italian recipes

This is the best risotto I have ever made….it was so creamy and filled with natural flavors….

Ingredients

• 2 pints stock…again we use vegetable
• Butter
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 14 oz. risotto rice
• Parmesan cheese
• A bunch of basil
• Organic Grey Sea Salt
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot and add the garlic…cook slowly for about 15 minutes.  Add the rice and turn up the heat.  After about a minute, when the rice is translucent, add your first ladle of HOT stock and a good amount of sea salt.  Turn down the heat to a simmer.  Keeping adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and allowing the stock to absorb before adding another.  Keep adding stock and then begin to taste the rice to see if it is ready.  The rice should be soft with a slight bite.  If it needs more sea salt along the way, don’t hesitate to add it.

Once ready, remove from heat and put in about 2 oz. of butter and 4 oz. of parmesan cheese.  Stir well.  Place a lid on it and let sit for a few minutes.  Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Observations

The recipe called for a topping of pesto…but I forgot the pine nuts so I simply put the basil leaves in my mortar…with sea salt….and then mashed it for a few minutes….I added a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mixed it together.  I served the risotto with a spoonful of pesto on top….it was a hit!

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I always thought that minestrone would be too much to attempt….way too many ingredients. But…after many requests….I decided to attempt it…..when I began to tell my grocer what I needed he immediately knew I was making zuppa….so he began to pick out my ingredients even before I could say and then added some that I didn’t know that I needed….so here is goes.

Ingredients

• 7 oz. fagioli beans
• 2 small red onions
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks for celery, chopped
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 head of fennel, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• small bunch of fresh basil
• 2 400g cans of plum tomatoes
• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• 7 oz. spinach…washed and sliced
• 1 pint of broth…we use vegetable
• Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 oz. pasta
• Organic Grey Sea Salt
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Heat up a good amount of the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic and the finely sliced basil STALKS.  Cook on low heat with the lid a jar for about 20 minutes until soft.  Add the tomatores, zucchini and red wine and simmer gently for 15 minutes or so.  Add the spinach, stock and beans.  Add the pasta and continue to simmer until pasta is cooked.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.  Let everyone add their own portion of parmesan cheese.

Observations

I was amazed at how easy this was and how delicious it turned out!  I really didn’t measure much…just used common sense and all turned out well.

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Another popular soup of Tuscany…. To serve 4 you’ll need:

* 6-8 ounces farro
* 3/4 pound ripe plum tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), chopped and seeded
* 2-3 ounces pancetta
* Grated pecorino toscano cheese, or Parmigiano (romano will be too sharp)
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 onion, finely sliced
* A small bunch parsley
* Some fresh basil
* A few sprigs thyme
* Epstein Napa Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* Organic Grey Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
* 1 quart hot broth

Prepare the farro: Wash and pick out the impurities. Soak in water for 8 hours.

When the farro is ready, mince the pancetta and sauté it together with the thyme, onion, and garlic cloves…in the olive oil.

When this begins to brown, discard the garlic, and add the chopped tomatoes, parsley and basil. Cook for a few minutes and then stir in the hot broth.

Once this comes to a boil then add the farro. Cook over a low flame for 2 hours or until done…..taste it toward the end. Make sure you stir it often and check it throughout for the need for more seasoning. Let the zuppa sit for about an hour and serve it warm…..drizzle it with the Epstein Napa Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then cover with the cheese.

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Prepare the farro: wash it well and pick out any impurities. Soak it in water for at least 8 hours.

Boil the farro in salted water for 15 – 20 minutes and drain.

Put the farro in a bowl and cover with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes

Drizzle with the Epstein Extra Virgin Olive Oil….add a splash of our 6 year old Balsamic Vinegar….and finish with a pinch of our Grey Sea Salt.

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I wasn’t planning on offering you this but I opened to a page in Jamie Oliver’s cookbook….”Jamie’s Italy”…and it came to his Farro recipe.  Okay…I held off for 2 1/2 months but just had to purchase his Italian cookbook….at first I wouldn’t allow myself to buy a cookbook from a chap from London…while I had all the resources of Italian cooking at my fingertips….but I was weak yesterday….and I love J Oliver….and the colors and pictures in the book were so captivating….and then the recipe….I caved in.  But….lucky you….it was because of this recipe that I’m going to introduce a product that until today was only available to our Club Members…..Organic Farro!

Ingredients

• 14 oz. Farro
• 3 yellow zucchini, halved lengthwise and deseeded
• 2 green zucchini, halved lengthwise and deseeded
• 2 bulbs of fennel, trimmed and thickly sliced, herby tops reserved
• 1 red onion
• 2 red peppers, halved, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 2 eggplants, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Sparkling Wine Vinegar
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Organic Grey Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• A bunch of fresh herbs…flat leaf parsley, basil, mint, oregano
• A squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Soak the farro in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain.  Slice the zucchini across into chunky half-moons and put them into a large roasting tray.  Add the remaining vegetables and the garlic cloves and toss together with a good dose of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Try to spread the vegetables into one layer, as they’ll roast better this way.  Roast in a preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes, removing the trays and carefully shaking them now and then until the vegetables are cooked through and crisp around the edges.  Sprinkle a little vinegar over the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven and set aside to cool.  When cool, tip on to a large chopping board, add the fresh herbs and chop finely.

Place the farro in a large saucepan, cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender, and drain well.  Dress with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the lemon juice, season with sea salt and pepper, and toss with the roasted herby vegetables.  Scatter over the reserved fennel tops and serve.

Observations

Can’t wait to try this soon…sounds amazing!!

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