and my two aunts, Gelsina and Philipina (Phyllis) never married and remained in my grandmother's home.
My mom, dad, brother and I often spent New Year's Eve at my grandmother's house. With that came the traditional preparation of the lentil soup to be eaten at midnight. Italian tradition has it that to insure prosperity and wealth in the coming year you need to eat lentil soup at midnight. So all the "girls" gathered in the kitchen and made the fantastical soup.
My Nonna's (and Aunt P's) Lentil Soup
What You Need:
1 cup of brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 carrots peeled and cut into large dice
2 ribs of celery, cut into large dice
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and cut into slivers
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced or pressed
3 to 4 cups of cold water (quanto basta)
1 small meaty ham bone
Salt and pepper to taste.
How you Make It:
Place rinsed lentils in a large soup pot. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, onions and ham bone. Add the water, enough to cover the ingredients.
Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat; skim what raises to the top. When you have skimmed it all off, add salt and pepper, cover, placing a wooden spoon on the rim to vent the lid.
Simmer until lentils are tender; about 1 to 2 hours.
Remove ham bone and remove any pieces of ham from the bone. Return the meat to the pot. Stir to combine.
At the stroke of midnight, eat your bowl of lentil soup!
Buon Anno!
My mom, dad, brother and I often spent New Year's Eve at my grandmother's house. With that came the traditional preparation of the lentil soup to be eaten at midnight. Italian tradition has it that to insure prosperity and wealth in the coming year you need to eat lentil soup at midnight. So all the "girls" gathered in the kitchen and made the fantastical soup.
My Nonna's (and Aunt P's) Lentil Soup
What You Need:
1 cup of brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 carrots peeled and cut into large dice
2 ribs of celery, cut into large dice
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and cut into slivers
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced or pressed
3 to 4 cups of cold water (quanto basta)
1 small meaty ham bone
Salt and pepper to taste.
How you Make It:
Place rinsed lentils in a large soup pot. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, onions and ham bone. Add the water, enough to cover the ingredients.
Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat; skim what raises to the top. When you have skimmed it all off, add salt and pepper, cover, placing a wooden spoon on the rim to vent the lid.
Simmer until lentils are tender; about 1 to 2 hours.
Remove ham bone and remove any pieces of ham from the bone. Return the meat to the pot. Stir to combine.
At the stroke of midnight, eat your bowl of lentil soup!
Buon Anno!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
My Nonna's Cheese Grater
So many delicious recipes were enhanced with the Pecorino Romano cheese which passed through this grater.
Monday, December 29, 2014
My Nonna's Chickens and Eggs and Soup
My grandmother was a very self-reliant woman. My grandfather, Filippo, died before the birth of their youngest child. My grandmother raised her five children by herself, and still wore her wedding band until her death.
She had chickens, a garden, grape vines and fruit trees. Wild berries grew on her fence. She had a rhubarb patch, a current patch and an asparagus patch.
As early as I can remember, I would often accompany her to her chicken yard to gather eggs and feed and water the chickens.
As her chickens grew older, they would not produce as many eggs. She knew each and every one and would talk to them explaining that their production was off. Then she would pick one that had dropped off on egg production and, as life in the country goes, she would hang it on a tree and, as humanely as possible, slaughter it and prepare it for dinner.
I was usually by her side for that process as well, from coop to table.
Every spring Youngs Feed Store would give away free chicks and she would always get 20, to replenish her flock.
She made the most delicious chicken soups, and all kinds of chicken dishes.
One of my favorite soup recipes was her Pasta di Paradiso
She would make a chicken stock using celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and parsley. In her house, her cat Brassy usually got his share of the cooked carrots and celery after the soup was done. He would actually growl if you tried to take it away from him.
Chicken Soup: My grandmother's was of course made from the chicken we picked out and fresh vegetables from her garden.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Water to cover
2 carrots scraped and cut into large pieces
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
Bunch of parsley
Salt and pepper
How to Make It:
Rinse the chicken and place in a large soup pot. Fill with COLD water to cover chicken. Place onions, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley in the pot.
