In the Style of Toscana

Stufato di verdure alla Toscana

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Stufato di verdure is a northern Italian vegetable stew common to Tuscany. This version was served with a poached farm egg and garlic-rubbed sourdough toast. The word stufata is a cooking technique similar to a braise, in which the ingredients are cooked in little or no water. The juices from the vegetables themselves form the stew’s gravy. Stufato should be served immediately lest the vegetables absorb what little liquid there is. Then it becomes more like ciambotta, a southern Italian dish that’s related to both ratatouille and caponata.

Stufato is a year-round dish that’s limited only by your imagination and availability of ingredients at your local market. In autumn, it can feature pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, cranberry beans, cauliflower and peppers. In the winter, it might contain black cabbage, potatoes, carrots, chard and kale. In the spring, fava beans, baby artichokes, baby leeks, young peas, green garlic and turnips.

You can make stufato several hours ahead and reheat, or serve it at room temperature. This goes well with a crisp white wine such as a pinot gris or Tokay d’Alsace.

Midsummer Bounty

Some pix from this morning at Union Square Greenmarket. Some of what you see in this post will appear in meals throughout this week’s menu.

Strawberries — Simple is best when it comes to in-season strawberries. I like them with cream and a bit of sugar, or with a touch of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of black pepper. Breakfast tip: try a bowl of fromage blanc with strawberries macerated in vanilla sugar and chopped mint.

Sucrine — Rooted in the French word for “sugar,” sucrine (sugar lettuce sounds better) is a smaller variety of romaine with soft, silky leaves, buttery texture, and, as the name suggests, a sweet-ish flavor. You can take the elongated core of the lettuce, peel it, and steam it — it is as delicate as asparagus and just as delicious.

Green garlic — Green garlic is young garlic which is harvested before the cloves have begun to mature. The resulting vegetable resembles a scallion, with a deep green stalk and a pale white bulb. It can often be found for sale at a farmers’ market in the spring, and can also be grown at home relatively easily. Many large grocery stores do not stock green garlic, although growing consumer demand may change this. It can also usually be special ordered through a greengrocer.

Gnocchi 4

Ricotta gnocchi with zucchini, celery, green garlic and mint

Celery is not usually thought of as a vegetable to be served outside of crudités or in salads, and that’s a shame. It has a delicate flavor and a clean taste that often surprises those who have never experienced it cooked. Here, I’ve briefly sautéed it in a little butter with some zucchini and green garlic. Chopped mint and celery leaves are added at the end, along with a touch of salt.

This is wonderful paired with a glass of white wine, such as a sauvignon blanc or a riesling.

Gnocchi 3

When I started this blog three years ago, I didn’t know what I wanted to blog about.

I thought a combination of politics, poetry, LGBT, writing and food would be a good mix. I guess the food eventually won out. Somewhere along the way, food photography entered the picture. As time progressed, my photography skills improved [i.e., not as much flash photography, more use of natural light]. I’m still not satisfied with things on that end. For instance, when I’m eating out, I can’t take a picture in a low-light setting to save my life so I usually miss out on some great shots. I guess that’s a goal for the future.

I recognize that this here blog thingy isn’t well known. Very likely that’s because I haven’t networked as much compared to some folks on my blogroll. And I still have to get over my fear of Facebook.

So you can imagine my surprise when Kaela of Local Kitchen gave me a One Lovely Blog award. That’s the first time I’ve ever won a blog award of sorts. The 10 blog thing might take some thought so I’m afraid I’m going to have to sit on that for a bit while I sort things out.

In the meantime, here’s some [food] eye candy:

Sheep’s milk ricotta gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms, zucchini and nasturtium flowers

The gnocchi from two weeks ago was such a hit that I think it’s earned a permanent place in my repertoire. There’s a lightness and a subtlety that comes from the ricotta. Potato-based gnocchi [while good in its own right when made well] just doesn’t compare.

If you can’t find chanterelles, use regular supermarket button mushrooms.

If you live in New York City, nasturtium flowers can be found at Union Square Greenmarket on Saturdays. Fresh chives are a good substitute.

unsalted butter
chanterelles, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 large zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
kosher salt, to taste
freshly milled black pepper, to taste
fresh thyme, chopped
4 or 5 nasturtium petals, chopped

Ideally you’ll want the ingredients prepped ahead of time. As the gnocchi cooks, make the sauce.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and briefly sauté, about one minute. Add zucchini and sauté until zucchini is partially softened, about two to three minutes. Add mushrooms and a scant pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally or until chanterelles are browned, about an additional two to three minutes. Remove from heat.

I like to add another pat of butter at this point for additional richness but the sauce is good as is.

Check seasoning. Lift gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place in individual serving plates or bowls. Spoon sauce over gnocchi. Scatter with nasturtium petals and thyme, and serve immediately.