dinnerinvenice, Author at Dinner in Venice

Silvia Colloca’s Pumpkin Seed Rolls

May 21, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 13 Comments

Silvia Colloca - Silvia's Cucina - Italian Food blogger

We all have weaknesses. One of mine is that I tend to be quite impatient. That’s why, even though I adore homemade bread, I’m not going to babysit that dough for several hours!

Enter this week’s guest, Silvia Colloca, my go-to expert (the other one is Vittorio of Viva la Focaccia) when it comes to bread making, including tips on cutting corners and reducing the waiting time.

Silvia is hands-down one of the best Italian food bloggers out there: on Silvia’s Cucina, she shares lots of tasty, easy, healthy Italian recipes that she learned growing up in Milan from her mom and grandma. Just FYI, Silvia is also a successful movie and theater actress and mezzo soprano opera singer, trained at the prestigious music academy of Milan. For the past ten years, she has been married to one of the most beloved Australian actors, producers (and heart-throbs), Richard Roxburgh, and living in Sydney, where they are raising their adorable sons. Silvia somehow manages to do all of the above with remarkable grace and ease, and to look drop-dead gorgeous even when covered in flour.

Which, in theory, makes her one of those super-women we’d all like to hate: however, she also happens to be incredibly nice, modest, and laid-back, so you stand no chance: you are going to fall in love with her, and her delicious, authentic Italian food.

SILVIA SAYS:

I was overjoyed when my friend Alessandra asked me if I could write a guest post on her blog DinnerInVenice. Alessandra and I both started our Italian food blogs back in 2011. Like Ale, I am an Italian-born woman, recently emigrated to an English speaking country (Australia) and, just like her, I have been fascinated and enamoured with the bounty of local produce and diverse cuisines my new home-land has to offer. However, I could not help but miss my Bella Italia, the very scents of it, its flavors. My most unsatisfied craving was “real” bread, Il pane. Fragrant, crunchy and bronzed, with its inviting crackly crust and a moist and airy crumb.

I have learnt to make it at home, from slow-proving sourdoughs to yeast-risen ones, for more immediate gratification. And every time a loaf is baking in my oven, I can simply close my eyes and smell my beloved Italy from my sunny Sydney kitchen.

Silvia Colloca’s Pumpkin Rolls

makes 6-8 rolls

Ingredients

2 cups wholewheat flour
1 cup high gluten flour (or all purpose, or 00 flour)
1 1/2 tbsp dried yeast stirred into 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) lukewarm water
1 tsp honey or barley malt syrup
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
milk or non-dairy milk for brushing
2-3 handfuls shelled pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)

Directions

1. Place the flour in a large bowl, add the water and yeast, honey (or barley malt syrup) and oil.

2. Knead onto a floured surface for 3-4 minutes, then add the salt and keep keading for 3-5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and soft.

3. Transfer the dough into a floured bowl and cover with a kitchen towel.

4. After 30 minutes, stretch the dough to shape a rectangle, then fold it into three and onto itself. Place the dough back in the bowl. Repeat a second time after 30 minutes. Folding the dough will ensure the softest, moistest crumb.

5. Prove the dough in a warm spot until it has doubled in size.

6. Shape the dough into 6-8 rolls, and place them close together on a baking tray lined with parchment. Brush the top with milk, or buttermilk (or non-dairy milk) and top them with the seeds. Rest the rolls covered with a kitchen towel for 30-45 minutes. In the meantime bring your oven to 200 C (390 F)

7. Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes, or until crusty and bronzed, and until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool at room temperature before eating.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/21/silvia-collocas-pumpkin-seed-rolls/

Filed Under: Bread, Comfort food · Tagged: authentic Italian home-cooking, bread recipe, easy bread recipe, Italian actress, Italian food blog, Italian food expert Australia, Italian home-made bread, Richard Roxburg, Silvia Colloca, Silvia's Cucina

Pistachio and Cream Swiss Roll

May 14, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 21 Comments

This week my family and I will observe one of my favorite holiday traditions, that of indulging in creamy dairy treats for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. After all, who am I to say no to extra helpings of lasagna and tiramisu, especially when our sages encourage me?

Another custom typical of Shavuot (and Simchat Torah) is eating preparations that are rolled, a visual reminder of the Torah scrolls that are read in synagogue. It may be a no-brainer to celebrate by smothering your dishes in butter and cream; however, rolling up foods can be challenging for inexperienced cooks. Take cake rolls, and raise your hand if you don’t end up buying the pre-packaged version rather than risking a disaster.

