These mushrooms are from a stand in Rome's best produce market, the Trionfale Market on Via Andrea Doria, Prati.
Today we enjoyed our meal in the tinello, warmed by the first fire of the fall season.
But before embarking on our day of cooking we sat down to enjoy this delicious date nut bread..
DATE NUT BREAD
Bake ¾ hour at 325° then increase to 350° for ½ hour for total of 1 ¼ hours or until cake tester comes out clean.
1 to 1 ¼ cups chopped dates soaked in 1½ cups boiling water. Allow to cool, remove dates and reserve the liquid
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar (300 grams)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2 ¾ cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts
Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.
Cream butter and brown sugar.
Add beaten egg, vanilla and beat well.
Add flour mixture alternately with water from dates in thirds beginning and ending with flour.
Mix well.
Add nuts and drained dates, mix well.
Pour into loaf pan greased and lined with waxed or parchment paper.
We made two soups today, a farro, carrot & mushroom soup and a zucchini flower soup. (Zucchini flowers are no longer in season, but we wanted to try this Mexican specialty).
SPELT SOUP WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS AND CARROTS
Spelt is a wonderfully nutritious ancient grain dating back 7,000 years. It is actively cultivated in Italy, particularly in the regions of Umbria, Toscana and Le Marche and is just now becoming known in the United States. It is particularly delicious in hearty winter
225 grams ( 8 ounces) farro
300 grams (10 1/2 ounces) porcini mushrooms (or other mixed)
200 grams ( 7 ounces) of carrots, thinly sliced disks
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp minced rosemary
1/4 Cup (60 ml) olive oil
50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) pork rind, cubed
1 Cup (240 ml) white wine
1 1/2 liter (6 1/2 cups) water
Salt, to taste, about 1 Tbsp.
150 grams (5 ounces) beans, pre-cooked (optional)
Cover the farro in tepid water and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until just tender.
In the meantime sauté the pork rind, onion and rosemary in the olive oil until the onion turns translucent.
Add the carrots and mushrooms and sauté several more minutes.
Add three ladels of the cooked farro and several ladels of cooking liquid and the wine. Simmer gently for about 4 minutes.
Add 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste). Add several more ladels of farro and cooking liquid and cook several more minutes. Continue gradually adding farro and cooking liquid to the mixture, cooking several minutes after each addition.
Add beans (any type) and their cooking liquid (optional).
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
ZUCCHINI FLOWER SOUP
2 Tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
650 grams zucchini flowers, cleaned and finely chopped
5 to 6 cups of light chicken broth
2/3 cup zucchini cut in 1 cm cubes
2/3 cup kernels of corn
Salt to taste
Heat olive oil in a frying pan.
Add onion and garlic and lightly fry without browning for 2 minutes.
Mix in flowers, cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. If the flowers are very fresh, the mixture will be juicy; uncover and continue cooking until tender and the juice has reduced, about 10 minutes. If the flowers tend to be dry, add 3 tbsp water and cook covered the whole time.
In a blender, put one cup of the flowers with 2/3 cup of the broth and blend until smooth.
Pour into a pot and mix the rest of the flowers, broth, zucchini, and corn, and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, around 10 minutes.
Add salt to taste, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
Porcini mushrooms need to be thoroughly cleaned with a delicate brush and paring knife....
Finferi (Chanterelle) and Porcini Mushrooms .....Sauteed and in a Creamy Risotto....
PORCINI & CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM RISOTTO
Adapted from Mario Batali’s Molto Italiano
400g fresh porcini, cleaned and chopped
500g chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
370g canaroli (or arborio) rice
White wine
100g freshly grated parmigiano.
3 Tbsp butter
Cream
Vegetable stock
Heat a small amount of olive oil and sauté mushrooms until the liquid they exude evaporates. Remove from heat, add a little salt, and put aside.
Heat more olive oil. Sauté onion until softened and translucent.
Add rice to onions and stir until thoroughly coated and opaque, about 3 minutes.
Add about ½ cup of wine. Stir until evaporated.
Add a 4 to 6 ounce ladleful of the stock and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking and adding stock a ladleful at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed each time before adding more. Continue this process for about 15 minutes, until the rice is fairly tender but has a bit of a bite (al dente).
Add the mushrooms, the parmigiano, a few tablespoons of cream, and butter. Cover and allow to sit for several minutes. Season with salt and serve.
Serves 10
Vegetable Stock:
1 onion
2 small celery stalks
2 carrots
1 leek
3 parsley sprigs
Salt
Put all ingredients in a large pot. Cover with about 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by at least one third.
Split Pea Patties...
SPLIT PEA PATTIES
This recipe comes from “Oggi Cucino Io” (Mondadori), a vegetarian cookbook of healthy recipes.
It makes a nutritious appetizer or side dish that should be served warm and with a spicy or sweet dip or a yogurt sauce.
The patties would be tastier if different seasoning, such as cumin & coriander, were used. The yogurt sauce is essential as the patties are somewhat dry.
150 grams split peas
1 bay leaf
1 potato, cooked peeled and pureed
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp chopped parsley
50 grams whole wheat flour
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt and pepper
Rinse and cook split peas for 30 min until soft in abundant water, with salt and bay leaf.
Drain them and add all other ingredients except the oil.
Make patties and place on greased cookie sheet. Brush patties with olive oil and place in preheated oven at 180 C. Bake for 15 minutes then turn them over and bake 15 more minutes or until golden.
Chicken with Caramelized Lemons
CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED LEMONS
(Spezzatino al limone caramellato)
From the October 2010 issue of Sale & Pepe
1.2 kg Chicken pieces (thighs and legs)
Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
A glass of dry white wine
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 lemons, trimmed ends, sliced lengthwise, then horizontally into thick slices
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper
Preheat oven to 160°C.
Place chicken pieces in large bowl.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
Add a handful of chopped fresh herbs, sliced garlic cloves, and lemons.
Drizzle all generously with extra virgin olive oil.
Transfer all to a shallow baking dish which will fit all the chicken pieces in a single layer.
Pour the glass of white wine over the seasoned chicken.
Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in oven for 50 minutes.
Raise oven temperature to 190°C.
Remove foil from baking dish, and return dish to oven.
Continue baking for another 45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.
If the chicken becomes too dry, add hot water 1 Tbsp. at a time.
The chicken is done when the lemons appear candied and caramelized and the chicken is cooked through, browned and all is crispy at the edges.
Serve with additional rosemary as garnish.
Grilled porcini mushrooms....
And the crowning glory was this delicious pear torte....
CARAMELIZED UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR TART
From epicurious.com, adapted from Betty Caldwell
4 large firm-ripe pears
250 ml (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
250 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pastry dough (made of only flour, butter and cold water)
Peel and halve pears, remove core (preferably with a melon baller).
Heat butter in a pan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add sugar and cook until caramelized.
Arrange pears in pan. Sprinkle them with cinnamon and cook until sugar turns a deep golden caramel. Turn them carefully, to spread caramelized sugar-butter liquid.
Transfer pears to a pie pan and let them cool.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°C.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin.
Shape into a round to fit your pie pan.
Arrange the pastry over caramelized pears, tucking edge around pears inside rim of pie pan.
Optional: glaze the pastry with an egg and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over it.
Bake tart until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes.
Place a serving plate over the baked pie and invert tart onto plate.
Serve tart warm or at room temperature. Serve with whipped cream mixed with mascarpone.
