This month’s Oil and Salt recipes celebrate the holiday of love.
Valentines Day has come again, not a day, as I recollect, unlike Thanksgiving or Christmas, that has a specific menu attached to the romance of it all.
This Valentine’s Day, however, watch here as our chef Nancy prepares a tasty and romantic menu for lovers of all ages too share. Set the mood…turn off the mobile, unplug the landline, light a fire in the hearth, dinner by candlelight, wine and a bouquet of twenty-four, long stem red and white roses. Go for it!
Although there seems to be no definitive explanation of the origins of what has become one of our most romantic of holidays, it has been adopted over the years as the day to celebrate love and the notions of love. Valentine’s Day.
And now on to the lovely recipes from our lovely Nancy:
Pork Roast di Laura Barzolotti
Cannellini Alberto
Spinach with Garlic & Oil
Arista di Maiale di Laura Barzolotti – Pork Roast di Laura Barzolotti
This dish was shared with me by a friend from Italy, Laura Barzolotti. Laura lives near our farm in Florence, on a hill in the area known as Arcetri. Her home is across the street from “Villa il Gioiello” (The Jewel), home of Galileo, where he observed the stars, and where he spent his last years under house arrest.
I met Laura through an American friend, who asked me to join her at Laura’s home for some casual cooking lessons. It was just the two of us and Laura, and we became fast friends and shared a lot of laughs as well as gorgeous recipes, which I now share with you.
The aroma of this dish while it is cooking will fill your home with the warm scents of rosemary, bay and sage on a wintery day. The trick is to chop all of the herbs and spices together, creating a crusty herb rub. This is the perfect opportunity to use that mezzaluna tool you might have hanging around the kitchen – otherwise a large sharp knife will do. The lemon peel is essential, and as Laura observed, try to use an organic lemon that has not been sprayed with pesticides.
2-3 lb. Pork Roast
3 stems fresh rosemary
1 large dried bay leaf
6 fresh sage leaves
4-6 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried pepperoncino
4-6 slices lemon peel (just the yellow, without the white pith)
½ tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Rivesaline Ile de Re’ Sel Saveur Anis, Nora (Salt with anise seed)
or alternatively, 1 tsp Rivesaline Ile de Re’ Sel Sec plus ½ tsp fennel seed
4 Tbs. Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz. dry white wine
Chop all the herbs and lemon peel together using a large sharp knife. Turn the pork roast to fully coat it in the herbs. Leave to rest for one hour in the refrigerator.
Put the olive oil in a heavy pan with a cover or a dutch oven and add the pork roast. Turn the heat to high to heat up the pan and then turn it immediately to low-medium heat to simmer.
Cover the pan and simmer for approximately one hour, and then add the white wine, bring to a boil for one minute and then turn heat down to simmer again for about 30 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Remove the meat and simmer the sauce to reduce to desired consistency.
Side note: If you have ever been to a sandwich stand or open air market in Tuscany you may have experienced the “porchetta” sandwich (we have a favorite gas station stop that has such a sandwich place on the Aurelia road close to Siena, which we simply refer to as “the pig place”, as in “Should we stop at the pig place?”
A whole pig roasted with herbs and spices is displayed on the counter as each sandwich is made to order, slices cut and placed on thick and crusty bread, the aroma overwhelmingly mouthwatering. No condiments required, no mustard or mayonnaise, no hot sauce or onions or cheese…the pork has all the flavor you could ask for.
This pork roast has all the flavors of that porchetta!
Cannellini Alberto (Fagioli all’Uccelleto)
Tuscany is well-known for dishes made with beans – in fact, Tuscan people are often called “mangiafagioli” – bean eaters. Fagioli all’Uccelleto is one of the more famous, and can be found on almost every traditional Tuscan trattoria menu. The name is attributed to the famous cookbook author Pelligrino Artusi, and alludes to the herbs of sage and garlic that were often used to season small game birds (uccellini).
My version is named for a friend who introduced me to the dish during one olive harvest. The dish is deceptively simple and easy to prepare, and pairs well with any meat dish, but can also be a meal in itself.
I highly recommend using dried beans for this dish. Your home will smell amazing. Soak the beans in plenty of water the night before and drain before cooking, or alternatively, cover beans with water in a large pan, bring to a boil, cover, turn off the heat and let them soak in the warm water for an hour. Drain. I leave my garlic and sage whole, but feel free to chop them if you prefer.
1 lb. dried cannellini beans, soaked or prepared as above
2 large tomatoes, chopped or 12-14 cherry tomatoes, whole
8-10 whole cloves garlic
6 fresh sage leaves
1 tsp. Rivesaline Ile de Re Sel Sec Salt
2 TBS Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Water
Warm the garlic and sage in the olive oil. Add remaining ingredients, and enough water to cover beans, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the beans are soft, then remove cover and cook further until liquid thickens.
Spinaci all’Aglio e Olio – Spinach with Garlic and Oil
Nothing could be simpler or faster to make than this classic vegetable dish, one you will find in nearly every home and trattoria in Tuscany. Spinach can be grown in Spring, Fall or Winter – though some say winter spinach is sweeter!
The technique and ingredients are similar to our recipe for Broccoli Rabe, without the step of parboiling – but the taste is completely different and with the added convenience that fresh spinach is always accessible.
I like to use fresh baby spinach, as it is very tender and has already been washed and dried, but traditional large leaf spinach or even frozen may be used. If using fresh large leaf unwashed spinach, be sure to rinse it very well or you will end with a sandy mess.
I love a lot of garlic, but you may adjust it according to your taste.
Remember that spinach has a tremendous amount of shrinkage as you cook it, so plan accordingly! The following is enough for a side dish for four people.
2 – 6 oz. packages fresh baby spinach (or large leaf spinach rinsed or frozen)
8-10 cloves garlic
1 tsp. Rivesaline Ile de Re Sel Sec Salt
2-3 TBS Torre di Gamberia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chop the garlic and rinse the spinach if not using baby spinach, rinse the spinach well.
Put the olive oil in a heavy stainless steel pan large enough to hold the spinach. Add the garlic. Saute the garlic unless it begins to turn color but does not darken or burn. Add spinach and the salt and turn continuously for about 4 minutes until the spinach is all coated in oil.
If using baby spinach you may need to add a tablespoon of water. If using rinsed large leaf spinach, the water remaining on spinach will be enough. If using frozen, cook until heated through and any extra water is absorbed or steamed off.
And there you have it- a meal to romance that favorite someone’s taste buds and senses.