The truth is that, if you follow instructions, these guys are not that hard to make. Just don’t cheat on the pan: the only type that works is a jelly roll pan (usually a 15x10x1-inch pan, regular or disposable). This is also the kind of recipe that you don’t want to attempt if you have just ran out of parchment paper. Last, but not least, do not over-bake: the cake needs to be a bit flexible and “springy” to be rolled up.

After baking the cake, remove from the oven and loosen the edges from the pan with a knife, then turn it out the cake onto a large parchment sheet. Peel the existing parchment from the top (what was previously on the bottom of the baking pan) and discard.

Now the tricky part: starting with one of the shorter sides, roll up the parchment with the warm cake inside into a spiral. Once the cake is all rolled up into the parchment, secure it with tape or by stapling the ends of the parchment, and place it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Unroll the cake, spread with your preferred filling staying within 1 inch of the edges; then roll it up again, but this time use the parchment only to lift and guide leaving it on the “outside’ of the cake roll. Place the roll in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Pistachio Swiss Roll

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla or ½ tbsp lemon zest
1 shot orange liqueur
1 cup shelled pistachios
whipped cream
powdered sugar to decorate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the base of a 10 by 15-inches jelly roll pan with parchment, brushing the sides with butter and dusting with flour.

In an electric mixer, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt until light and frothy, and then add the zest or vanilla extract; start sifting in the flour and baking powder, gradually, a bit at a time.

When the mixture is well combined, pour into the prepared pan, and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cake is a bit springy and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides.

Spread out a large sheet of parchment on a counter and dust it evenly with powdered sugar to prevent any sticking. Invert the pan onto the parchment, and then carefully remove the pan and parchment from the cake.

While the cake is still warm but not hot, dust it with powdered sugar, cover it with another parchment sheet and roll it up in a spiral leaving the parchment sheet on the inside and outside. secure with tape and allow to cool on a wire rack for about one hour.

Coarsely grind the pistachio. Combine the whipped cream with 1 or 2 tbsp powdered sugar, the orange liqueur or extract, and the pistachios.

When the cake is cool, unroll it and carefully remove the parchment; spread the whipped cream sparingly over the cake, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll up again, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Dust with powdered sugar to finish.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/14/pistachio-and-cream-swiss-roll/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, Desserts, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shavuot · Tagged: cake roll, cream, cucina ebraica, dairy, holiday cake, jelly roll, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, Jewish Italian food, jewish italian recipes, kosher Italian recipe, pistachio cake, Shavuos, Shavuot, swiss roll

Strawberry and Prosecco Tiramisu

May 9, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 9 Comments

Last year, I wrote a guest post on Strawberry Prosecco Tiramisu for my friends Lois and Roberta

click here for the recipe…

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, Desserts, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shavuot · Tagged: Birthday cake, cream, dairy, dessert, Italian dessert, mascarpone, Mother's day cake, romantic dessert, Shavuos, Shavuot, strawberry, tiramisu

Raspberry Cake with Whipped Cream and Pink Meringues

May 2, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 16 Comments

In some areas of Central Italy, there is still a custom of going from house to house adorned with garlands on the first night of May, playing and singing merry tunes to welcome the warm season.

I’m bringing this up – kind of randomly – because this morning I woke up with a verse stuck in my head: it’s from an Italian children’s poem about the months of the year that I learned in kindergarten, and the part about May goes “Maggio di canti risuona” (May resonates with songs).

While I’m not the type to go around the neighborhood with a lute serenading strangers (my fellow Manhattanites would call the police), I am all for celebrating this beautiful month, which I associate with a variety of pleasant concepts.

At last, the sun is out, the bees are buzzing, the birds are chirping, and the flowers in Central Park are blooming…. but not only that: at the risk of sounding very self-involved, I’m excited because my birthday and Mother’s day also come this month. I’m not sure about resonating with songs – but it sure will smell like cakes!

Now, talking about birthdays, I am turning 44 and becoming a little nostalgic. I became twenty in the Eighties, and while here in the US the cake that best represents that era of excess is probably cheesecake -in some 7-layer variation -, in Italy we had Meringata, a sinfully rich dessert made of layers of meringue combined with tons of whipped cream – the Pavlova’s Italian cousin.

