Surprising abundance and a three-squash-and-brown rice salad

That's what you get from nature even when you 'forget' about it. Our garden is in a wild state, oh yes. Since baby arrived all priorities have shifted and he's obviously become the first of those. Second has to be my husband and third the Montessori teacher training course. In the fourth position comes all the rest, which includes our garden. Back in spring we planted it with some tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, various herbs and rhubarb. Some other plants were already on site, like blackberries, raspberries, plums, grapes and one unhappy strawberry plant. We basically neglected all of them pretty badly (not a good start, I know, but I realize more and more that I haven't got super powers yet and hubby is way too busy right now to lend a hand) so we thought we'd not harvest much at all. The wet summer we've had so far didn't make things look more glamourous. But, GUESS WHAT, nature had one surprise after the other in store for us!

Not a day goes by, without me filling a bowl with berries! And what to say about Marigolds and Nasturtiums? And the might pineapple sage that's looking gigantic? There's then the rocket patch, the juicy plums that have come and gone in no time (delicious!) and yup, even some tomatoes and now we're waiting for the slooow bell peppers to reach their adulthood, hah!
Pretty awesome stuff, I tell you! This just makes me wonder what we could gather if only I dedicated more time to tending to our veggie patch... That's the plan anyway, so time and effort will bring an answer to my question.

Anyway, I'm two times lucky as my lovely parents enjoy growing green stuff in their field too, so the recipe I'm posting below owes its coming to life to them. It's full of summery feeling (the green and yellow zucchini) and a hint of the autumn that's fast approaching (the pumpkin: one of my all time favourite vegetables!) plus a bonus from my wild garden: marigold petals, lemon balm and peppermint.

So here's a summer salad that's pretty darn easy to whip up with just a bit of organizing due to the longer cooking time needed for the brown rice. I made quite a bit so that I could eat leftovers which are pretty handy with a 4-month-old requiring almost constant attention. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

THREE SQUASH - BROWN RICE SALAD

1 green zucchini (courgette)
1 big or 2 small yellow zucchini
1 small pumpkin (like the blue skinned ones)
3 cups of brown rice
half a cup of sunflower seeds
half a cup of hemp seeds
lemon balm and peppermint leaves to taste, chopped
petals of 5 marigolds plus one for garnishing
1 tbsp of good quality olive oil
salt

While the brown rice cooks in a pot of boiling water (about 45 mins), wash, chop into small cubes and steam the three squashes. They won't take long, according to the size of the cubes, about 7 mins to get them 'al dente'. I did put the yellow zucchini one minute earlier though, because it was a little bit tougher than the rest. Also, lightly toast the sunflower and hemp seeds in a small non stick pan.

Once both the rice and the squashes are cooked, drain and let cool down a bit, then mix them all in a big bowl together with the rest of the ingredients and let it sit on the counter until it's cold enough to transfer into the fridge. Eat as is or pack it up for a pic nic with extra nuts and seeds to feel fully satisfied with just one delicious bowl!

The marigolds add a touch of sunshine, which is most welcome here these days, and a fresh nutty taste. Gotta love 'em!

Friday is 'Ferragosto', bank holiday here in Italy and almost every business or shop shuts, activities come to a stall and if you break your car this week you most likely need to wait until the next. You see how almost every Italian person stops this week. Literally. Even if you want to avoid it, Ferragosto drops on your head like a brick. Most italians will then try and go somewhere on holiday (with the usual traffic jams on the motorways) or stay at home and eat watermellon. Needless to say, we'll be at home, eating the watermellons that my parents always so kindly supplied us with and playing with Diego whilst looking around us and dreaming our future garden and house. It's not so bad after all, is it?

New beginnings...

Well, hello again! It's been a while, eh? I know I know... and I won't say it's because I was busy blablabla -even though I was, but more on that later- but in all honesty I didn't feel like writing. At all. After a few years blogging here and there, I got somewhat so tired of it. I had other things in mind and posting regularly was starting to become a struggle and something I wasn't looking forward doing any longer. So I just blatantly 'forgot' (ahem) to write.