Place on stove and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that raises to the top during the process. When foam has been skimmed, add salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer. Place cover on pot bracing with a wooden spoon on rim to allow some steam to escape.
Simmer for 3 to 4 hours, until chicken is tender and meat comes off bone. Remove chicken and vegetables from the pot and strain broth through cheesecloth into a clean pot. Reserve the meat and vegetables for another recipe.
To Make the Pasta di Paradiso: My grandmother's was of course made from her fresh gathered eggs, grated breadcrumbs from her homemade bread and fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese from the wedge she always had on hand.
Ingredients:
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 to 3 cups of chicken broth
Fine dry Bread crumbs (quanto basta)
How to Make It:
Mix the egg and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Add breadcrumbs a little at a time blending into the egg mixture with a fork. The mixture should be loose, but not runny.
Bring broth to a boil and drop the egg mixture into the broth and reduce heat so as not to boil over. Stir with a fork. As the mixture cooks, it will rise to the top.
Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!
She had chickens, a garden, grape vines and fruit trees. Wild berries grew on her fence. She had a rhubarb patch, a current patch and an asparagus patch.
As early as I can remember, I would often accompany her to her chicken yard to gather eggs and feed and water the chickens.
As her chickens grew older, they would not produce as many eggs. She knew each and every one and would talk to them explaining that their production was off. Then she would pick one that had dropped off on egg production and, as life in the country goes, she would hang it on a tree and, as humanely as possible, slaughter it and prepare it for dinner.
I was usually by her side for that process as well, from coop to table.
Every spring Youngs Feed Store would give away free chicks and she would always get 20, to replenish her flock.
She made the most delicious chicken soups, and all kinds of chicken dishes.
One of my favorite soup recipes was her Pasta di Paradiso
She would make a chicken stock using celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and parsley. In her house, her cat Brassy usually got his share of the cooked carrots and celery after the soup was done. He would actually growl if you tried to take it away from him.
Chicken Soup: My grandmother's was of course made from the chicken we picked out and fresh vegetables from her garden.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Water to cover
2 carrots scraped and cut into large pieces
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
Bunch of parsley
Salt and pepper
How to Make It:
Rinse the chicken and place in a large soup pot. Fill with COLD water to cover chicken. Place onions, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley in the pot.
Place on stove and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that raises to the top during the process. When foam has been skimmed, add salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer. Place cover on pot bracing with a wooden spoon on rim to allow some steam to escape.
Simmer for 3 to 4 hours, until chicken is tender and meat comes off bone. Remove chicken and vegetables from the pot and strain broth through cheesecloth into a clean pot. Reserve the meat and vegetables for another recipe.
To Make the Pasta di Paradiso: My grandmother's was of course made from her fresh gathered eggs, grated breadcrumbs from her homemade bread and fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese from the wedge she always had on hand.
Ingredients:
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 to 3 cups of chicken broth
Fine dry Bread crumbs (quanto basta)
How to Make It:
Mix the egg and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Add breadcrumbs a little at a time blending into the egg mixture with a fork. The mixture should be loose, but not runny.
Bring broth to a boil and drop the egg mixture into the broth and reduce heat so as not to boil over. Stir with a fork. As the mixture cooks, it will rise to the top.
Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!
My Nonna on Making Bread
When I was about 6 years old, I can remember kneeling on a kitchen chair in my grandmother's kitchen. She was about to make bread. I watched her scoop out flour onto her wooden board and mix it with a bit of coarse salt from her salt jar. She made a well in the flour. In a bowl she added yeast, and warm water from a pitcher and sugar. She gradually added the wet mixture to the flour. As she began kneading I asked her, "Nonna, how do you know how much flour and water and salt to use?" She smiled and answered in Italian. "Picolina, quanto basta." (Little one, when enough is enough). As she kneaded the bread, she guided my hand in hers and told me to "feel" how to do it.
She made fresh Italian bread every week.