Meringata was the dessert of choice to share with your date in any Northern Italian piano bar or panini bar. The main downside of those types of cakes (besides the fact that they can induce a diabetic coma) is that they need to be assembled a short time prior to consumption, or the meringue will dissolve in the cream. That’s why I picked this alternative, which tastes less sugary and can be made the day before and transported easily.

Cakes made of layers of pan di Spagna (genoise) or pastafrolla (pastry dough) alternating with whipped cream and strawberries or other berries are also served in many areas of Italy for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which coincidentally falls in May.

In case you really need one more excuse to indulge.

Raspberry Cake with Whipped Cream and Pink Meringues

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

1 hour

serves 8-10

serves please stop at one slice!

Fat & Calories: Ignorance is Bliss

Ingredients

Ingredients:
(Cake)
3/4 cup cake flour (or mix AP flour and potato starch)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup super-fine or granulated sugar
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted?
(Syrup and finish)
2 cups heavy cream
3 or 4 tsp. confectioners’ sugar
1 lb raspberries (or you can use strawberries),
1 cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 organic lemon
a dozen meringues, possibly pink

Directions

You can buy the pink meringues or make them with this recipe: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/rachel-allen/pink-meringues-with-raspberry-cream.html

Preheat an oven to 360°F. Line the bottom of a 9- inch springform pan with parchment.

Whisk the eggs and sugar just until combined in the bowl of your stand mixer. Place the bowl over (not touching) a pot of simmering water, and whisk gently for about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whisk at high speed until pale, frothy and fluffy (7-8 minutes).

Sift the flour over the mixture in 2 separate additions (incorporate the first half with a spatula, before adding the second half). Add the melted butter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden (do the toothpick test). Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before inverting it. Cut the cake into 2 equal layers before removing the parchment. Put the first layer (cut side up) on a platter.

To make the syrup, boil the water with the granulated sugar and the lemon zest for about 3-5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until it forms soft peaks. Place half of the raspberries or cut strawberries in a bowl, and combine them with about one-fourth of the raspberries. Brush the first cake layerwith syrup and spread with the cream/berry mix.. Top with the remaining cake layer, cut side down, and peel off the parchment. Brush the top with more syrup, spread the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream.

Arrange the remaining berries and meringues on top and around the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/02/raspberry-cake-with-whipped-cream-and-pink-meringues-2/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, Desserts, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shavuot · Tagged: Birthday cake, dessert, May, meringata panna, Mother's day cake, pavlova, pink meringue cake, Shavuos, Shavuot, Strawberry Cream cake

Silvia’s Fennel and Red Onion Gratin

April 30, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 21 Comments

Photo by Ryan Bartley; Recipe by Silvia Nacamulli

Today I have a special surprise for you: I am quite thrilled to introduce you to my friend Silvia Nacamulli. Silvia, who grew up in Rome, is a fellow foodie, who learned all her tricks from three generations of talented Jewish nonnas. In London, where she lives with her husband and adorable daughters, she runs the successful cooking school La Cucina di Silvia – Cooking for the Soul, and caters very chic private parties (so chic, in fact, that she was featured in Elle magazine).

Silvia Nacamulli at Relais dei Ciclamini

However, Silvia is probably most famous for her culinary vacations in Italy (she is now getting ready for the next one, coming up in June), during which English-speaking Italophiles from all over the world learn how to cook a variety of Italian, and Jewish Italian dishes while relaxing in the gorgeous setting of Relais Nature La Tenuta dei Ciclamini.

City-dwellers, in particular, can’t get enough of the all-encompassing food experience that Silvia offers beyond the cooking lessons, including truffle or mushroom and chestnut hunts (depending on the season), lessons in cheese- and jam-making, fresh vegetable picking, and great wine. Luckily, the Relais has a giant gym and swimming pool where they can burn it all off!

Relais dei Ciclamini, Umbria (Italy)

Last September, Silvia and I were both part of a panel at the Museum of Jewish Heritage here in New York, organized by Jayne Cohen and including the über-talented Cara de Silva and Walter Potenza. Before the event we were exchanging favorite recipes, and I practically begged her to guest post this one on my blog. As you may have heard, Italians like to procrastinate – that’s how, between the two of us, it took about six months… but at last Silvia’s recipe is here, in all its mouthwatering splendor!

Silvia’s Fennel and Red Onion Gratin

Ingredients

3 large red onions
3 heads fennel
Garlic powder, to taste
4 tbsp freshly minced flat parsley
4-5 tbsp breadcrumbs or panko
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the fan (convection) oven to 375 F and line 2 large sheet trays with parchment paper.