So what brings me back here? Ha!!! I ended up missing it, OF COURSE. Took longer than I would have thought possible, yet it's back. Yes, the urge of writing and sharing and connecting is back, in my head and hands and heart and ...well, I just couldn't keep it at bay. Happy? I am.

On our way to 'create' our new life -nov. 2013 (the sky's the limit...)

The purpose of this blog though, has somewhat changed. Everything moves, life is movement and therefore change and as I go with it, my needs have shifted too. I can't deal with boundaries right now, that means I won't be blogging exclusively about this or that topic. I feel like letting you into my world a little bit more deeply than merely showing you my sorroundings. Therefore, AMOI will open up a window into what my family and I are up to in this corner of the world. Food will still be one of the main talking points -after all, that is one of my biggest passions- but it'll be more than that. I don't even know exactly what I'll be sharing with you on here, I'll just let it happen and watch it unfold together with you! How about that?

I'll give you now a little update on what has happened in the past year or so... ready?

1- got a house (!)
2- got a garden (!!)
3- got a baby (!!!)

And also, started a really interesting course of Montessori teacher training for little ones 0 to 3 yo which I'm right in the middle of and which I'm enjoying soooo much.

Pregnant me 'hard' at work in what is our current home - dec. 2013

See why I feel like sharing? So much happening in less than one year is kinda overwhelming -yes, it's also wonderful and I'm so damn grateful for it!

So the plan(s) are (a few of them at least):

1- fix the main part of the house (it's an old traditional house made out of stones and wood, which needs a big deal of restoration work - yup, I'm sweating just thinking of it!)

2- start off a permaculture garden (this is also going to take a good while...)

3- give my almost 3-month-old son the best present and future I am able to. This includes of course a lot of Montessori-ing...

4- find or start up a job for me (the previous 3 entries make it necessary for us to have a second source of income, besides that of my husband of course) which allows me to have flexible hours/time for baby

5- last but not least, keep up the cooking! (and eating out when possible...although the previous point will make this a less frequent activity) The past year or so, has also seen us try and change our eating habits... yes, I know, we must have been nuts to do that too among all the other things. We certainly know how to spice up our lives!

The greatest beginning and love of our lives

Alright, I said what I needed to say and planned what I needed to plan. Kinda. Whatever. You got the picture. So yeah, I'll be right back, stay tuned ;-)

Of high peaks, enchanted valleys and sweet and smoky prosciutto

Have I said before that Friuli is beautiful? I know I probably have, but I cannot help thinking so (and repeating myself), every time I see something I hadn't seen before.

Sunday sleep-ins are a thing of the past...almost. I don't know if it's an age thing, but these days spending my free time in bed (after I've already had my 'untouchable' 8-hour sleep) seems nothing but a waste of precious discovery time.

So with a tiny bit of organizing on the saturday, which resulted in a delicious and -later on- much needed pic-nic meal, we got up early on sunday morning, had a quicker-than-usual but super nutritious breakfast and drove off towards the mountains!

We live right in the middle of the region, where the plains are. We are lucky because we are about 1hr both from the sea and the mountains and more ore less the same from two foreign countries: Austria and Slovenia. It's very easy to get stuck for choice!

Our destination was a bit further away though, because it lies in a long deep valley which is divided from the plains by a mountain range which can be crossed only through one high pass. Considering the type of roads up there, we thought it would be quicker to simply head north and then west on the main roads. Total drive: 1h45'.

The Tita Piaz mountain shelter on the Pura Pass

The itinerary was this: first stop for a much-needed coffee at the 'Tita Piaz' rifugio (mountain shelter), then off to a 5hr hike from Pura pass up to the 'Cresta dell'uccel' (Bird's point) and back down again and eventually a drive down to Sauris (on the other side of the mountain) for a relaxing afternoon with yummy local food and drinks.

The drive up to the Pura pass was quite long but allowed us to enjoy the first stunning views, especially of the Amariana mountain near Tolmezzo: a pyramid-shaped mountain which seems drawn by the hand of a child!

