It's not Anise!

I wanted something out of the ordinary for my dinner guest this weekend. So off to market I went. Passing over the asparagus and root vegetables, I bought a head of fennel, as it spoke springtime to me.


I have such fond memories of fennel. Every Thanksgiving it found its way into the Cornucopia that my mother filled with fall fruits and vegetables. After a big dinner, fennel always seemed to calm our overstuffed bellies.

Finnocchio, its Italian name and country of origin, has been growing since the 17th century. It was brought to the United States in 1824 when our Italian ambassador, Thomas Appleton sent seeds to Thomas Jefferson. Used in the experimental garden of Monticello, Jefferson began the cultivation of fennel in America. Today it is grown mostly in Northern California; where climate and the Mediterranean diet most mimic that of Italy.

Fennel, while related, is not Anise. Florence fennel, with its sweet-scent and crispness, is my preferred variety and one that you will easily find in American grocery stores and farmers markets. You will get your money’s worth, as each part from feathery greens down to the bulb, is edible.

Fennel can be enjoyed raw, baked, grilled, stir-fried or pureed. It is available year round but is at peak season from early fall through spring.

Selection: choose hard, bright fennel. Look for round, squatty bulbs. The outer layer should not be dry, split or browning along the edges. The tops should be brilliant green, aromatic and fluffy.

Storage: Unfortunately fennel does not store well. Refrigerate, plastic wrapped, for a few days.

Preparation: cut off the greens, wrap and refrigerate. Trim stalks and tough outer layers. Reserve these pieces for soup stock or for roasting poultry..

While I enjoy eating fennel raw like celery sticks, here is one of my favorite salad recipes:



Fennel, Orange, and Green Olive salad with Lemon Dressing

16 medium green olives

1 or 2 lemons

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/3 cup finely diced red onion

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium Florence fennel bulbs

2 medium navel oranges

Directions:

1. Pit and thinly slice the olives.

2. Zest one lemon measuring ¼ of zest

3. Squeeze lemon to yield 3 tablespoons of juice

4. Mix juice, zest, orange juice, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and emulsify.

5. Add onion and olives to liquid.

6. Remove greens and stems and set aside for another use. Remove any dry or fibrous sections of the bulb. Thinly slice the bulb on a vegetable slicer.

7. Arrange fennel on salad plates.

8. Cut and peel the oranges, removing the pith. Slice into very thin rounds and cut into quarters. Arrange around the fennel. Top with dressing, arranging olives and onions evenly on the salad.

Serves 4

This Not That

I am sure you've seen the books or heard the term "Eat This, Not That." It's a great concept for reducing dietary calories and boosting your health.  Well it's also a great way to boost flavor in your diet.  Adding rich flavors by selecting the right ingredients is a super way to reduce calories as well.  Give these new and old ideas a try.

1. Nuts instead of croutons. Instead of high fat bread cubes, nuts add protein, healthy fats and a satisfying crunch to salads. Choose walnuts and almonds for a heart healthy addition to any pile of greens.  Remember to go easy, as they still contain calories.

2. Rolled Oats instead of Breadcrumbs. Oats are a whole grain and will meet your daily requirement of "make 1/2 your grains whole" when replacing salty, refined bread crumbs. Oats are high in fiber, B vitamins and iron with just a fraction of salt.  Add some herbs to create your own flavor booster.

3. Pureed Sweet Potatoes instead of Cream to thicken soups. There is still a bite in the air so don't stop making those bone warming soups as we wait for Spring temperatures to settle in.  Replace high calorie cream with pureed sweet potatoes to thicken your soup stock. You'll be boosting your potassium intake with this simple change.

4. Soda Water instead of Tonic Water. Tonic water is high in sugar, soda water is not. While you will taste the difference the calorie savings will be worth it.

5.  Zucchini Ribbons instead of Pasta. Now no Italian worthy of their heritage, like myself, is going to give up eating pasta, but a replacement from time to time won't hurt. Using a mandoline or peeler, ribbons of zucchini can be created. No need to boil but baking or saute will do the trick.  Uncooked thin slices of squash also make nice lasagna noodles for a menu change.

6. Mashed Avocado for Butter or Oil in Baking. Avacados will give you a supply of "good" fats. Instead of raising your cholesterol, avacados will help keep healthy levels of cholesterol in your blood stream.

7. Applesauce or mashed banananas instead of oil, butter or sugar. Applesauce adds sweetness to your baked goods without adding any fat. A little extra fiber will be added as well.

8.  Whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour. Another great way to "make 1/2 your grains whole.  Now truth be told, I am not a real fan of a recipe using all whole wheat, so I make at least 1/2 of the flour requirement whole wheat.  This keeps the texture of your baked goods a little more tender and moist.  Hey a little whole wheat is better  than none at all!

Article adapted from Time,What to Eat Now 2013

Thinking of Spring

Hello again friends.  I am resurfacing after a long winters nap.

