Italian Thanksgiving Traditions ~ ~ and a Guest Post

"over the river and through the woods, 

to grandmother's house we go"

(a view of the road to my acreage)

the fireplace mantel all decorated for autumn and Thanksgiving

the dining room centerpiece for autumn and Thanksgiving,

minus the place settings

Most Americans would be surprised to know that Italians also have a celebration in honor of giving thanksgiving as do Italian-Americans in the U.S.    The traditional 'La Festa del Ringraziamento' is well known as the 'festival of giving thanks' and similar to many other year-round holidays in Italy that have a religious foundation when Italians honor their patron saints. 

a festival in Praiano, Italy (for the Feast of St. Luke) during my trip in October

Truthfully, any time that Italians can get together to celebrate family, food and tradition is always a time of celebration and thanksgiving.  Italians love their new home country of 'America' and have happily included Thanksgiving in their favorite ways of getting together with family and expressing gratitude for this country.   Although we have the traditional turkey on the table, we always enhance the menu with Italian dishes from our heritage:  Antipasti, a first course (i Primi) of tortellini in brodo soup, Italian stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes heavily flavored with garlic and herbs, and Italian sweets to finish the meal.  Many Italians, similar to Americans, enjoy their turkeys stuffed with dressing, but my family prefers to bake the stuffing on the side for a more crisp texture.

This week I have the opportunity for introducing another guest poster here on 'la bella vita':  Bridget Sandorford is a freelance writer and researcher for Culinaryschools.org, and is currently a researching culinary arts pastry chef.  Bridget asked me if she could write a post regarding Italian cuisine and I was delighted to oblige!  Below you will find her perfectly timed thoughts regarding how Italians have embraced the American holiday of Thanksgiving in their own unique and delicious way:


Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday!

This holiday celebrates the harvest that the Pilgrims enjoyed with the Native Americans in the New World -- something that is unique to American history.  However, Italians have a tradition that celebrates the harvest, dating back to ancient times in which the gods of the harvest were honored. Remnants of that tradition persist, and some expatriates living in Italy have adapted current Thanksgiving traditions.

Between the two, many Italians celebrate this time of year with a feast as Americans do for Thanksgiving.  Of course, these celebrations are a bit different than the feasts we enjoy on a traditional American Thanksgiving.

Here's what you might expect to see for an Italian "Thanksgiving":

Antipasti ~ ~ Appetizers

While raw veggies and dip make the rounds at an American Thanksgiving, Italians love to enjoy sausage, cheeses, stuffed mushrooms, and assorted olives. Traditional antipasti dishes are on display, including stuffed peppers and artichokes, shrimp, and roasted vegetables in olive oil. Any traditional Italian appetizers can be served.

This year's antipasto platter(s) included:  Imported Italian Gorgonzola and Fontina cheeses, roasted red peppers in olive oil and red pepper flakes, Genoa salami chunks, sliced Prosciutto, and Soprosatta.

marinated fresh mozzarella is always enjoyed!

Garlic-stuffed green olives, pearl onions, pepperoncini, black olives, baby carrots, marinated beets, and baby pickles.

marinated olives are always expected on an antipasto platter

because my children have a bit of Swedish blood from their paternal lineage, 

we always include a huge bowl of extra yummy herring in onions!

artichokes, marinated beans, and prosciutto are mandatory in addition to the cheeses, olives, and red peppers!

figs are still in season, so Gorgonzola stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto

are stars on an antipasto platter

fresh Italian bread brushed with garlic-butter and herbs 

are a MUST for antipasti to be placed on in order to enjoy 'small bites'

earlier in the day prior to the big dinner.

i Primi ~ ~ First Course

Traditionally, Italians include a soup before the main entree.  It would simply not be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter without this northern Italian specialty:  Homemade Tortellini in homemade brodo (Tortellini in Broth).  This year my mother and I made 1000 of these little navel-shaped stuffed pastas.  That's nothing compared to our usual 3000 when we have all of the family over for a holiday dinner!

one test of how well the tortellini turn out is if to see if any of the little bundles break during and after cooking.  This year, literally none of our little tortellini broke!  The dough that my mother made was absolutely perfect in texture!

My mother and I always try to twist the tortellini as small as possible, as is the tradition in my family in Italy.  What you see sold in the markets is far too large for Italians, and would be known as 'tortelloni' instead.  With the small spoon as a reference above, you can see how tiny tortellini can be when twisted on your pinkie finger!

tortellini floating in the brodo let you know that they are just about finished cooking

but you must taste to know if they are 'al dente' or not; never overcook pasta!