Peel the onions and wash the fennel, eliminating the choke.

Cut the fennel in half thorugh its root and boil it in salted water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and cut again lengthwise: you will have 4 long slices for each head of fennel*.

Cut the onions crosswise into 1 inch-thick slices.

Arrange the fennel and onion on the baking sheet as a single layer.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder on top of each onion and fennel slice. Cover with breadcrumbs and parsley, and drizzle with the olive oil.

Bake for about 45 min or until golden. .

*If the fennel is large, cut it into more slices.

Distribute the onions and fennel slices

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/04/30/silvias-fennel-and-red-onion-gratin/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shabbat, Vegetarian · Tagged: fennel, Italian recipe, red onion, vegetable side, Vegetarian

Spring Fling Pizza

April 24, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 14 Comments

The arrival of spring always inspires me to check out the neighborhood’s farmers’ markets and even community gardens in the quest for culinary ideas. After my FreshDirect-fueled winter hibernation, I crave flavors and colors beyond the boundaries of the chain grocery stores.

I’m embarrassed to admit that when I find anything new, or that I haven’t cooked in a long time, I simply stick it into a pizza or a calzone – at least the first time. The reason is very practical: my kids will eat positively anything if it’s deep-fried, or in the form of a pizza topping.

For the past two weeks, I’ve been on what my husband has deemed a “weed-spree”: no, that’s not what you think – I’m just referring to edible plants and herbs that sprout literally everywhere, on the side of the street and in your backyard; but while they are highly prized in Italian and French cuisine, here in the US most people never take advantage of them.

Growing up in Italy, I tried countless recipes with edible weeds. My mom made salads and frittatas with dandelion greens (the scourge of any lawn perfectionist!). One of our housekeepers, Pierina, would bring us baskets of ”bruscandoli“, hop shoots (yes – from beer hops) that literally invaded the street sides near her house in the suburbs of Venice: they tasted better than young asparagus and made fantastic risottos! My nonna, in Tuscany, would take me stinging nettle-hunting… armed with contractor’s gloves and “jungle boots”: her nettle soup and gnocchi were worth all the trouble. Finally, during a vacation in the Cinque Terre we discovered borage, which tastes like young cucumbers and the locals combine with ricotta in their traditional ravioli filling. Here in New York, most people consider it as a pest and will go to any lengths to get rid of it, bringing on the chemical warfare . They usually lose the battle, because borage and dandelions are among the most invasive plants. That’s why I recommend that, if you can’t kill it – you should eat it! (just make sure it’s not treated with any dangerous pesticides).

Spring Fling Pizza

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

1 hour

serves seres 4

Ingredients

1 lb pizza dough (home-made or store-bought)
¼ lb haricot verts
¼ lb romano beans (wide, flat string beans)
½ head red radicchio
1 small red onion
1 cup (unpacked) borage leaves
6 oz whole milk ricotta
6 oz Italian Stracchino, OR cottage cheese
1 or 2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of nutmeg (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

If using store-bought dough, take it out of the refrigerator (not freezer) and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

Prepare the haricots (I snip off the ends and eliminate the “thread”, unless you buy them already cleaned); clean the romano beans. Steam both together for about 15 minutes. Drain and cut into pieces.

Cut the radicchio into thin stripes. Slice the onion thinly.

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the whole garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute; add the haricots, the romano beans and the radicchio, and little salt, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring. Discard the garlic and allow to cool. In the meantime, blanch the borage for 3 minutes in salted boiling water, remove with a slotten spoon and gently pat dry with paper towel.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta with the cheese until smooth, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Combine with the haricots, romano beans and radicchio.

Dust the dough with flour, and also flour a work surface. Start by pressing out the dough using your fingers, and once it’s thinner and more malleable roll it out on a sheet of parchment with a floured rolling pin, to a thickness of about 3 mm. Distribute the dough in a parchment-lined baking pan (you can use a square “half-sheet pan” or experiment with other shapes. Build up the edges (the “crust”) with your fingers. Cook the "pizza crust" in your pre-heated oven at 400 F for 10 minutes without any topping, then take it out, spread the ricotta/vegetable mix on top, and decorate with the red onion rings and the borage leaves. Brush with a little olive oil, sprinkle with pepper, and bake for an additional 15 or 20 minutes or until golden. If the topping starts to brown too much, cover it with aluminium foil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/04/24/spring-fling-pizza/

Filed Under: Bread, Comfort food, Dairy, Special Diet, Sustainable, Vegetarian · Tagged: foraging, Italian herbs, Pizza, ricotta cheese, savory tart, spring recipe, sustainable, Vegetarian

Puff Slices with Dandelion Greens and Cheese

April 22, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 11 Comments

This week, the nice weather inspired me to check out my neighborhood “community gardens”, and I found a few fun things to cook with. Of course, if you live in the suburbs, you might already have a lot of these interesting greens growing in your own property.When it comes to that stubborn backyard weed… why kill them when you can eat them?

