Recipes of the Month

Favetta ~ Fava Bean Puree

Fava beans were once the food of the poor, but we guarantee this favetta would make a rich man’s mouth water too!

Ingredients for 4

500 g shelled fava beans (broad beans)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Extra-virgin olive oil

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blanche the beans in salted boiling water, and drain as soon as they are tender, 2 – 5 minutes, depending how old they are. Run under cold water then remove their outer shells. In a food processor, whiz the fava beans with the garlic, lemon juice, thyme leaves and slowly add as much oil as you need to obtain a rich, smooth cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve with some braised chicory. 

Scialatielli Con Zucchini E Vongole ~ Fresh Pasta With Courgettes & Clams

If you don’t like clams, omit them from the recipe, double the amount of zucchini used, substitute shredded basil for the parsley and at the last minute add a couple of handfuls of grated parmesan.

Ingredients for 4 people

400g short fresh pasta (or substitute with 400g dried pasta, but fresh is better)

300g zucchini

700g clams

2 cloves garlic, minced

100ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Handful flat leafed parsley, chopped

Soak the clams in fresh water for about 30 minutes before you want to cook them. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, chop zucchini into very thin strips. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and add garlic. After a minute or so, add the courgettes to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. At that point, add the clams and the parsley and cook until all the clams have opened. Season to taste. Cook the fresh pasta in the boiling water. (Fresh pasta cooks quicker than dried pasta, so be careful not to overcook.) Drain pasta, and reserve a ladleful of the cooking water. Add pasta to the pan with the courgettes and clams and toss well, adding as much of the cooking water as you need to keep the pasta moist. Serve immediately with a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 

Dentice Grigliato Con Aceto E Menta ~ Grilled Sea Bream With Mint & Vinegar

This straightforward dish is equally suitable for a dinner party or for enjoying the first signs of summer with a barbecue.

Ingredients for 4 people

4 small sea bream each weighing 300g or one large bream weighing 1.2 kg (sea bass would also be perfect)

Bunch flat leafed parsley

Bunch fresh mint

3-4 cloves garlic

Salt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

6-8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mince together equal amounts of parsley and mint with a clove of garlic. (A small handful of each is about right.) Place in a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt and mix well. Slowly add 6 tablespoons of olive oil, whisking well, to form a homogeneous sauce. Taste and add more oil if preferred. Place sauce to one side.

Clean and gut bream leaving the head and tail intact, or ask your fishmonger to do it. Rinse well under running water and pat dry. Inside the fish, place a handful of parsley and a few slivers of garlic. Sprinkle fish with salt (or brush with oil if you’re using a barbecue), and cook in a griddle pan or over a hot grill. If using a barbecue grill, make sure the flames have died down and the ashes are glowing, and remember to turn the fish at least once as it cooks. The small fish should be ready after about 15 minutes, but a large fish will obviously take longer (30 minutes or so). Try not to overcook as this will dry out the delicate flesh; test by gently opening the cavity of the fish and when the meat separates easily from the bone, the fish is ready. Serve with a mixed green salad and spoon the sauce over the fish.

Fruit Tiramisu'

As an example of one of the many delicious variations of Tiramisu’ here is a recipe for the Tiramisu’ with fresh fruit, courtesy of The Fabrizio Tuscan Estate.

Ingredients for 4 people

For the cream:

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup (100 gr) sugar

1/2 cup (120 cc) Marsala wine (substitute with other sweet wine like Port or Madeira)

1 lb (450 gr) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1 cup (230 cc) whipping cream

For the tiramisu’:

8 - 10 ladyfinger cookies

1/2 cup (120 cc) Marsala wine (or sweet vinsanto) to soak the ladyfingers

10 oz (300 gr) peaches, (other mixed berries can also be used - strawberries, raspberries,

blackberries, etc.) pureed.

To assemble:

* 1/2 cup (115 cc) whipping cream

* 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

* 5 oz (150 gr) peaches

(strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)

Beat egg yolks in a heat proof bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar and add Marsala wine.Whisk over a pan of simmering water, until the cream thickens. With a rubber spatula,mash the mascarpone cheese in a bowl until creamy. Add the cream into the mascarpone cheese, and beat to mix very well. Whip the cream. By hand, fold the whipped cream into the cheese cream, until smooth.

Assemble the Tiramisu’:

Assemble the dessert in 4-6 serving glasses or cups or ramekins.Break the cookies in smaller pieces.Lightly soak the ladyfinger pieces in the sweet wine.Place them in one layer in the glasses. Evenly distribute half of the cream over the ladyfingers. Add on top about half of the pureed fruit.

Repeat the step with more layers of ladyfingers, cream, and pureed fruit, until all ingredients are used. End with a layer of fruit on the top. Place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

At serving time whip the cream together with powdered sugar and vanilla. Remove the Tiramisu’ from the refrigerator. Garnish the top of the Tiramisu’ with whipped cream and a few slices of fruit.

A delicious variation can also be made by substituting the peaches with strawberries; or figs and cinnamon; or pineapple.