A Passion for Peasant Food!

The Romance continues......

Five years ago we had the pleasure of spending the month of July under the Tuscan Sun.
For 31 wonderful days, we got to live like locals rather than tourists. It was the start of a love affair for this land of enchantment and its people. Life in Tuscany centers around family, friends and food. It does not get any better than that!

Tuscany is one of the most fertile regions of Italy. The landscape is a rich tapestry of rolling hills of vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields, patures for livestock and gardens of vegetables. Tuscan Cuisine is noted for its delicious peasant-based recipes which celebrate the best of nature's offerings.

It was during this visit five years ago that we first discovered one of Tuscany most famous recipes: Ribollita. It was on the menu of the trattoria, Il Focolare, in nearby Montagnana. It is called a soup but really it is a meal in itself. It is so thick that can eat it with a fork rather than a spoon. As you can see by the photo above, the Ribollita is so thick that the wooden spoon stands upright all by itself. Although it is consider autumn/winter dish, it is served all year round at Il Focolare as it is one of the trattoria's most popular dishes. So good, so satisfying anytime of the year!

We were most fortunate to befriend Susy Bini, one of the chefs at Il Focolare and she came to the villa one day to teach the basics of Tuscan cuisine. We are delighted to share her Ribollita recipe with you.

Ribollita
Although the shopping list for this dish seems long and the cooking time takes hours, it is well worth the effort. It is a great make ahead dish--not to mention, the glorious aroma that pervades your home as simmerings away.

1 cup of dried cannelloni beans (or 2 tins of cooked beans)
6 cups of water
1 sprig of fresh sage
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
2 leeks, cleaned & chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 clove of garlic
2 potatoes, cut into cubes
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled & chopped (or 1-28oz. can of tomatoes)
4 cups of water
1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded
1 bunch of kale or spinach, stalks removed & chopped
5-6 slices of day old Italian bread
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of fresh thyme
salt & pepper

Rinse dried beans and place in a bowl. Cover with water and soak overnight.
Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan with 6 cups of water, garlic and sage.
Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 1 1/2-2 hours. Drain and let cool.
In another large saucepan, add the olive oil, then the onions. Sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the leeks, celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.
Then add the zucchini and tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft, stirring frequently so they cook evenly and dont stick to the bottom.
Pour in 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, kale, rosemary and thyme. Cover and reduce to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, Add the beans. Tear the bread slices and add to the soup and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to blend the flavours.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. And serve!

I did just that as Karen, Allan and I met with Harry Simmons of Denure Tours
on Saturday to finalize our Queen Bee Tour to Tuscany this June. We enjoyed our bowls of Ribolitta with slices of olive bread as we discussed the day to day itinerary. We are making sure that every day will be filled with adventure as we savour the sights, sounds and tastes of this amazing piece of heaven on earth!

Ciao!

Linda

One Pot Wonders!

The long, cold, dark nights of January always make me dream of long, lazy days savouring the sights, sounds and tastes of Tuscany. Most evenings, I find myself curled up with the back issues of the magazines which I had the time to buy but not to read during the hectic fall/Christmas rush. I particulary enjoy my cooking mags: The fall/holiday issues of Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Cucina are chocked full of savoury, soulful food. For some reason, I find this most comforting and satisfying to my spirit (and stomach) as January is the month when I refrain from indulging in the joys of feasting and making merry. Reading about food, imagining its flavours seems to satisfy.

The October 2009 issue of Bon Appetit particularly caught my imagination with its article:
In Praise of Peasant Cooking written by Lori De Mori. For the past 20 years, Lori has divided her time between London and a farmhouse in the hills outside of Florence cooking, gardening and writing. My dream job!!! In her article, Lori tells us how to transform one pot of beans into four satifying meals. As an added bonus, she gives us 7 rules that help us live and cook like an Italian. I was in heaven as I read the article as it invoked so many happy memories.

Beans in a tomato sauce flavoured with fresh sage appeared on the menu of every trattoria that we have ever visited on our many visits to Tuscany. Lori sings the praises of the humble white bean known as "la carne dei poveri (the poor man's meat)". One big pot of beans soaked overnight and cooked the next day can go on to be eaten over a period of 3 days.

She writes, "On the first day, they are eaten as a side dish or perhaps spooned over toasted bread and drizzled with olive oil. On the second day--and there is always a second day, and sometimes even a third--any number of things might happen. If it is summertime, the leftover beans are likely to be tossed in a salad with tuna and sliced red onion. In winter, they might be simmered with tomatoes and fresh sausages or used as the base for a thick, warming soup."