Dandelion greens, for example. They make a great addition to a salad, but you can also try something fancier. They pair perfectly with cheese. Make sure they are not treated with toxic chemicals. And stay tuned – more “weed” coming soon! Next is borage…..

Puff Slices with Dandelion and Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

serves 4

Ingredients

1 puff pastry sheet
1 cup (unpacked) dandelion leaves
4 to 6 ounces semi-soft, ripened cheese such as taleggio, Brie or Camembert
extra-virgin olive oil to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F. Wash the dandelion leaves and pat dry.

Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into rectangles. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment, leaving some space in between because they'll raise. . Brush with little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Decorate with the thinly sliced cheese and the dandelion. Drizzle with little more oil and add a touch of black pepper. Bake at 350 F in a pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden. Enjoy immediately.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/04/22/puff-slices-with-dandelion-greens-and-cheese/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Comfort food, Dairy, Sustainable, Vegetarian · Tagged: appetizer, Cheese, comfort food, dandelion, greens, herbes, Italian comfort food, sustainable, weeds

Eggplant Ricotta Lasagna

April 16, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 26 Comments

Eggplant Ricotta Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

serves 8

Ingredients

A little over 1 lb freshly made lasagnas OR just under1 lb dry lasagna (not the pre-cooked type)
2 1/2 lb fresh eggplant
2 lb strained tomatoes
1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
extra frying oil (olive or grape seed)
1 1/2 lb whole milk ricotta (if you find salted ricotta, mix 1 lb fresh ricotta with 1/2 lb crumbled salted)
1 cup grated parmigiano cheese, or to taste
salt and pepper
baking pan, about12 x 9 1/2 inches

Directions

Slice the eggplant into regular slices. For best results, slice vertically: when sliced in this direction, the eggplant fibers soak up less oil when fried. Cover with coarse salt (more than you think you need), and place in a colander in your sink, to sweat out their water or bitter juices (30 to 60 minutes). This is important because if they are too juicy inside, they’ll soak up oil like crazy when fried. In the meantime, heat 8 tbsp oil in a saucepan, add 1 clove garlic and the tomato, salt, and cook on low/medium heat for 10 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Cook the pasta according to instructions and dry the sheets on kitchen towels. After allowing the eggplant slices to “sweat” for at least 30 minutes, rinse them very well, one by one under running water, rubbing them, and then rinse again (more than you think you need). Now dry them (again… more than you think you need!) with paper towel. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan (I know it’s scary, but use a ton of oil. Like, close to 1 quart. The less oil you use, the more oil the eggplant will absorb – because the oil temperature will be more likely to drop when you drop the slices in). If you like using food thermometers, heat the oil to about 330-340F, or just do what I do: test it by dropping a tiny cube of bread or eggplant into it, and if lots and lots of tiny bubbles form around it, you are good to go. Fry the eggplant slices in batches (do not overcrowd the pan, or you’ll lower the temperature of the oil, ending up with greasy soggy slices). Oh, and I almost forgot: use tongs to put the slices in the oil, they are too heavy to be dropped in without getting splashed with hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden, and dry them on several layers of paper towel. Feel free to press the paper towel into the eggplant if you want to remove even more oil. Chop finely, setting only 4 or 5 whole slices aside. Brush a baking pan with little oil and start with a thin layer of the tomato sauce. I like to use earthenware but other materials also work, and as far as size you can go with something about 12 x 9 ½ in. Combine the rest of the sauce with the chopped fried eggplant. Alternate layers of lasagna, eggplant sauce, and ricotta, dusting each layer with little grated cheese. Decorate the top layer with the whole fried eggplant slices and extra grated cheese. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for about 30 minutes.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/04/16/eggplant-ricotta-lasagna/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Comfort food, Dairy, First course, Vegetarian · Tagged: Cheese, comfort food, eggplant parmisan, fried eggplant, lasagna, ricotta

Zucchini Flower and Strawberry Savory Tart

April 11, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 19 Comments

Seven years ago, when I was planning my wedding and the florist asked me what I would like to put in my bouquet, I joked that my favorite flowers are those that I can eat. If I ever end up stranded on a desert island with only one food, I hope it’s artichokes! Second in my top-ten list of edible flowers are zucchini and squash blossoms. They are gorgeous and ethereal (back to that wedding bouquet idea!), and quite popular in the cuisines of the Eastern Mediterranean, from Greece to Turkey and, of course, Italy.