I would always talk to her in English and she would answer in Italian. She said she wanted to learn English and I should learn Italian! Sometimes I needed her broken English translations!
My Nonna's Bread (Makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 to 6 cups unbleached all purpose flour (quanto basta)
To Mix the Dough:
In today's kitchen you would add yeast and sugar to warm water in a bowl stirring gently until yeast and sugar dissolve. Then gradually add flour and salt and mix and fold until the the forming dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Kneading the Dough:
Turn out the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Hand kneading is an art but it is not hard once you do it. Fold the far edge of the dough back over itself towards you and press down with the heels of your hands. Then turn the ball 90 degrees and fold the far edge of the dough back over itself again. Press down with the heels of your hand. Continue this for about 3 to 5 minutes (quanto basta) until a smooth ball is formed.
Transfer and Let Rise:
Place dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turning over once to be sure the top is buttered. Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise about 1 to 2 hours (quanto basta) until doubled in size. I place mine in the oven to prevent drafts affecting the dough.
After First Rising--Forming the Loafs:
Gently grasp the dough in the bowl and transfer it to your floured surface. Gently knead it let the gas bubbles escape. Cut the dough into two pieces. Form the dough pieces into two loaf shapes and place into two greased loaf pans. Cover the pans with a damp towel and let rise until double in size. (Again I place mine in the oven to avoid drafts)
Nowadays you can also make a more artisan bread by forming the loaves and placing them on parchment paper on a baking sheet and letting them rise.
Baking the Loaves:
Remove the towels from the loaves and place in oven. Turn the heat to 400 degrees F, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The crust should be golden and you'll know when its done when it sounds hollow when you tap it. Take the pans out of the oven and remove loaves, wrapping them in a towel to cool.
Alternately, make some slashes in the tops of the artisan loaves on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and turn to 400 degrees F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The crust and you'll know when its done when it sounds hollow when you tap it.
Or if you can't wait, slice with a bread knife or tear off a piece and enjoy hot out of the oven!
She made fresh Italian bread every week.
I would always talk to her in English and she would answer in Italian. She said she wanted to learn English and I should learn Italian! Sometimes I needed her broken English translations!
My Nonna's Bread (Makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 to 6 cups unbleached all purpose flour (quanto basta)
To Mix the Dough:
In today's kitchen you would add yeast and sugar to warm water in a bowl stirring gently until yeast and sugar dissolve. Then gradually add flour and salt and mix and fold until the the forming dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Kneading the Dough:
Turn out the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Hand kneading is an art but it is not hard once you do it. Fold the far edge of the dough back over itself towards you and press down with the heels of your hands. Then turn the ball 90 degrees and fold the far edge of the dough back over itself again. Press down with the heels of your hand. Continue this for about 3 to 5 minutes (quanto basta) until a smooth ball is formed.
Transfer and Let Rise:
Place dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turning over once to be sure the top is buttered. Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise about 1 to 2 hours (quanto basta) until doubled in size. I place mine in the oven to prevent drafts affecting the dough.
After First Rising--Forming the Loafs:
Gently grasp the dough in the bowl and transfer it to your floured surface. Gently knead it let the gas bubbles escape. Cut the dough into two pieces. Form the dough pieces into two loaf shapes and place into two greased loaf pans. Cover the pans with a damp towel and let rise until double in size. (Again I place mine in the oven to avoid drafts)
Nowadays you can also make a more artisan bread by forming the loaves and placing them on parchment paper on a baking sheet and letting them rise.
Baking the Loaves:
Remove the towels from the loaves and place in oven. Turn the heat to 400 degrees F, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The crust should be golden and you'll know when its done when it sounds hollow when you tap it. Take the pans out of the oven and remove loaves, wrapping them in a towel to cool.
Alternately, make some slashes in the tops of the artisan loaves on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and turn to 400 degrees F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The crust and you'll know when its done when it sounds hollow when you tap it.
Or if you can't wait, slice with a bread knife or tear off a piece and enjoy hot out of the oven!
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