Category Archives: Recipes

Recipes

Zucchini salad

June 23, 2014

June is high season for zucchini in gardens and farm fields all over Sicily. Here in Pantelleria the local name for zucchini is Cucuzze. Every day we harvest boxes of different variety of zucchini. These last few days its been really hot weather by mid day, zucchini salad is the perfect fresh light lunch! Keeps the kitchen cool, it also can be served as a side some grilled fish. I used a white balsamic vinegar but if you don’t have that on hand you can replace it with any white vinegar.

Zucchini salad
Serves 4

Ingredients
marinade
3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Garlic cloves crushed
2 Chilies cut in small pieces and seeds removed
2 Tablespoons shredded lemon zest
1/2 Cup (1.2 dl) extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh grounded black pepper

11/2 lbs (700 gram) zucchini
A handful of basil leaves

Method
Mix all ingredients for the marinade.
Cut the zucchini thinly and add to the marinade, toss to coat the zucchini evenly.
Let the zucchini rest in the marinade for at least 20 minuets.
Mix with basil leaves and serve.

Fava beans!

March 28, 2014

Spring is here! It’s official.
Spring in Pantelleria means lovely days with barbecue lunches in the garden. There will be fresh fish on the grill, artichokes and fava beans just harvested and being enjoyed in the sun with some local white wine. I’m one of those people who just can’t stop myself from eating the favas raw. While peeling, some just happen to jump right into my mouth. Carlo always says “ Amore, you will have pain in your stomach, let me cook them first…” I happen to have a stomach made of steel, so this never worries me, although his concern warms my heart. His mission in life is to look after the people he loves and Igor and I are his top priority. The fava beans are delicious and can be used in so many ways. This week my friend Antonella made her scrumptious arabic bread (pita bread) and just to make it even more gluttonous, we dipped it, smeared it and double dipped it again in this yummy fava bean pesto!
Happy weekend everyone!

Fava bean pesto
To shell the beans, bend the tip of the pod and pull down the seam of the pod and unzip the entire pod to reveal the beans inside.
Discard the fuzzy outer pod. Then take the shelled beans and drop them in boiling salted water for 30 seconds to loosen the outer skin.
Remove and place into ice water, and peel off the beans thick waxy outer covering. Now they are ready to use in recipes.

1 Lb (450 grams) of whole new picked fava beans will give about 1 cup (2.4 dl) of ready to use favas.

Ingredients
1 Cup (2.4 dl) fava beans (blanched and skinned)
1 Cloves of garlic
1/3 Cup (0.8 dl) almonds
1/3 Cup (0.8 dl) of sunflower seeds
1/2 Cup (1.2 dl) grated Parmesan cheese
1 Lemon, juiced
10 Large sprigs of Basil
1/2 Cup (1.2 dl) olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Metod
Dry toast the almonds and sunflower seeds a saucepan.
Mix all ingredients except for half of the almonds and sunflower seeds in the food processor.
When your pesto is smooth taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Coarsely chop the rest of the almonds and sunflower seeds stir them in the pesto using a or spoon, this will ad a little crunchiness to the pesto.
Use the pesto to spread on toasted or fresh baked bread or mix it with pasta.

Jewels of the sea

March 21, 2014

2 Replies

Patelle both look and taste divine. In Pantelleria the cliffs are caressed by the sea, and at this union of water and land is where you may find these little mollusks. Patelle in Italian means little pan. In the local Pantescan dialect they are called pateddre, and in English they are known as limpets. If you come across them just enjoy, whether you eat them raw, au gratin or in a pasta! There are several ways to cook pasta with patelle in Pantelleria. On most tables you will see them prepared with a tomato-based sauce, but I prefer a cream based. If you don’t have patelle you can cook this recipe with mussels, small clams (cherry stone or, in Italian, vongole) or any available fresh shellfish understanding that the larger the mollusk the longer it will need to cook and the chewier the meat will be.
With these jewels of the sea on my plate and a glass of crisp white wine in the glass, the weekend can begin.
Wishing you all a good weekend!
Anna
Linguine with Patelle in salsa bianca
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Shallots, finely chopped
1 Small dried chile pepper or a pinch of pepper flakes
3 Tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds (1.4 kg) patelle (or other fresh hardshell clams)
1 Cup (2.4 dl) dry white wine
5 Tablespoon heavy cream
Sea salt to taste
1 pound (450 gram) linguine or spaghetti
Method
Fill a large pot with water and sea salt to taste, cover with lid, place on the largest stove top burner, set on high and allow water to boil.
Place a large saucepan over medium heat on the stove, into it add olive oil, the garlic and shallots. Saute until warm and translucent.
Next add the patelle (limpets or clams) and the wine. Cover and simmer over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally until all the clams open.
Add the heavy cream and chile pepper. Taste the sauce, the juice given off by the shellfish can be salty, sparingly adjust salt to taste.
While the clams are simmering, add the pasta into the pot of boiling water and cook according to the instructions on the package.
Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the Patellle (Limpet or Clam) sauce and toss well.
Serve immediately in bowls with crunchy bread to soak up the sauce!
Dinner plate from Pearl River Mart