Here in the US they used to be pretty hard to find, but lately I have seen them at farmers’ markets and large organic supermarkets, and don’t think I’ve ever been able to pass them up. When I was growing up, my mom would serve them as a special treat stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies and then battered and fried. That’s probably still my favorite way to enjoy them, but I can see how some of you would prefer something lighter, and quicker.

Zucchini flowers (actually, any kind of squash produces this type of blossoms) have a delicious subtle flavor, slightly sweet and herbal, that will remind you of young zucchini, and a chewy texture. That’s why you will love them raw, as a colorful addition to salads, or in pastas and soup. They also make a wonderful topping for pizzas and savory tarts (tarts – not pies! Why hide something this pretty?). Make sure to check the inside of the flowers well before you add them to your food, since some bugs can also appreciate gourmet ingredients!

Zucchini Flower and Strawberry Savory Tart

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 sheet unsweetened frozen puff pastry (or make your own!)
1 basket large ripe strawberries
12 asparagus
1 zucchini 4 to 6 zucchini blossoms/flowers
3 eggs (only 2 if extra-large)
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano or grana cheese
salt and pepper

Directions

Pre- heat your oven to 375 F (do NOT use your convection setting).

Eliminate the hard bottom part from the asparagus stems. Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes in slightly salted boiling water, drain them and place them in an ice bowl to preserve their green color.

Cut the zucchini and the strawberries into thin slices.

line a 10 x 7" or a 9 x 9" baking sheet with parchment. Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle , place pastry on a baking sheet, trimming the edges with a sharp knife. leaving about 1 extra inch from the sheet edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork or a toothpick, pierce dough at 1/2-inch intervals. Arrange the strawberries (set a few aside for later), the asparagus, the zucchini and the blossoms on top of the tart. Lightly beat the eggs with salt, pepper and the grated cheese, and pour over the tart. Decorate with the strawberries that were set aside.Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until golden, and serve warm accopanied by a simple arugola salad.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/04/11/zucchini-flower-and-strawberry-savory-tart/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Comfort food, Vegetarian ·

Grilled Vegetable Chicken Salad

April 8, 2013 · by dinnerinvenice · 15 Comments

“Interesting” salads are not exactly what Italian food is famous for, I know. However, some time in the 1980es, when I was a high school student, many firms and stores in Italy gave up the traditional long midday break, and large salads with more than just vegetables started popping up in the local trattorias as a quick and healthy lunch option.

The other day I posted instructions for grilling vegetables, and since these keep so well I couldn’t resist giving you an idea of what you could do with them, besides serving them as a side.

Grilled Vegetable Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast
1 bell pepper (red or yellow)
1 eggplant
2 zucchini
2 slices bread
8 tbsp (to taste) extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 rosemary sprig
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Peel the garlic, and place it (whole or minced, it's up to you ) in a cup with the oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Allow to rest for a few hours. Cut the chicken breast into chunks or strips. Cut the eggplant into 1/2" slices (with a mandolin) sprinkle them with coarse salt and place them in a colander in your sink for at least 30 mins. to sweat out any bitter juices. Seed the pepper, remove any white membranes, and cut it into slices. Slice the zucchini sideways, thinner than the eggplant. After 30 minutes of salting, rinse the eggplant slices well and pat them dry with paper towel.

Remove the crust from the bread, cut it into cubes, and toast it in the oven for about 5 minutes or until golden. Grill the chicken and the vegetables on a cast iron grill pan or on the barbecue, one type at a time (see my post on grilled vegetables for different cooking times and temperatures), brushing them with the prepared oil and turning them only once or twice. Arrange in a platter and serve warm, with the toasted bread cubes, and drizzled with the remaining flavored oil.

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/04/08/grilled-vegetable-chicken-salad/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Light and Healthy, Light/Diet, Quick/Easy, salad, Special Diet ·

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