Secondi ~ ~  Entrees

Some Italians may opt for the traditional turkey, infusing it with Italian seasons such as oregano and rosemary. Turkey sausage may be served as an Italian variation on this classic dish. A pomegranate sauce provides a nice twist on the classic cranberry.

Traditional Italian pasta dishes also take center stage, including ravioli and other stuffed pastas. Pumpkin stuffed ravioli or pastas with winter squash and lentils are perfect choices for a Thanksgiving (or harvest) feast.


Contorni ~ ~ Side Dishes

Of course, a hearty salad with greens, fresh vegetables, and oils makes for a hearty and healthy side. Sprinkle on peppers and Parmesan cheese to taste.

sometimes we prepare garlic mashed potatoes for our gravy lovers in the family,

but more often we'll prepare garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes.

these disappear faster than mashed potatoes every time!

Our traditional Italian-seasoned Prosciutto and Pepperoni Stuffing / Dressing

 infused with garlic, rosemary, Italian sausage, onions, 

and a variety of Italian cheeses.

This is probably the next favorite recipe for Thanksgiving, after the tortellini!

another side dish for any holiday consists of fresh, sauteed vegetables, enhanced with roasted red peppers, garlic, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamico vinegar (never, ever cream of mushroom soup)

i Dolci ~ ~ Sweets

There's no dessert that seems out of place at Thanksgiving. Try classic cannoli or tiramisu as the perfect after-dinner treat. Classic Italian pastries and tarts are delicious after any meal.   If you miss your pumpkin pie, try a pumpkin-flavored cannoli or even a pumpkin-flavored custard or ice.

Beverages

There are delicious Italian wines that you can pair with any meal and any course. Select your favorites for both the main meal and your dessert. Try a dry Pinot Grigio with the main course and a hearty port wine for dessert.

While Thanksgiving may be an American holiday, Italians and others who love Italian food have found ways to adapt the tradition to their own culture. The resulting feast is a great way to celebrate the harvest or just good times with family and friends.

most Italians enjoy either a light after dinner wine or 

liqueur such as Amaretto Di Saronno or Limoncello

I hope that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in both America and Italy . . . and anywhere around the globe!




Pin It

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms from "Harry's Bar" in Venice, Italy!

Ahhhh, beautiful, romantic, and mysterious Venice, Italy!  

What an extraordinary experience of a lifetime to visit and experience (even if only for a brief moment in time) Venice that is said to be sinking during our lifetime (which I hope Italian engineers will prevent)!  After seeing the major sites of Venice among unexpected throngs of tourists in the 'off-season' of October, I ventured to successfully check off one of my "bucket list" items . . . "to enjoy a famous "Bellini" cocktail at the infamous Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy" where Hemingway often dined and drank. 

Tucked away in a semi-hidden side street is where you can find Harry's Bar.  The establishment's location is not quite what I expected from reading about it in all of the tour guide books that stated Harry's Bar is located on the Piazza di San Marco.  That is NOT where it is located at all!   You must walk over several canal bridges to arrive to the correct 'via' or street and turn right where it is on your immediate right . . . and without a sign.  This is what you need to look for:

1323  Calle Valleresso 

which is on the right in the very first location.

It is easy to miss with very little signage!

  

And as with many windows in Italy, it is protected by bars against criminal activity.  How sad, but true in Italy.  From what I could see, this is the only visible sign to know that you are at "Harry's Bar" in Venice, Italy.  My mother purchased the phenomenal cookbook, and yes, this window is the one and only sign to identify Harry's Bar.  Again, this a 5 minute walk away from the central piazza of San Marco and NOT on the piazza itself as popular tour guide books state.  It is very worth the trek . . . even while wearing a back brace (post-surgery) as I did!

Upon entry into the super-crowded and amazingly-small dining area of Harry's Bar, I was immediately and kindly swifted away to the top floor at a wonderful table for two facing opened, screen-less windows that allowed a full view of the Venetian lagoons on a beautiful warm and sunny October afternoon!

the view of a Venetian lagoon through the restaurant windows directly from my table!

Pinch me, am I really here in Venice, Italy seated at a table in this infamous foodie and cocktail location?

The service for a single woman was spectacular (something usually poor given employees providing less service due to the 'smaller' tab total for his/her tip amount).  I had three (3) men attend to my every foodie and beverage need with not one moment of hesitation to serve and satisfy me for my complete enjoyment!  

On the right of my table was a lovely Italian couple who knew Italian cuisine inside and out, yet were willing to spend time to chat with me about all things regarding Italian cuisine and the Italian way of life focused on high quality food!  On my left was a delightful couple from England, enjoying their food selections and chatting with me in English . . .  a welcome language amidst my broken Italian that I could barely remember from my college Italian courses!   

