Category Archives: Recipes

Recipes

Almond trees in full bloom

February 5, 2013

The almond tree that this blog is named after is now in full bloom. Almond trees belong to the plum family and the almond is the core of the almond fruit that is a stone fruit. It is not actually a nut. Here in Pantelleria the almond trees are now covered with white/pink flowers. Almonds are an important ingredient in the Pantescan cuisine. I love to use almonds both in cooking and baking and, of course, just eating them plain. When the bloom period is over the trees develop their foliage. After that the fruit is at first green (see picture below) and has a soft shell similar to the peach. This skin will dry over the summer and fall off when the stone fruit is ready.
This is what looks like a nutshell. Inside you have the almond, which is the core. We harvested our almond trees in August, and we use them throughout the year. When the almonds are fresh they are juicy and not as sweet as the dry ones. In Sicily, almond milk is a popular drink and is often served at the bars together with small Sicilian assorted cookies.Almond milk
6 servings

Ingredients
2.1/2 cups (6 dl) whole peeled almonds
18 cups (2.8 liter) room temperature bottled water, you will need to 6 cups (14 dl) per soaking (2 times) 6 cups for blending.
3 tablespoons honey
Optional grounded cinnamon or vanilla seeds to taste

Method
Place almonds together in a large bowl that can accommodate both the almonds and the water so the almonds are covered by the water. Cover with plastic and allow them to soak 4 hours. Then change water and do the same procedure soaking for another 4 hours.
Drain and rinse almonds with fresh water using a colander.
Using a blender or food processor, mix the almonds with 6 cups bottled water, and add honey. Mix together using a blender or food processor (taste if you want it sweeter, add some more honey). Place the mixture back into the bowl and cover with plastic allowing it to rest for 2 hours. If you want, now is the time to add a little vanilla seeds or grounded cinnamon to taste.
Strain the almond milk through a cheesecloth or a strainer, serve well chilled.
Store the almond milk covered in the refrigerator. It has a possible shelf life 3-4 days when properly stored.

Spicy orange chicken

January 29, 2013

1 Reply

Since we enjoy an abundance of oranges in Pantelleria, and they are readily available year around worldwide, let’s make a spicy orange marinade for chicken. This marinade also works excellent with pork chops for the barbecue.

Orange and honey spiced chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
2.5 lb (1kilo) of your favorite chicken parts
Olive oil for the skillet
Marinade:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons orange zests
4 tablespoons Chinese soy sauce
3 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons honey
2 finely chopped chilies
6 drops Tabasco sauce
5 sprigs fresh rosemary

Method

Mix the the ingredients in a bowl and rub the chicken with the marinade. Then place chicken and the remainder of the marinade in a plastic bag and let sit in the fridge for at least 90 minutes before you start cooking.
Preheat the owen to 450F (225 C) degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on your stove top and sauté the chicken parts for a couple of minutes on each side until they get a nice golden surface. Remove from skillet and place in an casserole dish and roast the chicken in the oven for about 30 min at 450F (225 C) degrees.
To make sure the chicken is ready, stick a knife in thickest part close to the bone. If there is blood in the meat juice, let it cook for a little longer, if not, it’s ready.
This recipe is also published in January 2013 in Swedish Magazine Icakuriren
www.icakuriren.se

Carlo’s slow braised pork over rigatoni

January 23, 2013

This pasta with its slow cooked pork is one of Carlo’s standard recipes. With the rich saltiness, smooth pork with a twang of spicy, it’s hearty comfort food and perfect for these cold winter days. Making the sauce is easy-peasy, but need some time on the fire and if you happened to end up with leftovers – it tastes even better the following day.

Carlos slow cooked pork over rigatoni
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2.2 lbs (1 kg) pork meat with bone (use pork loin or ribs)
1 teaspoon salt (sprinkled over cut pork prior to cooking)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 carrots
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) red wine
3 cup strained tomatoes
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
1 lbs (450 grams) Rigatoni pasta
4 oz (120 grams) Parmesan grated to taste

Method
Peel and finely chop onion and garlic. In a large pan over medium heat add olive oil when hot add onions and garlic cook until soft and golden. Cut the meat in medium-sized chunks, and let sear in the pan with the spices. Peel and cut medium-sized pieces of carrots. Add them to the pan along with the red wine, strained tomatoes and sugar. Simmer with the lid at medium heat for half an hour. Add water and turn down the heat. Let the sauce braise (slow-cook) for 60 minutes on low heat. Add more water if needed. Cook the rigatoni pasta according to instructions on the package. Mix the sauce and pasta together and serve immediately with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Dinner plate from Anthroplogie

Rosemary in bloom

January 21, 2013

It’s winter and the Rosemary, which grows wild in Pantelleria, is in full bloom. With it’s small blue flowers rosemary is my favorite herb and it’s aroma accompanies me during my walks in the mountains. Someone once told me that rosemary is good for the memory but I’m afraid I haven’t noticed that effect on me… As many of you already know, rosemary also goes fantastic with goat cheese and nuts. Here is a flavorsome recipe for crostinis with goat cheese, pears, pine nuts and wild rosemary.