Mt. Amariana near Tolmezzo

 We then happily stretched in the sun at the Tita Piaz rifugio, where we had a chat with the friendly girls there: the rifugio has got fourteen bedrooms and offers simple but genuine accomodation. We had our coffee, jumped back on the car and drove about 1km to the beginning of the track.

A gentian

The trail called Tiziana Weiss in memory of an important local climber, is of medium difficulty: you needen't be an expert but it takes a tad more than beginner legs to make it enjoyable, or at least a handy pair of walking sticks! It's really well marked and it includes many signs describing the local flora and alternative paths you can choose to take.

View from the Tiziana Weiss

When we finally reach the top we are in awe for the amazing view over all of the sorrounding mountains and onto the Sauris lake! Not to speak of the hundreds of gentians and millions of 'botton d'oro' (literally 'golden buttons', ie Trollius europaeus. A sort of huge buttercup). Satisfied with our ascent, we then also enjoy our much craved spelt salad...:-)

'Botton d'oro'

View of the lake of Sauris from the Cresta dell'uccel

360° view

 

One of the possible return paths

At the end of our hike our legs are starting to give up on us and we're dreaming (almost drooling really...) about the supa-dupa delicacies that the village of Sauris offers: its smoked prosciutto called 'Speck' , produced by Wolf (check out their website if you're into harming yourselves...you'll be craving their products instantly!) and the  i-can't-stop-drinking-it raw, unpasteurized beer in various flavours, including the smoked one, produced by the Zahrebeer brewery.

A platter of mouthwatering selection of cold meats, including the smoked prosciutto

During the next two weekends (13/14 and 20/21 July) in Sauris there will be the renouned 'Festival of the prosciutto' held yearly and involving of course plenty of tastings, as well as a market showcasing all the local artisan products from the wooden masks traditionally made for the Sauris carnival, to textiles still handwoven with love (and amazing prices too!!!) and then music, dances and shows to keep everybody entertained. I totally reccommend it!

Sauris houses

We couldn't help buying a piece of smoked prosciutto which I'm looking forward to slice through tomorrow and savour it together with some super sweet and juicy mellon (the orange type). This is a very common summer dish here and it works so well! You could try also non-smoked prosciutto for a sweeter pairing, either way...give it a go and let me know! I think you'll love it too...

Carnival masks of Sauris

More traditional houses

And if after seeing these pictures you too feel like you deserve a weekend in this charming valley, you can book a stay at one of the apartments/houses that make up the 'albergo diffuso', literally a 'scattered hotel': a totally Friulan invention! To know more about it, check out their website here. This type of stay is also offered in other areas of Friuli and, more recently, also in other areas of Italy.

Summer in this corner of Italy

Summer's here!

Lignano beach - Friuli - North East of Italy

Who would have thought it would take this long -mid June!- for it to arrive...
Heat must be indeed a key factor in fermentation: proof is our household that's suddenly bubbling up with news and work and a million little things. Not that I'm complaining!

One of the most important and exciting things that have come up, is that we're about to embark on a pretty big renovation project! The house, soon to become 'our house', is a 19th century traditional 'Friulian' three-floor building: made out of stones and wood and with features like a couple of archways and external wooden staircases it's got a homey feeling as it is. That's if we don't think about the huge amount of work that needs to be done.... I will post pictures as soon as we can call it 'ours', hopefully really soon!

Work has reserved us some surprises too, since I've got the opportunity now to work for a couple of months at a beach resort in Lignano Sabbiadoro and because it's seasonal work, the pay is a bit higher compared to other jobs, which means the house might get an earlier start of its makeover! The other advange is that, in the free time i'll be able to sunbake and swim and enjoy an otherwise impossible (for this year) sort of holiday. Lignano's beach is okay, but nothing special if compared to the Sardinian, Croatian or other mesmerizing coastlines. I find the small fishing ports nearby a lot more interesting, but maybe that's because I am not a fan of beach-only types of holidays. I need to see history, culture, all that makes Italy so unique, so if you're like me, between one swim and the other, you can always take the boat to, for instance, Marano Lagunare or check out the amazing lagoon, where also Hemingway was at home for a while: he called it the 'Florida of Italy'.