Lori's Cannellini Beans with Garlic & Sage
(The basis of her four recipes)
Makes 6 cups. If making beans for soup
or sausages, be sure to save the cooking liquid

1 lbs dried cannellini (white kidney)beans
8 cups room temperature water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large head of garlic, unpeeled, top is cut off 1/2 inch to expose cloves
1 large sprig of sage
1/4 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. coarse kosher salt
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Place beans in large bowl. Cover with cold water and let soak overnight.
Drain beans. Place in large, heavy pot. Add 8 cups of room temperature
water, 2 tbsp. olive oil, garlic, sage, and black peppercorns. Bring to
simmer over medium-high heat Reduce to medium-low and simmer
uncovered 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, Mix in 1 tsp coarse salt
and continue to simmer another 30 minutes until tender, adding
more water if necessary. Cool beans in liquid for 1 hour.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to a bowl, reserving cooking liquid
but discarding the garlic, sage, and peppercorns. Season the beans to taste
with salt and pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

So simple, but ever so delicious!
******************************************************************

Sausages with White Beans in Tomato Sauce
This simple, rustic dinner dish serves 4-6 servings and
is an Italian Classic.

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed
6 whole sweet Italian sausages
6 cups cooked white beans with 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid
1 14-15oz. can plum tomatoes in juice, tomatoes chopped, juice reserved
2 large fresh sprigs of sage
1 or more cups of water

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic. Saute garlic until golden,
about 2 minutes. Add sausages and saute until browned, about 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup reserved bean cooking liquid, tomatoes with juice, and sage.
Simmer 5 minutes. Add beans and 1 cup of water. Cover and simmer sausages
are cooked through, adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 30 minutes.
Uncover and simmer until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.


Saturday night and I am inspired to start cooking. Unfortunately, my pantry is missing Canellini Beans but undaunted, I place a pound of dry Romano beans into a large bowl and cover with water to soak. No sausages but my freezer blesses me with some chicken drumsticks which will thraw overnight and I feel confident will be a nice variation. Off to bed, dreaming of Tuscany!

Next morning, I wake with excitement to start cooking. I make my version of Romano Beans with Garlic and Sage. To transform the beans into a rustic supper dish, I substitute 6 chicken drumsticks for the sausages. The aroma from sauce is intoxicating as it simmers on the stove.


Ready to serve. The chicken thighs are now so tender they are falling off the bone. I plan to surprise my daughter with this one pot wonder for a savory Sunday supper. Currently living and attending University downtown, a home-cooked meal never fails to delight her and I can hardly wait to appear at her door step with this "Memories of Tuscany" dinner. Add a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese to this humble but truly satisfying "peasant" meal.

The wonder pot!!! Or as I call it, the pot that just keeps giving. Left with the essence of the dinner the night before, it still contained 2 cups of the delicious Romano beans in the flavourful tomato sauce. In the Italian tradition, Day 2 means time to reinvent....

I added 4 cans of white beans and another can of diced tomatoes to the pot. I browned 6 chicken sausages which I had bought from the Village Grocer. If you are ever looking for the ultimate sausage, check out the varieties at The Village Grocer. There are always an assortment of 5-6 fresh varieties which include the proverbial mild or Spicy Italian. There are another 8 varieties in the freezer section. Last week's feature was Apple Spice. I am partial to the Guinness sausage which I use to make a delicious version of an Irish Stew but that's another recipe which I will share around St. Patrick's Day.

I wanted to use chicken sausages as the leftover sauce already had the flavour of chicken. Once nicely browned, I added 4 crushed cloves of garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute. I cut the sausages into coins and added them along with the garlic to the pot. Two sprigs of fresh sage went in to give it that Tuscan flavour. A good stir and let it simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Memories of Tuscany...A big bowl of sausages and white beans in a tomato sauce flavoured with garlic and sage. Add a loaf of crusty, rustic bread. A truly comforting winter dish.

A meal fit for a King and Queen!

Buon Appetito!

Linda

New Year, New Decade!

It's been quiet on the blog front but behind the scenes we have been busy as bees reinventing
the Queensbridge Mill.

Every new year always presents new possibilities and we take the first few weeks of January to set the sails for our new direction in decorating. It always starts with choosing new colour palettes. With over 50 colours painted on the walls, we create our rooms of inspiration based upon the colour palettes of The Paintcafe, our signature paint line.

This year is particularly exciting as the start of the new decade coincides with the launch of our new colour system from Laurentide. It's called SIMPLE. The collection flows from bright, vibrant hues to subtle, muted tones. Talk about possibilities! Yet choosing the perfect palette has never been easier with the SIMPLE approach to colour selection.

To make colour coordination easy, the Simple collection is comprised of 8 different "Atmospheres". An icon identifies each atmosphere on the paint deck. To create a designer palette or perfect colour harmony, combine colours featuring the same icon. It's that SIMPLE!

Laurentide which is a 70 year old, Quebec based paint company never ceases to impress us with its evolution. Last year, we introduced their recycled paint, BOOMERANG. Laurentide is the number one manufacturer and distributor of recycled paint in NORTH AMERICA. No small feat! And it's Canadian! Boomerang consist of a palette of 16 premixed colours and is only $15.99 a gallon. This makes refreshing a room with colour so affordable while at the same time being environmentally friendly.

We are proud to support this amazing Canadian company!

To find out more, visit http://www.paintcafe.com/.

Time to refresh and rejuvenate your surroundings with colour!

Linda & Karen