Braised chicken with wild oregano and olives

March 2, 2014

It’s still just the beginning of March, but I have the feeling that spring is around the corner. We have been talking walks on Mount Gibele to gather wild oregano. What a blessing! The oregano of Pantelleria is very intense. It is a cross with oregano and marjoram, and it carries the best qualities of both. The oregano is not only a fabulous spice but it also contains a lot of other great things within its oil, namely carvacrol. Oregano contains high amounts of omega-3s, iron, manganese, and antioxidants and it’s super antibacterial, as well as anti-viral and anti-fungal! This subject is something I will write about further in the future, after I have learned more about it. If you interested to read more about the Oregano harvest in Pantelleria, please visit my friends Amy and Peter’s blog http://flourishnourishinpantelleria.blogspot.it/2013/01/tales-from-harvest-of-green-gold-part-i.html , http://flourishnourishinpantelleria.blogspot.it/2013/01/tales-from-harvest-of-green-gold-part-2.html

Anyhow, after our day in the mountains I was craving a hot plate of chicken. With our own olives, bay leaves, celery, lemons from the garden and a splash of the local zibibbo wine this recipe came together.
I hope you like it!
Anna

Braised Chicken with wild oregano and olives
Serves 4
Note: You will need a oven ready pot with lid.

Ingredients
2 lb (1 kilo) Whole roasting chicken cut into quarters, then legs, thighs and wings separated at the joints (optional should you prefer boneless chicken you will need 1 pound (1/2 kilo) of chicken meat cut into eight pieces.) . If you so desire you can remove the skin of the chicken.
1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (for seasoning the chicken prior to searing)
2 Tablespoons olive oil (for searing)
3 Garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
2 Lemons (washed)
1 Leek or 3 spring onions (washed, peeled cut into quarters, using leeks one inch pieces or (2.5 cm)
4 Stalks celery (washed, ribbed, cut into one inch pieces or 2.5 cm)
2 Bay leaves (whole)
3/4 Cup ( 1.8 dl) dry white wine
3/4 Cup ( 1.8 dl) water
20 Olives green or black, green olives will loose their color due to the heat turning brown so if you wish to use a combination for eye appeal cook with black half black olives then add the other half green olives prior to serving.
8-10 Sprigs fresh oregano, if not available high quality dried oregano can be substituted Oregano di Pantelleria
1/4 Cup ( 0.6 dl) olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven at 350 F degrees (180 C).
Gather and prepare all the ingredients as listed and instructed.
Place the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle salt and pepper on it tossing as to make sure the chicken is evenly seasoned.
On the stove top place your oven ready pot in a medium sized burner which is placed on the highest setting and allow if a minute or two to become hot.
Add the two Tablespoons of olive oil. Next place the chicken pieces in the bottom of the pot covering the surface but not over crowding as to all the chicken to sear and caramelize. If you find you have more chicken then room in the pot, sear the meat in stages. Have a plate to remove and place seared pieces and repeat this process until all the pieces are seared.
When chicken is seared add the 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pot and minced garlic. Allow the garlic 10 seconds to cook then add the lemons and rest of the vegetables stirring them as to coat with the garlic flavored oil. Add wine, water, lemons, bay leaves and olives. If you do not have fresh oregano add dried at this time. Place the chicken back into the pot and allow the liquid to come to boil. Turn off the heat on the burner, place the lid on top of the pot and place pot into the oven.

If you decided to use boneless chicken in about 30-40 minutes the dish should be complete. Remove the pot from the oven and carefully remove the lid as to check on the meat. If boneless it will be firm to the touch, if on the bone the meat should be firm and able to come off the bone easily. If you see any red or uncooked meat place the lid back on the pot and place the pot back in the oven to allow 15 more minutes of cooking time. After 15 minutes repeat the aforementioned process.

This dish can be served over cooked rice or potatoes or in a bowl alone with crunchy bread and a nice glass of white wine.