Lignano beach (before it gets too crowded)

 
The other great news is that with the scorching sun, our veggie patch has come back to life and we've harvested our first zucchini two days ago! Tomatoes are peek-a-boo-ing under the leaves and I can't wait for them to 'blush'... The funny thing is that, being the season so late this year, the purple peas in our backyard, a spring staple, are ripening only now, too.

On the food side of life, I am basically surviving on ice cream. Not the best diet, I know, but just so you know, I'm not alone: Northern Italy has one of the largest ice cream consumption rates in the world. So if you ever visit it, be prepared to count as many ice cream vendors as paintings of the Holy Mother...one around every other corner.

The best ice cream has to be rich, creamy, but also 'fluffy' and should not contain ice crystals. You should taste the flavour of the main ingredient as if you were biting into the 'original' version (say you like Pistacchio, then it should taste like pistachio nuts and not be a flashy green colour, rather a muddy green. Just think about the nut...) and the sweet aftertaste shouldn't be overpowering or leaving you with sticky lips. The cone should ideally be made by the vendor himself: the polystirene-tasting waffle is, I find, depressing to say the least - why on earth are they still being used??? Finally, the price should be fair: if I pay 1.20 € and they give me a tiny scoop, then for sure I won't go back.
Should you be in the area, I'll be happy to give you tips on where to find the best ice cream vendors in the jungle out there!

Happy heat:-)

Of a bride, wedding locations and an alternative after-party...

The bride is me and I've been a married woman now for a month and one day. To the bestest man in the world, can I say this? Ok, sounds too mellow, so pretend I didn't say it, ok?
While I'm still trying to get used to the terms 'husband' and 'wife', I keep looking at our pictures and asking myself: was that lovely day for real? Sure, the weather wasn't that great and a couple of tiny little things didn't go as planned but...it certainly was a day to remember!

Us on a balcony overlooking Poffabro

Now on to the wedding locations, aren't you curious? We chose the council of Spilimbergo which is a small medieval town made famous by its important school of mosaics: the so called 'Scuola mosaicisti del Friuli' attracting many keen students from around the world.
The council palace is beautifully frescoed, has an italian garden on the side and, thanks to its elevated location on top of a hill, has a great view over the sorrounding hills and plains and also of the castle that lies on top of the hill nearby.
Here's a view of the front:

Spilimbergo's council - Palazzo di Sopra

Couples can choose among two equally lovely rooms: one upstairs, with a capacity of -easily- a hundred people, with large windows on both the front and the back (panoramic) side; and one downstairs, much smaller but really 'cosy' and enriched by golden mirrors, more frescoes and elaborate plasterworks. We chose the latter as there were only thirty of us and it turned out to be the perfect choice!


The restaurant we chose for the after-ceremony, is called 'Macjoli e Brocons' (in local dialect 'hammer and nails' which admittedly doesn't sound very appropriate for a celebration, but it makes up for it with its delicious food) and is located in Poffabro, a tiny village of wood and stone, hanging tightly onto the slope of a mountain and resting like a sleeping beauty untouched by time and tourists. It has become really popular only in recent years, after being nominated one of the 'Prettiest Villages of Italy' and finding itself included in the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park . Friuli, this region, is all made up of little 'Poffabros' waiting to be discovered, even by us, its inhabitants.

Views of Poffabro

 
The menu was traditional: for starters a selection of local homemade specialties. My favourites? A polenta crouton with 'morcja' (a spread made from baked butter) and 'scopeton' (herring preserved the 'Val Colvera way'). What followed was a double main course of gnocchi and pasta and for seconds venison and goulasch. Salads, steamed veggies and polenta as side dishes. Even the cake was homemade and for the occasion the sister of the chef (and co-owner with him of the place) made us a beautiful carrot sponge cake following her nonna's recipe! Filled with custard and covered in cream, it went down a treat! And to 'digest' this pantagruelic meal, we were offered a round of special 'grappa di pino mugo', that is a grappa infused with the berries of a peculiar pine tree which grows mostly underground! Its balsamic properties are well known in the Alps since ancient times...

