la zucca!...the pumpkin!

Pumpkins are one of my favorite fall vegetables because you can make so many unique dishes with them! I know I should have written about them on Halloween, but really we're right in the middle of pumpkin season! In Italy, they're in season from September to the end of November; the season is similar in the States.

Today I had my pick at the local market. I chose a 6 kilo pumpkin grown and harvested in the Piedmont area where I live. All the signs at the many fruit and vegetable stands here always say where the produce comes from. Something I'll have to research is whether this is required by law, a marketing technique, or just custom.

I cut my pumpkin up into big slices, put the seeds in a bowl to clean, and rinsed the pumpkin pieces. Right now all but a few chunks are roasting in my oven.

Here in Italy, you can't buy the ready-made canned pumpkin mush, so everything must be made from scratch - and it tastes so much better this way! And you don't eat any conservatives, and promote local production! I'll used my roasted pumpkin mush to make pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie. The few pieces I left raw, I'll refrigerate and use in the next five days to make pumpkin risotto and this yummy looking Rigatoni with Roasted Pumpkin and goat cheese recipe I found on Martha Stuart's website: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/rigatoni-with-roasted-pumpkin-and-goat-cheese.

So with a bit of Google searching, I tried to figure out exactly what kind of pumpkin I bought today. I already knew that pumpkins were in squash family, but I didn't realize they were so closely related to zucchinis too! I guess it makes sense even looking at the two words in Italian - zucca and zucchini. Anyways, I think I got a pumpkin from the cucurbita maxima variety.

15 minute break from writing - I had to peel the skin off my roasting pumpkin. About an hour into roasting the slices, I take them out of the oven and peel off the skin. After sitting in the oven awhile, the skin comes off a but easier - if you follow my suit, just be careful not to burn your fingers, our slice them with the knife because pumpkins can get pretty slimy! I do this half way also because if you wait until the pumpkin is fully cooked and practically in its mashed form, in can be tricky to take off and separate the skin. So much work for mashed pumpkin! But it's so worth it!

PS - cover your roasting pumpkins with a bit of foil, otherwise they can get dry and even a bit burnt. 

I'll now let the pumpkin pieces roast an hour more. Then I'll take them out a again, mash them up, let everything cool down, and put it in the fridge, and some in the freezer, until I' ready to use it. I read that you could run your mashed pumpkin through a food processor to make it even more creamy. I still haven't bought a new food processor since mine broke over a year ago, but I don't mind the naturally stringy texture of the mashed pumpkin. I'll leave that choice up to you.

Don't forget to save and roast your pumpkin seeds with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper!

So, back to what kind of pumpkin I bought. It's pretty tricky - I didn't ask the lady I bought it from, and at least two of the four species I'm finding in Italy - cucurbita maxima duch., cucurbita moschata duch., cucurbita pepo l., and cucurbita melanosperma,[i] seem to produce round-shape pumpkins. According to the official agricultural web page of the Piedmont region, all the pumpkins in this area are exclusively produced in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti.[ii] I can't find anymore clues online - anyone have any tips on how to identify the varieties of your produce? (besides asking next time :)

My recipe suggestions this week are several....

1. Make pumpkin pie from scratch! I use this recipe, including the recipe for the crust. I use heavy cream and not condensed milk. Here's a picture of my pie from last year's Thanksgiving. It was so fun to introduce my Italian friends to this American fall tradition! (and my family's tradition of shooting whip cream directly in each other's mouths from the can)

The white-frosted pie in front of the pumpkin pie also has pumpkin as the start ingredient. It's a "pumpkin spice" pie. I used the recipe for pumpkin spice bars topped with cream cheese frosting, using my made-from-scratch mashed pumpkin of course, and it was a huge hit.

2. Pumpkin soup - now that it's freezing outside, it's definitely soup season. I use the recipe posted on the Glocal Eating Recipes page, but I add fresh cherry tomatoes at the end to give it a fresh taste.

3. Roasted pumpkin with honey - super easy dessert. I ate this with my co-workers two weeks ago in Budapest (will be writing about Hungary soon!) after a salad at lunch. Just put a small chunk of pumpkin in the oven to roast around half an hour with some honey on top! You could sprinkle on some cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to make a mini-faux-pumpkin pie!

4. Pumpkin gnocchi al ragù

My co-worker stole this recipe from his mother-in-law for me! Thank you Salvo and Dana!

(my boyfriend and his brother, my little lab rats, ate triple servings!)

Ingredients:

** These are enough ingredients to make one layer of gnocchi ragu goodness. If you want two layers as the original recipe calls for, either make smaller gnocchi than I did, or double the recipe. **

Instructions:

The day before, make the ragù....

1. Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside.

2. Make a few cups of broth (with a meat, chicken, or vegetable bouillon cube - I used vegetable).

3. If you didn't buy it chopped up into little pieces, chop up the pancetta into little pieces. Chop up the onion finely, and use a cheese grater or a peeler to slice the carrot into very thin slices.