Both couples' mouths were humming with sounds of blissful enjoyment as they enjoyed each and every morsel of their meal.  And then I joined them in harmony as my creamy risotto entered my mouth!

I had previously done my research and knew that it would probably be impossible to order the Venetian specialty of "Bacala" (salted codfish), knowing that Venetian fishermen do not fish on Sunday nights . . . and because I was there on a Monday, I knew that fresh fish was not to be found on any Venetian menu.   EVERYTHING is served as fresh as possible; nothing is frozen whatsoever in Italy!

Upon looking at the menu, I found that the luncheon special for this particular Monday was Risotto con Porcini (Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms).  It was pure and creamy heaven on a plate!  What could have served three or four people, I devoured by myself alone, especially due to the price of 36 Euros (approximately 50 American dollars).  Please note, that with all of the walking in Italy, I actually LOST weight while eating like an American pig at the same time!  How much fun is that?  PLUS, I do NOT spend that kind of money on any food(s) in my little hometown in SC.

I admit it . . . I splurged here!  But "Harry's Bar" was the one and only place in Italy that I did so.  And it was worth every penny and every delicious bite!

For me, to eat wonderfully and exercise naturally by walking among beautiful historic architecture without grunts and groans in a gym, and yet still not gain one pound was a dream come true!

When in Italy, be prepared to order water and to pay for it by the bottle, either natural or with bubbles (sparkling).  Another simple part of life that we take for granted in the States is the ability to receive a free glass of natural, clean tap water with re-fills (including ice) in restaurants . . . and here in the Carolina's in our restaurants of choice, my husband and I are even given free, tall, large-sized 'to-go' cups of water!  Keep that in mind in Italy, you pay for every little thing in restaurants!

You even pay to go to the 'toilettes', so bring Euro coins because most do not offer change for larger bills.

Expect no ice cubes in your water . . . it doesn't happen in Italy, although the bottled water that you order (anywhere) for a price is extremely cold and completely refreshing.

Table side dish preparation with 3 men in white tuxedos was a luxury that I have

 never experienced, thus justifying the price a tad bit better!

beautiful and delicious risotto from Venice, Italy!

the best risotto that has ever crossed my lips!

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms
(from "The Harry's Bar Cookbook" by Arrigo Cipriani, 2006)

3 cups fresh porcini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup dry white whine
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
1 recipe Risotto Parmigiana ( ** see below)

Clean the porcini mushrooms by gently brushing or wiping away any dirt.
Wipe the mushrooms with a slightly damp paper towel.
Do not immerse them in water.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the porcini mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and parsley and cook for 1 minute, stirring well.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the wine, stir well, cook for 1 minute more, and set the skillet aside.
Season the mushrooms with a little freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper.
Make the risotto as directed in the following recipe, stirring the cooked porcini mushrooms into the rice at the beginning.

Serves 6 as a first course ("i primi")

porcini mushrooms that grow in abundance in the forests of the northern 

mountains of Italy . . . about the size of a man's fist!

** Risotto Parmigiana
(from "The Harry's Bar Cookbook" by Arrigo Cipriani, 2006)

This recipe is 'basic' for all risotto dishes.

5 to 6 cups chicken stock (brood), preferably home-made (you can search on my blog for a delicious home-made chicken broth (brodo) that is also freezable!)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1-1/2 cups short-grain Italian rice (preferably 'Vialone' or 'Carnaroli rice)
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup freshly grated, first quality Parmigiana-Regiano cheese, plus extra grated cheese to pass around the table.
Freshly grated sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Serves 6 as a first course ("i primi")

Bring the chicken stock (brodo) to a simmer in a saucepan and keep it at a bare/lowest simmer.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan and cook the onion over medium heat, stirring until the onion is golden, but not brown, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon to coat the rice well with the oil and onion.
Turn the heat up to medium-high.
Add 1/2 cup of the simmering stock, and keep the mixture boiling, stirring constantly.
As soon as the stock as been absorbed, add another 1/3 cup of stock and stir until it is absorbed.
Adjust when necessary, the heat from time to time -- but keep the risotto boiling, yet at the same time, it must NOT stick to the pot.
If the risotto tends to stick, put the pot on a 'flame tamer' (I place a pizza or cookie pan on top of the burner).
Continue adding the chicken stock (brodo), about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting until each addition of brodo is absorbed before adding the next amount of stock (brodo), until the rice is creamy and tender on the outside with each grain still distinct and firm.
This will take at least 20 minutes, maybe as long as 30 minutes, depending on your pot and your stove.
If the rice is still a bit hard in the middle after you have used all but a few tablespoons of the stock, add some boiling water, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring it in as you did the stock (brodo), until each grain of rice is tender but still has the slightest bit of firmness and the mixture is creamy.
Remove the pan from the heat and vigorously stir in the butter and the Parmigiana-Regiano cheese.  This stirring will make the risotto even creamier.
Taste and season with freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper.
While continuing to stir vigorously, add the remaining tablespoons of hot chicken stock (brodo) or boiling water if you have used all of the stock (brodo) to make the consistency softer and softer.
In Italy it is called "all'onda" (like a wave).
Taste carefully for seasoning and serve immediately, passing a bowl of grated Parmigiana-Regiano cheese.