 It's a tricky time of year isn't it?  The impatient waiting for the temperatures to reach comfortable levels and the readiness to get a little dirt under my finger nails seems to be at odds with one another. I just had to have some "color therapy' as the drabness of winter just about pulled me under.  I love that the Philadelphia flower show is strategically scheduled for early March.  My annual trip has proven to be just what the doctor ordered. The blast of colors, endless vendors selling seeds and a plethora of gardening ideas just boost my spirits. 

I'm ready to go, with my onion sets, pea seeds and cool crop plants patiently sitting on my kitchen counter.  I am hoping that this weekend will be kind to me and I can get some of these things planted. 

How about you? Thinking of giving gardening a try this season?  I found some crops to be incredibly easy to grow and want to encourage you to give them a try. Here are some vegetables you may want to consider growing:
1. Onions
2. Peas
3. Carrots (just dug up the remains of last years crop a week ago.  They were so yummy and sweet!)
4. Kale
5. Swiss Chard
6. Brussel Sprouts

Planting Zones are very important.  If you are new to gardening you will need to understand what planting zone you live in and follow zones guidelines carefully.  Visit this site to determine your zone and planting schedule. www.thevegetablegarden.info/planting-schedules

Happy Spring!

Olives, Glorious Olives

Oh I so wanted to be out in the fields climbing the ladders into the olive trees and helping with the harvest, but I was a bit too early.  Olive harvest is fast approaching in Italy.  The collection of those black gems occurs between late October to mid November and it will literally take a village to harvest them all.

As I made my way through mid to northern Italy this month I notice orange netting all along the countryside.  This netting is in place to catch the olives that will be harvested.  The netting is wrapped around the tree trunks and across the surrounding ground to make collection of the olives most efficient.  Depending on the slope of your land, the amount of money you have and the age of your olive trees will determine how those olives are released from the branches.  If you can afford it you may bring an mechanical tree shaker into your olive grove, or you may just get a wooden ladder and prop it up against the trunk.  For those who can afford a mechanical method, machines are brought in to actually hug the tree trunks and give them a shake, causing the olives to fall to the ground. For those of lesser means, which would be most local farmers living throughout the Tuscany region, you will call all of your friends and family to come and assist you with the harvest. Pickers climb simple wooden ladders and hand pick those precious jewels or rake and shake the branches until all the olives fall into the nets.

Time is of the essence and you have none to waste if you want a good quality olive oil. Throughout the region, olive oil processors are replacing the old fashion stone processing methods.  A smart farmer knows that they need to keep up with technology and that time is money, so many are having their olives pressed at local olive oil processing plants. 

Here is how it currently works-

You call the processor of your choice and make an appointment to have your olives processed.  You tell them that you will be picking on a particular date and how many acres of trees you will be harvesting and your picking method.  This will determine how long the harvesting process will take,.  From that calculation you are given a time to bring your crop to the plant. An early morning harvest on a 10 acre farm may give you a 3:00 pm appointment at the processing plant. A good olive farmer knows that the longer the olives seat off the trees then less desirable the olive oil will taste, so quick work is imperative. Your olives are quickly brought to the plant where the olives will be sorted, washed, crushed and pressed into oil. Nothing is wasted, even the pits release a usable oil that is included in the finished product.

Once your olives have been pressed, you then take your finished product to be bottled or stored as you wish.  Many Tuscan's will make oil for their own use.  A family that I stayed with had two Foosties (stainless steel containers designed for storing and dispensing oil) in their basement where their oil was stored.  They process enough oil each year to supply their immediate family (and grandma too) enough to last until next years harvest. 

Olive oil must be kept in a cool dark place to keep it fresh and free from rancidity.  Never store your oil in the refrigerator as it will coagulate and be difficult or impossible to pour. Try it some time- place a little oil in a glass or if you have an olive oil based salad dressing, place it in your refrigerate for about an hour. What happens?

Here are some interesting facts about olives that you may not know:

1. Did you know that olives only come in one color? When they are young and immature they are green.  When they are fully ripened they are black in color.  You  may have eaten or seen beautiful red, deep green or very black olives.  They get to be that color because of the processing-brine, water, or lye.  

Olives eaten right from the tree are very biter. To make them edible and enjoyable they need to be processed,

2. Olives are considered a fruit and come from the Olea europea tree.  There are a few varieties including the arbequina, bosana, kalamata, manzanilla and mission. 

3. Olives are extremely healthy for you and should be found in your daily diet!  Pop a few in your mouth each day or incorporate olive oil into your cooking. Olives are high in cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats and provide you with many health-protective nutrients, including a variety of antioxidants.

4. A cup of olives will provide 22% of your daily requirement (DV) of iron (recommended 2,000 calorie diet), 16% of your DV of fiber and 20% DV for copper and provide 148 calories.  So eat up!

5. A study published in this years Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that daily consumption of olive oil or olives may protect against age -related cognitive decline or Alzheimer's disease. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry found that olive skins contain important antioxidants that may protect against breast cancer cell growth.