Pear and goat cheese crostinis
Makes 8 crostinis
Ingredients
8 tablespoons olive oil
8 slices white bread such as a french baguette style
1 pear
Sea salt (I used Maldon)
7 oz (200 grams) of goat cheese
1 large sprig of rosemary
Ground black pepper

Method
Cut the pear in 8 slices and remove the seeds and hard parts.
Sauté the pear slices lightly in oil using a griddle or a skillet. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt flakes over the pears.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet, set a side.
On the crostini: spread a thick layer of goat cheese, top with a pear slice, a cluster of pine nuts and garnish with a rosemary sprig. Finish of with some ground black pepper

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

December 4, 2012

Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a flavorful, spicy and delicious pasta. The original recipe is with anchovies, tomatoes, olives, garlic and capers. This pasta has become a recurring classic dish in my kitchen. You could easily exclude the tuna and replace it with a couple of more anchovies as the original recipe. Just make sure you taste as the sauce cooks so it doesn’t get too salty.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lbs ( 450 gram ) of spaghetti (cook al dente according to the instruction on the package)
1 fresh red chili finely chopped or 1 tsp dried chili flakes
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 medium sized yellow onion finely chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
6 filets of anchovies roughly mashed in pieces using a fork
16 pitted and chopped black olives
3 Tablespoons of capers from Pantelleria! http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/
(make sure you drain the capers first in cold water before adding to the sauce)
12-15 cherry tomatoes
1 can chunky style tomatoes
1/4 cup (0.6 dl) white wine
7 oz ( 200 grams) of good canned tuna in olive oil
2 Tablespoons of grind lemon zest
4 Tablespoons of finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Method
Heat a large pan and add oil, garlic, chili, onion and the anchovies.  Sauté until it is soft and the ingredients have melted together. Add cherry tomatoes, white wine, canned tomatoes, capers and olives. Season with sugar, black pepper and salt as needed. Make sure you test the saltiness before you add any salt. Most likely, the anchovies and capers will provide all the salt you’ll need.

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
Let the sauce cook together for about 12-15 minutes, if it ends up a little dry add a little of your pasta water.  One minute before serving, stir in the tuna and lemon zest and taste the seasoning.  Mix the sauce with the spaghetti, sprinkle some parsley and serve right away.

Fall and the scent of Paris

November 27, 2012

The scent of roasted chestnuts always makes me think of the first winter I lived in Paris. I was 20 years old, a student, and it was the first time that I lived abroad.
Paris was in every way magnificent- the food, the people, the cafés and restaurants, the art museums, and, of course, the clubs where went dancing. At that time Le Bains was the number one place to go, and we didn´t miss many nights.

I also recall the joy of just walking the streets, taking in all of the Parisian atmosphere and that scent of roasted chestnuts that were sold on the street corners. That winter my two friends and I shared an apartment on Rue des Archives in the quartiere Le Marais. We were poor but thrilled by all the adventures that our new city had to offer.

Now when the chestnut season arrives I want to roast them and eat them with butter and salt as an appetizer or as a night snack in front of the fireplace with a glass of red wine.

Oven roasted chestnuts
Serves 4

Ingredients
50-60 chestnuts
1 lbl (450 grams) of coarse salt

Method
Preheat the oven at 425F ( 225 C).Cut a large cross about 1/8-inch deep through each chestnut shell, just into the flesh of the nut.Spread out an even layer with the coarse salt on an oven tray and place the chestnuts facing with the cross up. Bake the chestnut for about 25 minutes.Serve with butter and salt or make a thyme and lemon butter that will go excellent with your roasted chestnuts.

Lemon and thyme butter
Ingredients
2 shallots
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine
7 ounces (200 grams) of butter (at room temperature or softened)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme sprigs or dried
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon peel
salt and pepper

Method
Chop the shallots finely and brush them in a small saucepan with the olive oil, until they are soft and golden. Add the wine and cook for another minute.
Pour the shallots in with the soft butter and beat the butter airy by using a hand whisk. Then add the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Olive oil cake

November 25, 2012

Since I got paid for my time picking with some of this beautiful extra virgin, cold pressed and fruity oil, I made what I have been wanting to try to make for a long time: an olive oil cake.
The first recipe I used was a disaster. It tasted too eggy and the olive oil flavor didn’t come through. Only Igor the dog was happy to eat it.
The second recipe has good flavor, but it came out too flat. This version was definitely not something you want to see in a photo. The third time is often the charm. It came out perfectly. It was moist and well balanced between the fine flavor of the olive oil and the lemon.

Olive oil cake
8 -10 pieces
For the baking pan:
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of flour

For the cake:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup (3.5 dl) sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup (2,4 dl) extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cup (3.5 dl) flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt (I prefer Maldon)
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
3 tablespoons of pine nuts

Topping
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) lemon juice
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of water
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) lemon zest
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350F (175 C)
Butter and flour a 9 inch ( 24 cm) baking pan.
Beat the eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy, pour in the lemon juice, olive oil and sprinkle the sea salt. Continue whisking for another minute.
In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, lemon zest, pine nuts.
Mix the ingredients from both bowls and pour into the baking tin.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 min in 350F ( 175C).