4. Put the pancetta in the pot and turn the fire on low. Let the pancetta sizzle in its fat, add in the onion and carrot, and a bit of olive oil. Let the vegetables wilt slowly.

5. When they look pretty cooked, add in the ground beef. Break it up and mix it in with the pancetta and vegetables.

6. Add in the wine.

7. And then add in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth.

8. Add in the milk and let simmer on low heat for around two hours. Add in more broth if needed. I  left my batch of ragu uncovered the first hour, and covered the second.

9. Refrigerate up to five days until you're ready to use!

Make the gnocchi...

1. Put one and a half cups of the pumpkin pulp in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add in three cups of flour (I used "organic white bread flour" and it worked fine), 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan and Pecorino cheese, and a large pinch of salt.

3. Mix everything together until the dough forms a ball - you'll have to abandon your mixing spoon and use your hands to kneed the dough into a nice ball with a uniform consistency. It will be just a bit sticky, but you don't need to add extra flour!

 

4. Put a small pot of water to boil.

5. In the meantime, roll the dough into little balls (mine were about 3cm in diameter) and put them on a plate or somewhere convenient to drop into the boiling water.

6. When the water has started to boil, drop in 5-6 balls of dough at a time into the pot. Gently mix around the collating spoon (large metal spoon with holes) you will use to extract the gnocchi to make sure none of them are sticking together.

7. After a few minutes (the exact time will  depend on how big you made your gnocchi), your gnocchi should begin to float in the boiling water. When they float, they are ready! Congratulations on making gnocchi from scratch! Take them out with the collating spoon and gently shake them free of water. Put them in the pan you will use to bake them in the oven. Repeat this process until all of your gnocchi are cooked.

Prepare the final dish....

1. After the you have a layer of cooked gnocchi covering your oven pan, cover them with the ragù you made the other day. (Then if you made smaller gnocchi or want to do the two layer option the original recipe calls for, repeat this step.)

2. On top of the ragù, sprinkle lots of the remaining grated Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses.

3. Put in the oven to warm up! (I think I left mine in there around15 minutes - it will depend on how much ragù you added to the pan).

ENJOY!!! This is definitely my favorite recipe on my blog so far. I for sure will make these beautiful gnocchi again, and perhaps I'll try a butter and sage sauce (also good with gnocchi made of spinach and ricotta).

I hope you enjoy making all of these yummy pumpkin treats because they are really good for you! Pumpkins are full of anti-oxidants, a few of which help boost your vitamin A - good for your vision and immune system. Pumpkin's are also a good source of fiber, which helps with cholesterol, prevent heart disease, and promote good digestion. Pumpkins are also full of potassium and magnesium![iii]

I just want to share a few more pictures with you all of the pumpkin sagra (fair) I went to last year. Its location changes from year to year and this year I couldn't go because the hosting town wasn't reachable by public transportation! Last year, I got to see all the locally grown varieties of pumpkins, squashes, and gourds. I also bought amazing pumpkin bread (with a texture more like our dinner roles, not like banana bread) and pumpkin fritters covered in honey.

 

 

Readers, what have you eaten with pumpkin recently? Did you go to a pumpkin patch this year for Halloween? Do they explain anything at American pumpkin patches about where their pumpkin seeds come from? Do they support local farmers? Leave comments on anything you have to say about pumpkins :) Grazie!

BACI

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[i] http://www.agraria.org/coltivazionierbacee/zucca.htm

[ii] http://www.regione.piemonte.it/agri/vetrina/ortofrutta/ortaggi/zucca_colt.htm

[iii] http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_benefits_of_pumpkin

Funghi...Mushrooms

Last night I had one of those heavenly food experiences... and I just couldn't wait to write about it until next week. We went to our friend's family restaurant in Settimo Vittone, a little town at the edge of the Piedmont region, almost in the Valle d'Aosta region of Italy where the Alps are in full force. Every time we go to this restaurant we leave totally satisfied and extremely full. Check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Settimo-Vittone-Italy/Osteria-La-Sosta/112546454587?ref=ts. They specialize in Piedmont cuisine, but last night they prepared us a special dinner of funghi (mushrooms)!

Check out what we ate:

The Piedmont tradition involves many appetizers. Our first one of the night was a plate of affettati, or sliced cold meat. We were served  some real delicacies: fresh, sweet prosciutto, savory lard (the word lard sounds nasty but believe me, cut right and of good quality, it tastes amazing), and salami made of potatoes and cow's blood.

The next appetizer started the funghi theme of the evening: raw mushrooms marinated in oil and vinegar.