Give these fantastic olive treats a try-

Either jarred or from an olive bar, olives come in a variety of colors and flavors .  Red, green, large and small, crinkled, pitted or stuffed there is an olive out there to please any palate.  I enjoy olives brined with lemons or stuffed with garlic cloves or garnished with fresh herbs like rosemary. Tapenade, or olive spread, makes a great snack or appetizer.  Toss it with pasta or top a pizza, or add some to a salad.  Oh the possibilities are endless!

Meat meat meat

Yesterday was an amazing and incredible day! We went to the town of Panzano where the famous butcher Dario resides. Mario Batali studied under this butcher and now I know why.  This guy has a personality begged than life.

When the mad cow epidemic hit England,  Tuscany, known for it's "bistecca" or beef steak, band the sale of T-bone steak. The meat closest to the bone was thought to carry the mad cow disease so no t- bone steak was permitted to be sold in Italy. Instead of fighting it, Dario held a funeral for the steak, including a funeral march down the streets of Panzano. A grave marker has been hung outside of Dario's shop. The plaque reads "It is better to die then to live an injuries life." Today, with mad cow eradicated, the beef steak lives again!

We had dinner at Dario's. trust me the steak is alive.  I never had so much meat served to me in my life. More on that later!

We are off to another winery.

Ciao,

Lenelle

Life in Italy!

I

Life in Italy is amazing-at least from my current experience! I have so much to share but little time and internet connections.  So I will write fast!  We have seen some amazing things- Parmesan cheese, Lambrusco wine, Culatello ham, and balsamic vinegar- all from local artisans.  We are now at a local Agriturisimo or a working farm that doubles as a bed and breakfast. Our hostess is amazing, our food ridiculously delicious. There are olive groves and acres of grape vines used for making Chianti wine on this farm. Tomorrow we will learn about how olive oil is processed and we will meet a world famous butcher.  Now we head to town to eat some regional pizza.  Stay tune..

Ciao-

Lenelle

Un Caffe

I am no longer counting down the days to Italy, but the hours! I understand that one of the first things I will need to do when I set foot on Italian soil is to grab a cup of " un caffe".  I love drinking coffee in Italy.  There is no such thing as a cup of coffee on the run in Italy.  Everything is meant to be savored and drinking coffee is no exception.  I remember stopping for coffee at a gas station on my first trip only to be surprised that it was served to me in a China cup.  I love this!

Ordering a cup of coffee in Italy is actually an art.  Here is a quick lesson on taking an Italian coffee break.

Caffè (kah-FE) - when ordering: 'un caffè'

We might call it espresso; a small cup (usually the equivalent of a shot glass...or less) of strong coffee.  When dispensed out of a machine, which is likely how you will most often receive it, it has a caramel-colored foam on the top called "crema".

Decafinato (deh-kah-fee-NAH-toe) - when ordering:  'un caffè decafinato'

Usually available, but don't be too surprised if it's not.  The "hi test" is most popular, partially because of its perceived aid with digestion after a meal.

Cappuccino (pronounced kah-pu-CHEE-no) - when ordering: 'un cappuccino'

A shot of espresso in a large(er) cup with steamed milk and foam.  Italians stay away from Cappuccino after about 11 a.m.  If you see a bunch of people sitting around drinking cappuccini at three in the afternoon, congratulations, you've found the tourist bar.

Caffè Americano (kah-FE ah-mer-ee-KAH-no)/Caffè lungo (Kah-FE LOON-go)/Acqua sporca (AH-kwah SPORE-kah) - when ordering: 'un caffè americano'

American coffee/"long" coffee/or "dirty water", as Italians might call it. They'll let the water pour from the machine until the coffee becomes weak and bitter.  Essentially the coffee we are used to in America.

Caffè macchiato (kah-FE mahk-YAH-to) - when ordering: 'un caffè macchiato"

Coffee "stained" with milk.  This is very commonly seen...espresso with just a touch of milk foam on top, served in an espresso cup.  A mini-cappuccino, sort of, that is ordered at any time of day.

Caffè latte (kah-FE LAH-te) - when ordering: 'un caffè latte'

Espresso with hot milk, a cappuccino without the foam usually served in a glass. This is what you might call a "latte" in the US. In Italy, outside of tourist joints, you run the risk of getting what you asked for - milk, or worse yet, steamed milk.

Latte macchiato (Lah-te mahk-YAH-to) - when ordering: 'un latte macchiato'

Steamed milk "stained" with espresso, served in a tall glass.

Caffè freddo (kah-FE FRAYD-o) - when ordering: 'un caffè freddo'

Iced, or at least cold, coffee

Caffè corretto (kah-FE ko-RE-to) - when ordering: 'un caffè corretto con grappa'

Coffee "corrected" with a drizzle of liquor.  Grappa is a common addition, cognac or sambuca.

See you at the coffee bar!

Ciao-

Lenelle