. Pin It

Grilled Prosciutto and Fig Pizza

Some fruits and vegetables have a brief moment in the limelight of a season.  Figs are included in that group of "now you see them, now you don't" fruits.  The time is now to find figs in the market, and I had one more little basket left to use from my shopping.  

Plus I'm finding it high time for me to jump on the trendy bandwagon of making a 'grilled' pizza with a focus on those sweet blue-skinned gems.

Fig trees produce twice a year, of which one is this present moment.  Yet in some places it's a real truffle-hunt to find them (my little town for instance).  To find the fig treasure I had to drive 50 miles to Whole Foods to nab up a few baskets and have my 'eureka' moment'.  

Upon my discovery, I dove in with an over-expression of delight and enthusiasm.  

My husband thought I had lost my mind . . . he just wanted sausage pizza, period.  Which of course, I gladly prepared a separate pizza for him!  

Now for some of you the temperatures are starting to feel a bit more like autumn, but here in South Carolina, it's still warm.  September is not a time to go to football games all bundled up in sweaters with small bottles of peppermint schnapps tucked in your pockets to keep you warm during the game.  

No, not at all !  

Grilling outside is still the norm this time of year here, especially if you're into tail-gaiting at football games!   Grilling this pizza with the interplay of seasonally fresh figs with their jammy sweetness and prosciutto's saltiness is a perfect excuse to spend the warm afternoons and cooler evenings outside in Southern Septembers.  Add in the tangy, creamy marinated mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and the results will send your tastebuds into Italian nirvana!

Grilled Prosciutto, Fig and Marinated Mozzarella Pizza

2 - 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups pizza sauce (either homemade or store bought)
1 cup fresh marinated mozzarella, small balls, cut in half
6 - 8 black mission figs, sliced lengthwise, stems removed
8 slices of prosciutto, torn into thin strips
2 Tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar (regular balsamico vinegar is fine too)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
freshly cracked sea salt and pepper to taste

Home-made pizza dough.
If in a hurry, use "Naan" bread for individual pizzas.

Other topping options:  

Shaved Parmesan
Fresh basil leaves
Fig jam or spread
Rosemary
Red pepper flakes
Arugula leaves

Prepare pizza dough according to directions.
Let set overnight in the refrigerator.
Roll out the dough to the size(s) that you desire
Mix the minced garlic with the olive oil.
Spread generously on the pizza dough (blend more garlic and olive oil if you need more for larger or multiple pizzas).
Next generously spread on the pizza sauce.
Layer on the prosciutto strips.
Scatter sliced figs on top.

Grill on a medium-hot grill until cheese is ooey, gooey melted all over!
Keep a close eye on the grill because the dough may burn.
If you have a pizza stone, have it pre-heated on the grill and USE IT to prevent the dough from burning.
If you see that the dough is burning and the cheese is not quite as melted as much as you prefer, then just finish it off for 5 minutes in a very hot oven.

Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to drizzle on the pizza.

you can find these marinated soft, fresh mozzarella balls on the olive 

and antipasto bar at Whole Foods or Fresh Market.

they REALLY make a huge difference in taste and texture!

spread the olive oil-minced garlic mixture on the dough and then

load up the dough or naan bread with the yummy ingredients

place the prepared uncooked pizza on a hot grill

for about 5 - 10 minutes

if you have a pizza stone it will help prevent burning the bottom of the dough

and as promised, a simple sausage and cheese grilled pizza for my husband!

Mangia!

.

Pin It

Fresh Fig and Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola & Balsamico Vinaigrette

 It's FIG SEASON!  

I'm so excited and jazzed about this brief season, of which it is their second (and last) season of the year.  I'm going to savor every brief moment of their arrival in the markets!  In Italy, a garden just isn't a garden without a fig tree, and that goes all the way back to the times of the Roman empire.  After all figs are one of the oldest known fruits!

