[Sca-cooks] OK, this is weird ...

Christiane christianetrue at earthlink.net
Tue May 20 07:34:02 PDT 2008


>I wonder how old this recipe is.  There is a calzone recipe in Martino in 
>which he suggests a filling of almond paste, but the phrasing leaves open 
>the possibility of other fillings.  The combination of ingredients make me 
>think this might be Renaissance or even Medieval in origin.
>
>The cherry jam called for is not necessarily sweet.  It might be sour or 
>tart depending on the cherries used.
>
>Bear
>
It very well could be Renaissance or medieval in origin. That's the problem with these regional recipes; they're completely undocumented. As far as the jam goes, I'm with you in thinking it could be a sour cherry jam. The only local Puglian jam recipe I have been able to find so far has sugar, cinnamon, and sherry in it, but that's only how that particular cook does it, and sour cherry jam is available commercially there.

So many of the little-known regional dishes seem to have medieval or Renaissance origins. The Italian food section of about.com had an interesting recipe for torta verde from the Piedmont. I have no idea where Kyle Phillips got it from though, he very well may have gotten it from a medieval source!

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 pounds (1 k) tender wild greens (poppy, nettles (handle with gloves until you've
wilted them in the pot), spinach, collard greens, dandelion greens)
2/3 cup (120 g) Vialone Nano or similar short-grained rice
An onion, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces (50 g) ground cured lard or pancetta
1 clove garlic, minced
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon mixed ground spices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, mace -- you might want to reduce this a bit)
3/4 cup freshly ground Parmigiano
Meat broth
Bread crumbs
Salt
PREPARATION:
Clean, wash, drain, and shred the greens. 

Heat the oil and some of the butter in a pot and sauté the onion until it begins to turn gold but not so much that it browns, then add the garlic and cured ground lard and mix well.
Now add the greens, check seasoning, cover, and cook them over a low flame until they're done, 10-15 minutes. When they are done add the rice and a ladle of broth, and keep cooking at a very low simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally lest the mixture stick down and burn. When 20 minutes are up, turn off the flame and let the mixture cool, then stir in the eggs, spices, and cheese, and check seasoning again. 

Next, preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C). Butter a pan of a size such that the pie will be an inch or so high, dust it with bread crumbs, fill it with the mixture, dust the surface lightly with bread crumbs, and bake it for about 50 minutes. Slice it, and serve it cold. 

Gianotta





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