Topping
Use a small saucepan, cook the lemon juice with water and sugar until sugar is melted and fluid is reduced to half. Dry roast the pine nuts in a clean frying pan.
Add the lemon zest and the rosemary to the lemon syrup and set it aside to cool down.

Before serving the cake drizzle the syrup and spread the toasted pine nuts on the top.

The rain brought back the arugula

November 13, 2012

This arugula in was planted just before the summer and came in beautifully by the beginning of June. But in August we were ready to give up on it. Although we had been watering and pampering the leaves continuously, it looked burnt, brown, dried and hopelessly dead. I was convinced that this was the end for this little salad. Then suddenly 3 weeks ago it started to rain in Pantelleria. Four days of rain and there is now new fresh strong arugula spreading. It’s the beginning of November, we now have more arugula than we can eat, and it looks and tastes better than ever. Usually I would just eat the arugula as a salad, mixed with tomatoes and some buffalo mozzarella seasoned with olive oil, basil and sea salt or just with other mixed greens and olive oil, but since we now have so much of it I decided to make a pesto. With this arugula I didn’t have to add any pepper because of its strong, naturally spiciness, but this you have to try for your own taste what suites you. This pesto is great as a bread spread or to make a pasta like this spaghetti below. Arugula pesto
Ingredients
5 oz (150 grams) arugula
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon peel
1 tablespoon of sea salt ( I used Maldon sea salt)
1 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup (40 gram) of pine nuts
1/2 tablespoon caster sugar
5 oz (150 grams) of parmesan cheese
Optional (if it’s needed, a little black pepper)
Method
Rinse the arugula and mix with all the other ingredients using a hand mixer or a food processor.
Taste to see if you want to add more sea salt.
The flavor of arugula differs a lot so if you thinks it’s a little pale in taste, just add some fresh grounded black pepper.

Spaghetti with arugula pesto
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup (2.4 dl) of arugula pesto
14 oz (400 grams) of spaghetti
Method
Boil pasta water with salt. Cook the spaghetti according to the time on the package.
In a large bowl on the side, put 1 cup or more of the arugula pesto.
When there is 1 minute left on the cooking time for the spaghetti, take 1/4 cup of the boiling pasta water and add with the pesto, stir the water in the pesto, this will heat up the temperature in the pesto sauce a little bit.
When the pasta is ready, mix it with the pesto and serve with some extra parmesan cheese.
Ceramic bowl and dinner plate from NEW KAM MAN

Caponata

November 8, 2012

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian course.
The recipes vary but should contain eggplant, celery and have a sweet and sourness. In some parts of Sicily seafood is included. The ingredients I used for this Caponata are all local products from the island of Pantelleria. Serve the Caponata as an antipasto with bread, or as a side course to go with fish or meat. The Caponata can be saved in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Caponata
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) olive oil
3 aubergine, cut in large chunks
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped in bigger pieces
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery stalks, cut in pieces
8 large ripe tomatoes, cut in pieces and remove the seeds
2 tablespoons capers from Pantelleria (rinsed, soaked and drained)
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) of black olives (preferably sun or oven dried)
4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) of almonds (dry toasted and chopped in the pan)
5 tablespoons of tomato puree or concentrate
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Optional:1 table spoon of fresh parsley to serve

Method
Use a large pan pour some olive oil, and place on the heat. Add the aubergine chunks and oregano, season with a little salt and toss around so the aubergine is evenly coated by the oil. Cook on a high heat until the aubergines are golden, then add the onion, garlic and celery stalks and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. Add a more oil to the pan when it’s getting dry. Throw in the drained capers, olives, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes or until its tender. At last stir in the toasted almonds.Taste and season if you need with more salt, pepper, vinegar or sugar. Serve the Caponata room temperature sprinkled with almonds and parsley.

Dinner plate Anthropologie
Capperi di Pantelleria http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/product/capers
Origano di Pantelleria http://shop.underthealmondtree.com/product/origano-di-pantelleria

Pomegranates in the garden

October 26, 2012

Just outside the house that I use as my office space here in Pantelleria, there is a beautiful pomegranate tree, and at the moment it is full of lovely fruits that need to be picked before the birds eat them all. When I’m in NY or in Stockholm I buy pomegranates for their beauty and their powerful antioxidant qualities. Here, I just reach out and pick them by hand. The feeling is simply luxurious. Here is a simple and fast recipe for a pomegranate and quinoa salad with feta cheese and nuts.

Pomegranate quinoa salad
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups (4.8 dl) of quinoa
1 table spoon liquid ( or 1/2 cube) vegetable stock
7 oz ( 200 gram) feta cheese
1 cup ( 2.4 dl) of pomegranate seeds
4 oz (120 gram) of arugula
20 fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) mixed nuts
1 small red onion
salt, pepper and olive oil

Method
Rinse and boil the quinoa according to the instruction on the package, adding a spoonful of vegetable stock.
Set aside and allow to cool, sprinkle some olive oil and stir.
Chop the red onion into small pieces and chop the nuts into larger chunks.
Mix all ingredients and serve.

Under the Almond Tree

A Swede cooking in Pantelleria