Next, we ate one of my favorite dishes that I have discovered since moving to Torino: Albese meat... coated with buttery, sauteed mushrooms. Albese meat refers to thinly cut beef served raw. It has to be of good quality and to retain its particular rosey-red color, must be served immediately. This tradition comes from the Piedmont town of Alba, a small city in the Langhe region of northern Italy. The Langhe area is one of the major wine-producing regions of Italy, and wines coming from Alba are internationally known. If you search "carne albese" in Google, you'll see that there's even a Facebook page dedicated to it!

When everyone dug their forks into the next dish, I noticed that there was that silence that sub-consciously comes on when eating something that totally wows you and you momentarily forget where you are and who you're with because all your mind can focus on is how good the flavors are that are sliding over your tongue.  It was described to us as a flan ai funghi. The crust was soft, but slightly crispy. The egg inside didn't have an egg-y taste, but rather a creamy, buttery taste. The mushrooms folded and baked into the mixture retained their freshly-picked-from-the-forest taste. And the sauce on the plate made of Fontina cheese, served at the perfect temperature, made us lick our lips.

I was already pretty full at this point, but who could refuse what you see in the next picture?!? Tagliatelle ai funghi porcini.... the pasta was freshly made that afternoon, the mushrooms were big and plentiful. I feel lucky to have this yummy plate digesting right now in my stomach.  Ahhh...

My dessert didn't have mushrooms in it, but I'm including the photo to complete my meal, and because it pertains to my last post on chestnuts. To finish up last night, I ordered bavese alle castagne con panna - bavase I can't find a translation for, but it was basically like a sweet souffle, and castagne con panna means chestnuts with cream. 

The end of the last week, we also went out to eat mushrooms. I have to say that although this first restaurant was more pricey, and we enjoyed our meals, it can't compare with La Sosta. Here's some of the dishes we ate there:

funghi e carciofi fritti (fried mushrooms and artichoke hearts)

gnocchi al pomodoro e funghi (gnocchi in red sauce with mushrooms)

more tagliatelle ai funghi (can you see the difference?)

On the way home from the restaurant last night, our friend and adopted grandfather born and raised in Piedmont claimed he could recognized at least 100 species of mushrooms. Then he brought the number down to 60. He managed to list off six different types and their various characteristics: color, taste, level of poison.

In Italy, there are over 900 species of mushrooms![i] And there are a bunch of laws, permits and rules on how and when mushrooms can be harvested. They sprout in the humid and chilly fall months. Just be careful about mushroom hunting on your own because many are toxic and you should be accompanied by an expert to be able to tell apart the toxic ones from nearly identical-looking yummy ones.

Apparently, according to our trusted Piedmont friend, most mushrooms have low level of poisonous substances inside, and too many mushrooms can really wreak havoc on your system. You know you're eating among Italians when everyone is talking about how what you're eating affects a certain organ or function of your body. Last night, everyone made comments on how all these mushrooms were going to be giving at little hit to their livers. My (very brief) research shows that mushrooms can be very good for you. Studies have shown that they can prevent certain cancers, are good for the immune system, and were part of the first antibiotics.[ii]

In the States, and also in Italy, you can find dried mushrooms yearlong. Just make sure they didn’t package them with any special chemicals!

For this post, I would like to suggest a recipe I cooked up two years ago to win over my current boyfriend (because as they say not only in Italian but in many languages, “the way to a man’s heart is through is stomach”).

Polenta al forno con porcini e gorgonzola 

Ingredients:

polenta

Parmesan cheese

butter

shallots

porcini mushrooms (fresh or dried)

cream for cooking or whole milk

white table wine

gorgonzola cheese

salt and pepper 

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.

1. Boil about three times as much water as the amount of polenta you want to cook (the amounts for the cheese sauce that follows is enough to cover small amount of polenta for about 4 people).

2. When the water starts boiling, slowly pour in the polenta, constantly stiring and making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. My good friend suggested that I add in a bit of grated Parmesan cheese at this point to give the polenta a little extra kick of flavor. I tried it with another recipe and it was great! Turn the heat down and keep stiring until the polenta becomes denser and pulls away from the pot.

3. Pour into an oven-proof pan and spread out evenly. Put in the oven the bake around 15 minutes. This will give it a more tender texture and make it possible to cut into little bars. (You can see in the picture that I didn't do this to mine the first time.)

4. If you have dried mushrooms, let them soak in warm water until mushroom-like again, probably around 20-30 minutes. Cut mushrooms into slices, I prefer them length-wise.

5. Melt 1.5 tablespoons of butter in a large pan.

6. Add the mushrooms and chopped up shallot, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are softened and golden, around 7 minutes.

7. Add some wine, around 1/2 cup, and simmer until reduced by half.

8. Add the cream (or whole milk) and Gorgonzola cheese and cook over low heat around 7 minutes again. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

9. Pour on top of the baked polenta and serve!

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[i] http://www.funghiitaliani.it/angizio/LibroGiunti_02/Preview.pdf

[ii] http://www.health.pon.net/nmh.html