the cake and its 'topping': a lovely gift handmade by my gorgeous cousin

 
The party ended at a local festival, one of the many 'sagre' which are organized by almost every community, from the tiniest of villages to way bigger towns, year round but especially during the summer months and always with a 'theme'. Themes are mostly seasonal products, in fact you can come across the cherries festival, the wine festival, the asparagus festival just to name a few, but also local Saints. The festival or 'sagra' we went to was one of the many dedicated to St. Mark -nothing holy going on there, except the superb artisan beers- and was held in Stevenà di Caneva. It was a small festival but quite intimate, with a band playing traditional dancing music (we were called on stage to open the dances and mind you, we are totally hopeless at dancing!) and all the people cheering us and complimenting us after the initial 'shock' of seeing a couple of smartly dressed newlyweds enter a marquee full of normally dressed people enjoying their beers, wine and pork sausages...it was a lot of fun for all!

So now you see what we've been busy with of late... but what can one do? when love calls...


PS: Fancy visiting Poffabro and its sorroundings? Drop me a line and I'll be happy to give you some 'touristic advice'!

Spring bounty: Humulus Lupulus

Raise your hands if you're exhuding joy from every pore of your skin 'just' because you live in the northern emisphere and spring is here at last! I know I am, ohhh yesss. Even if we're back to winter greyness, we all know it has a short life span, so, dear cold season, I am NOT bothered by your moods for I know warmth is near and so are all the flowers and fruits and bumblebees and... life! Life is back! Hooraaay!

Now, we all know that Italians (and, I hear, our 'cousins' the Greeks, too - any of you out there who can confirm?) just LOVE picking up wild herbs, fruit, veggies, mushrooms, anything edible in sight, whether it's from an open field, a city park or somebody else's garden (doesn't matter if we know the person or not - seriously, would you waste that apple about to fall on the pavement our side of the fence?!) and I will admit I am no different.

 Give me a chance, any chance, of bypassing the supermarket veg department and I'll take it. Armed with old plastic bags, scissors or swiss knife I can happily spend quite some time scavenging for food and run back home fully satisfied with my bounty, ready to turn it into a delicious meal. For free. Delicious and free? Seriously? Trust me:-)


So what did I pick up this time? The answer is 'urtizons'. U-what?? 'Urtizons' is one of the many dialectal terms by which 'Humulus Lupuls' is known and if you enjoy your beer, then you've certainly heard its common name: hops! So you've most likely drunk it before but have you ever considered eating this plant? Well, we have and commonly do.
It grows wild in so many places, but it prefers damp areas, like stream shores or old irrigation canals. The young sprouts are so sought after that if you're not quick enough, from one day to the next, the lovely bunch you've been patiently waiting for all winter may end up in the hands of a much quicker picker (usually someone who's looking non-fussed, pretending to be out for a mere walk but who happens to have a plastic bag in its pocket, how strange uh?). Luckily hops is so resourceful that two days later it'll produce another lovely bunch: heaps of hops then for everyone to enjoy!
Only, picking has its rules: never over-pick! Nature produces lovely food for us in abundance but only when we let her. If we deprive these plants from all their young shoots, there'll be none growing next year! So if you do go out picking wild herbs, please remember to leave always something behind and you'll assure the plant and yourself many crops for many years to come:-)

But how does it look like? Here's one (plus a typical place where you can find it):

As you can tell from the picture on the right, this yummy little shoot is a bit on the shy side and likes hiding from the keen Italian picker among brambles and nettles. One piece of advice I can give you, is to avoid wearing a knitted jumper on picking days, unless you're happy to come home with more holes in it than you can count, of course.

So, you've met them, picked them and washed them and now? I reckon simplicity is best when it comes to hops. 'Urtizons' have a very mild bitter flavour and pair well with eggs, rice or barley and any other preparation where you'd use wild spring herbs. Maybe a souffé if you can get it to rise, unlike me? Let me know if you do!

I opted for a quick and easy hops omelette, as I was hungry after all that walking and picking and didn't want to 'waste' time on more elaborate dishes. Luckily, tradition was on my side too and the result was as satisfying as expected!

