lunedì 23 maggio 2016

Panzanella


Panzanella is the Tuscan bread and tomato salad. We used to have it for lunch in Forte dei Marmi, in the hottest summer days. Refreshing and light, it is a typical dish from cucina povera that we can find in all the Mediterranean cuisines, with plenty of variations.
Our domestic panzanella was quite versatile too, as it had to satisfy a crowd with different tastes. The grown ups loved spring onions, cucumbers and even yellow peppers in their panzanella, whereas the children preferred the plain one, with just tomatoes, basil and rocket. To please everybody, panzanella was always served in different versions. 

martedì 17 maggio 2016

Calamari in umido con biete - Calamari Stew with Swiss Chard


This is a Tuscan family recipe I make again and again, all the year round. And everybody likes it.  In winter I serve the calamari with polenta, in summer with grains. Always tepid.

giovedì 12 maggio 2016

martedì 10 maggio 2016

Ribollita


Last chance to prepare ribollita, the traditional Tuscan soup, mainly made with cannellini beans and cavolo nero and served with stale bread. The cavolo nero will be shortly out of season.
This is my family recipe, an inspiration for this popular soup. In fact, our ribollita slightly changed every time we cooked it, according to what we had in the pantry.
However, we always stick to two main rules: we always use dried cannellini, soaked overnight. The tinned ones have no taste and no consistency. We combine cavolo nero with Swiss chard, which brings a sweeter taste, curbing the tangy cavolo nero