Ceramic pot from Crate and Barrel
Dinner dinner plate from Pearl River Mart
To buy Origano di Pantelleria http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/product/origano-di-pantelleria
To order Origano di Pantelleria in America, contact Jim Dixon at www.realgoodfood.com

Parmesan nibbles with oregano

February 25, 2014

1 Reply

This recipe is a savory twist of the butter shortbread dough. The addition of Parmesan cheese, Oregano, with the butter and a bit of spice, results in a savory delight , you just can’t go wrong! This is a great nibble to serve with drinks or cocktails before dinner. I usually make them bite sized, but if you so desire you can shape them more like a cookie or biscuit sized by adjusting the thickness and end shape of the dough. You can make the dough before hand and keep in the fridge or in the freezer. If you don’t finished this nibbles all at the same time, store them in a container or a paper bag in a dry place.

Ingredients
makes about 60 bite sized nibbles
1 Cup (2.4 dl) all purpose flour
3.5 Oz (100 grams) grated parmesan
3.5 Oz (100 grams )soft butter
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Origano di Pantelleria http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/product/origano-di-pantelleria (or other dried oregano)
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 Egg
2 Tablespoon of pine nuts
Some extra oregano to sprinkle before baking

Method
Mix all ingredients together until the dough forms a clump and kneed.
Divide in 4 piece and roll out each piece into a cylinder.
Using plastic wrap roll the dough into a cylinder form and place in the fridge to rest for at least 30 min.
Heat the oven at 400 F (200 C )
Cut the cylinders into coin shapes thickness of about 1/2 inch (1 cm).
Arrange an oven tray lined with nonstick baking paper .
Beat the egg and brush on to the cookies, place one pine nut on each and sprinkle with some oregano.
Bake for about 12-15 min, they should be light golden.
Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.

Swedish magazine Lantliv and a pie from the lemon tree

January 26, 2014

4 Replies

Friends, I have news! I will be contributing the food portion for a blog in the Swedish Magazine Lantliv http://www.lantliv.com/category/bloggar/anna-huerta/. The recipes will be in Swedish and there are three posts already! And make sure to check out my fellow bloggers Leija Kortesaari, Victoria Skoglund and Bella Linde all very interesting in their different fields http://www.lantliv.com/bloggar/
Under the Almond Tree will continue to be published in English. My hope is that you will continue to follow our posts whether you choose the Swedish version at Lantliv or Under the Almond Tree.

This week’s post is from our garden, home to an amazing lemon tree. The name for this tree is Limone Lunare. Upon the full moon, it makes new lemons. Picking the fruits releases their perfume, a magical scent, fresh and sweet at the same time. The tree provides us with fruit year round, but during the hottest summer months when rain is in short supply it adjusts its production accordingly. Late January through April the tree is full of yellow lemons. I have a weakness for all sweets and desserts made with lemon. The first time I ever tasted this lemon pie was after a dinner served by my friend Sara, a master of desserts and baked goods. She generously gave me her recipe. Over the years and many pies, I have changed it a little bit by adding more lemon cream and including some vanilla to the crust.
10 years later, this pie remains a favorite to all. Enjoy!

Lemon pie
9 Inch ( 24 cm) cake tin
Serves 8 portions

Ingredients
Pie crust
7 Oz (200 grams) butter
1 1/4 Cup ( 3 dl) All-purpose flour
5 Tablespoon caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon bourbon vanilla powder or other vanilla extract
Lemon cream
6 Eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 Cup (3.75 dl) caster sugar
1/2 Cup (1.2 dl) sifted flour
1 Cup ( 2.4 dl) fresh lemon juice

Method
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) degrees.
Melt the butter over low to medium heat on the stove.
In a bowl mix the flour, sugar and vanilla sugar.
Pour the butter over the flour mixture and stir to a smooth dough .
Place the dough into the cake tin. Using your fingers, make a thin crust by pushing the dough evenly across the cake tin as well as up a bit on sides of the tin.
When finished, place the tin to rest for 10-15 minutes in the fridge. (this will allow the butter to harden when baking the crust the butter melts creating steam and making the crust flaky.)
Place the pie crust on the lower rack in the oven bake pie crust at 400 degrees F (200 C) for about 7-8 minutes remove and allow to cool.

In a bowl, whisk sugar and eggs to soft peaks, sift the flour into the bowl slowly alternating with whisking to make smooth batter, last add in the lemon juice.
Fill the crust with the lemon cream and bake for 10 minutes on the lowest rack in the oven.
Let pie cool before serving, this allows the cream to sit and gel a little bit.
Serve with whipped cream .