So what about you? Do you ever go for herb-picking walks? Which types of greens do you gather and how do you use them?

Not just any 'sausage'... The 'Petuccia' from Erto and Casso

A sausage with a story...

Once upon a time, among the woods of the Tramontina Valley, in the Carnic Prealps (belonging to the Friulian Dolomites range) and not far from the turquoise Meduna river, tiny villages survived on simple foods. Meat rarely appeared on the menu, unless a particularly lucky hunt provided the villagers with some precious game. Preserving whatever meat they had on hand, was vital, but how did they do it? Smoking it (nah, put those Rizlas away...), turned out ot be the perfect answer for the Tramontina Valley's inhabitants who out of necessity created a delicacy: the 'Pitina'.

'Pitina', 'Peta' and 'Petuccia' are three different, yet similar in origin, cold meats.

To make all of them, the meat would first be pounded and minced in a wooden mortar, then salt, garlic and cracked black pepper would be added. The mixture would then be made into meatballs, rolled in cornflour and put to smoke on the 'shelf' lying inside the fireplace, where wood of a specific pine tree would then be burnt. After being smoked, the pitinas, petas and petuccias would last several months, becoming a staple in the villagers' diet.

So why three names? Well, the inhabitants of the Tramontina Valley, were not the only ones who devised this method for curing meat (generally cold meats and sausages in nearby areas, where always encased in the animal's guts...). Even if not exactly 'neighbours' also the populations of Andreis and Claut/Barcis made their own versions, called respectively: 'peta' and 'petuccia'.

The meats used, often varied according to what was found/hunted (sheep, venison, pork...), to the seasonings and herbs they traditionally added and to what was generally available in their area. 

Today the 'pitina' (the most famous out of all three - possibly because the name seems somewhat easier to remember? or because its recorded history dates back to 1800s?) is included among the Slow Food Presidia and deserves to be re-discovered and enjoyed by many.

It is not so easy to find, though, in fact 'pitina' and her 'sisters' are not generally sold in supermarkets. Being still an artisan product, they can be found only in small shops in the area or can be purchased directly from their makers.

I am lucky as, in the town where I live, here in the middle of the Friulian plains, a tiny shop sells one of the three sisters: the delicious 'petuccia' made by the Lèbon artisans in Erto e Casso (near the above mentioned 'Claut') out of beef and pork, so whenever I am in the mood for a savoury treat I don't have to pick up the car and drive up to the mountains... In summer though, this is a really pleasent trip to make and I will soon be showing you around some of the areas I have mentioned so far :-)

Pitina, Peta and Petuccia are best enjoyed as they are, thinly sliced (yes, cornflour and all and no, the slices in the picture above are not exactly thin, but I needed to cut them into cubes for my recipe!) and accompanied by steaming hot polenta and maybe some fresh and aromatic radicchio or even better, if you have a garden, ...young dandelion leaves! 

Less traditional preparations include pasta sauces (Carbonara style), risottos, ecc... But you could also shallow-fry it with some vinegar, basically use in most preparations where you'd use a sausage.. options are endless.

 Here's my petuccia happily sautéeing with onions in butter, almost ready to make a lovely sauce for the spinach spätzle you can spot boiling in the pot behind...

If you're looking for some wine to accompany your 'pitina', 'peta' or 'petuccia' then you don't have to go too far from the valleys where they are produced... You can grab yourseves a bottle of Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Doc, a red nectar produced from the grapes of an indigenous vine from this region, Friuli, in the Doc area of Friuli Grave among some others. Its full bodied flavour is ancient: its origins surely dating back (at least) to the Romans who grew it intensively in the areas sorrounding the town of Aquileia. 

But all this typing has made me hungry - what about you? - so farewell from Friuli ...until next time:-)

Green Spätzle with spinach, onion and petuccia, topped with grated smoked ricotta... delish!

Do you know of any cold meats resembling these ones? How do you use them? I'll be happy to read your comments and try out any recipes you may have! Yay for fusion cuisine!