Plate from Anthropologie http://www.anthropologie.eu/anthro/index.jsp

Pasta with cauliflower and capers

January 16, 2014

2 Replies

I have a new favorite thing , it’s roasted vegetables. The other day I tried to roast cauliflower in the oven, the result came out delicious. This green cauliflower has the same taste as the white one, and I got this particular one from my friend and neighbor Giovanni. I divided the cauliflower in little bouquets, tossed with garlic, olive oil, salt packed capers placed into a pan and roasted them in the oven. It’ was simple and the taste divine! To add with a pasta, may I suggest to follow the recipe below. If you don’t find the uva passa, use another raisin but don’t skip it, the fruity sweetness twist adds an extra dimension.

Buon appetito! Pasta with roasted cauliflower and capers

Serves 4

Ingredients
3/4 Cup (1.8 dl) olive oil
4 Garlic cloves pressed or finely chopped
1 Medium sized cauliflower, remove the florets from the core cutting them into fork sized portions.
4 Tablespoons Capperi di Pantelleria or other salt packed capers, rinsed
Fresh ground black pepper to taste and a little sea salt
3 Tablespoon uva passa or raisin, remove seeds and blanch in warm water to plump the raisin.
1 Lb ( 450 gram) dried pasta
4 Tablespoon pine nuts
1 Cup ( 2.4 dl) grated Parmesan cheese
1 Lemon, zest only
10 Sprigs of fresh parsley

Method
Heat the oven to 400F ( 200 C) degrees.
Combine olive oil, garlic , capers and black pepper in a bowl.
Season with sea salt but be careful not to add to much considering the capers will add some extra salt, even after rinsing.
Add the cauliflower bouquets and toss.
On a baking sheet spread the cauliflower evenly and bake in the oven until golden for about 10-15 min.
Dry toast the pinenuts slightly in a saucepan. They toast quickly so use low heat settings and don’t leave the saute pan on the stove unattended and move the saute pan during toasting, when golden brown remove from the saute pan and set aside for later, otherwise they will continue to toast from the carry over heat absorbed by the oils inside the nut and will easily burn.
Chop the parsley.
Wash and zest the lemon.
Plump deseed and chop the uva passa roughly.
Cook Pasta al dente (30 sec to 1 min less) than suggested on the package, drain in a colander, save a cup of pasta water on the side.
Mix pasta with parmesan cheese, the baked cauliflower and caper mix, make sure add any remaining oil left in the bowl.
Adjust the consistency by adding a little of the remaining pasta water if needed.
Add the pine nuts, uova passa (raisins) stir and sprinkle parsley and lemon zest over and serve immediately.

Dinnerplates from NEW KAM MAN http://www.newkamman.com/
Capperi di Pantelleria, buy them here http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/product/capers

An ancient Christmas sweet

December 17, 2013

Christmas time is just around the corner, my favorite Italian christmas sweet is a spicy , chewy fruit bread that ‘s called Paneforte. Its tradition are rooted deep in Siena and has been made by nuns since the twelveth century. The recipe has been pretty much remained unchanged, just a little change was made in the eighteenth century when chocolate became popular in Europe, and off course was added to this recipe, put all goodies you can get in the cake!

In this recipe Im using Pantellerias uva passa and Passito wine, if you don’t have this on hand you can use other raisins and exchange the Passito to Marsala or Port wine. You can make this Paneforte in good time before serving, well wrapped and contained it holds at least for 3 months.

Wish all of You a Merry Christmas
/ Anna

Ingredients
1/2 Cup (1.2 dl) uva passa or raisins
1/3 Cup (0.8 dl) Passito di Pantelleria
1 Cup (2.4 dl) almonds
1 Cup (2.4 dl) walnuts
1/2 Cup (1.2dl) pistachios

2 Cups (4.8 dl) of mixed dried fruits
1 Orange (use only the orange peel)

1/3 Cup (0.8 dl) flour
1 teaspoon grounded cinnamon
A pinch of clove powder
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/2 Cup (1.2 dl) honey
1 Cup (2.4 dl) caster sugar
5 Oz (150 grams) dark chocolate ( 70%)

Method
Remove the core in the uva passa and pour over the Passito wine.
Let stay for 1 hour.
Line a baking dish with nonstick paper and set the oven temperature at 350 F
(175 C) degrees

Dry toast the nuts lightly in a skillet on the stove over low heat, then chop the nuts roughly.
Remove the stones if using dried fruits with core, (for example dates) and chop the fruit roughly as well.
Grate the orange skin and mix together with fruits, nuts and the uva passa.
Don´t throw out the reamaining Passito wine!

Mix the flour and the spices well and after mix together with the fruit and nuts.
Crumble the sea salt between your finger and stir it all together.

Break the chocolate into pieces.
Melt the honey and sugar in a heavy saucepan on medium to low heat.
Once the sugar has dissolved add the chocolate and the leftover Passito wine.
Stir the bottom of the pan ( to make sure the sugar don’t burn) and simmer for a few more minutes.

Pour into the bowl with the other ingredients and mixed thoroughly. Pour the paneforte batter into the cake tin and bake at the bottom of the oven at 350 F degrees ( 175 C) for 15 -20 minutes.

Once the cake has completely cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or waxed paper and store in a dry place.

Cut in pieces before serving.

Uva Passa and Passito Cake

December 4, 2013

This is the Pantescan variation of dried fruit cake, I can’t resist using our delicious uva passa , sun dried Zibibbo grapes (raisins) from this summer. Marinated in Passito di Pantelleria it brings out the essence of the island into this cake. Serve the cake as an Italian breakfast with coffee or as a winter dessert with a spoon of whipped cream or marscapone. The cake can keep at least a month if you can resist not eating it all up.

This is Zibibbo grapes drying in the sun, those became sweet delicious raisin now in my cake!

Uva Passa and Passito cake
Ingredients
9 Oz (250 grams) of seedless uva passa or other raisins
1/2 Cup (1.2 dl) Passito di Pantelleria or other sweet wine like Marsala or Port
1/4 Cup (0.6 dl) almond flakes
1.2 Lb (545 gram) of soft butter
5 Eggs
3 Cups (7.3 dl) all purpose flour sifted
2 Cups (4.8 dl) sugar

Method
Marinate the uva passa with the Passito allow them to marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
Toast the almonds in a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over low heat.
The almonds should be toasted to a golden, be careful not to burn them.
Whisk the eggs and sugar until white and fluffy.
Whipped butter to a fluffy and soft.

Combine in batches, the egg mixture with the sifted flour into the whipped butter. Add the uva passa (also add the left over Passito in to the batter) and almonds.
Pour the batter into parchment paper lined loaf baking pan .
Bake at 350 F degrees (175 C) for at least 90 minutes.
Check with a toothpick so that the cake is dry in the middle, if not continue baking and check every 10 minutes.

Let the cake cool down, wrap in foil and let rest until time to serve.

For starving porcini hunters

November 29, 2013

Autumn in Pantelleria provides mushroom foraging, picking wild arugula and the shooting of small birds and rabbits in the woods. My focus is on the arugula and the mushrooms, and after 6 hours of walking the wild terrain with my ” testa dura” stubborn mushroom hunter partner who refused to give up (who knows maybe there is a field full of porcini just around the next tree). Finally we ended up with a mixture of edible and inedible mushrooms in our basket, for me as a Swede a lot of this fungi were unfamiliar, one type of for certain in the basket is the porcini! The mushroom foragers were starving, in need of some hand to mouth action!

Thoughts of a rich, warming and filling pasta containing the just picked porcini, salsiccia and some wild rosemary gathered along the trail on the way back from the mountain. I can not think of a better way to celebrate our bounty. Enjoy this pasta with a glass of red wine, whether after a long day walking in the woods, a long day after work, just because you’re worth it.

Casarecci with Porcini and Salsiccia
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 Pound (450 grams) casarecci pasta
1 Yellow onion
2 Cloves of garlic
2 Sprigs of Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Pound (225 grams) salsiccia (sausage)
1 Pound (450 grams) of porcini mushrooms (or any other mushroom you desire)
1 Tablespoon of liquid beef stock
1/2 Cup white wine
1/2 Cup heavy cream

Garnish
4 Sprigs of rosemary
1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method
Bring a large pot with lid fill with salted water and set to boil over high heat.
Chop onion, garlic and rosemary finely. Cut the porcini mushrooms in pieces, devide the salsiccia in single smaller pieces (bite sized).
When the water is boiling add the casarecchi and cook 30 seconds less then the recommended in the cooking direction on the package.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil when warm add the onion, garlic and peperoncino flakes to the pan. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Porcini mushrooms, the crushed rosemary and pieces of salsiccia to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine, stock, and heavy cream allow to simmer a couple of minutes until liquid is slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat. Drain the pasta (reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water on the side) , transfer the pasta to the skillet and toss well to coat pasta, adding reserved pasta water, if needed. Portion into four bowls and garnish with the rosemary and serve right away. Place the grated Parmesan on the side for those who wish to sprinkle some on top of their pasta.