Most Italians are crazy, no . . . obsessed over figs.  So much so that many Italian immigrants had to bring a precious fig tree over to America with them.  Figs are quite simply Italian staples used in both sweet and savory recipes.  They have a very brief life, you must use them immediately or they will spoil . . . and that would be a very sad thing!

To enjoy figs, here is another bursting-with-brilliant-flavors salad . . . only this time the shining star of the show is the humble little fig!  These delicious and subtly sweet gems add incredibly seductive beauty to a bed of greenery in a salad.

There is so much going on in this superb salad with the creamy gorgonzola, peppery arugula, tangy balsamico vinaigrette, sweet figs, and crunchy walnuts . . . it's like (excuse me) a fabulous symphony of flavor!  Your tastebuds are sent to gastronomic heaven.  I just love it when that happens!  This salad could easily be enlarged to a size to make it a main entree and that would be perfectly fine with me!

aren't they just beautiful?

so exotic and provocative in appearance!

I can see why figs have been so prized throughout time!

fresh fig and arugula salad with gorgonzola & balsamic vinaigrette

6 - 8 fresh black mission figs, sliced and/or halved
2 - 4 cups fresh baby arugula
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Balsamico Vinaigrette

Place the baby arugula on individual salad plates.
Scatter the figs over the arugula.
Sprinkle on the walnuts and the gorgonzola cheese.
Drizzle with the vinaigrette or pass it around to your guests.

balsamico vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 - 5 Tbsp. balsamico vinegar
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey 
1/8 tsp. freshly cracked sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Blend all ingredients.
Make any adjustments necessary for your taste preferences.
Add more honey, if you like your vinaigrette more sweet, or
add more balsamic vinegar or dijon mustard if you like your vinaigrette more tart.

2 - 3 servings

Mangia!
.

Pin It

Cheese ~ Stuffed Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Fresh Tomato Sauce & Basil Pesto

Oh zucchini!  "A joy in July or a joke in September!"  

Truth is, what would summer be without zucchini and tomatoes fresh from the garden?  Zucchini simply capture the green colors and flavors of summer.  When fried alone, or stuffed and fried, they are marvelous as appetizers or for a mid-morning treat!  A platter of fried or baked stuffed zucchini/squash blossoms is an everyday delight on Italian tables.

And with zucchini comes those beautiful buttery, yellow, golden blossoms that attract bees humming in bliss while stuffing themselves with pollen that blesses them from the interiors of each blossom!

To prepare garden-fresh zucchini/squash blossoms in a delicate veil of crispy batter is comparable to nothing on earth.

Fresh-picked squash blossoms from my garden this morning, ready to prepare in the kitchen!

squash/zucchini/pumpkin blossoms are pretty enough for a delicate bouquet (they won't last longer than a few hours though!)

just a shots (above and below) of how profusely they are growing in just one portion of my garden…. you have to look very closely, because often they grown hidden underneath very large green leaves 

and yes, the plants have outgrown the garden and are well into our backyard now!

Zucchini/squash plants are similar to tomatoes . . . they have blossoms first!  

Let's just call it vegetable garden 'flower power'!  

The difference is that these lovely yellow blossoms are BIG!  Big enough to cut, open, lay flat, stuff, and FRY!  Zucchini blossoms, squash blossoms, pumpkin blossoms . . . whatever you choose to grow and/or call them, are the little beauty delicacies that for years Italians have known that they are completely edible, delicious, and very hard to come by.  Why?  They bloom only in the morning hours of your garden, and they wilt within hours.  The window of time to harvest any squash blossom, to stuff them, and to fry them is very, very small.   

Thus the reason why you'll be hard-pressed to ever find fried zucchini/squash blossoms on menus in the U.S.  Few people know of these outside of the culinary and Italian world.  

Nothing poisonous, OK?  Actually, I don't think there's even a major taste to these blossoms.  They are just the "envelope" or "pouch" in which to stuff and fry.  What you end up tasting is the fried element of the dish as well as the stuffing.  So please don't fear . . . try this . . . it's fun, and so yummy!

  

zucchini/squash blossoms play a little game of 'find me' every morning under the huge plant leaves

 just another shot of a platter of blossoms below showing you how they will CLOSE up within a few hours of harvest.  you have very little time to prepare them to eat.  sure, you can still dunk these in the batter, but they will be round instead of flat . . . the flavor alone will not be changed.

please click on the link below for this delicious recipe!

Pin It

A Beautifully Simple Beet Salad

Beets just seem to make salads more beautiful!  Personally, I'm just crazy about beets!  They are just so good for us and so sweet and yummy!  (And if you're trying to reduce your weight, you know how beets naturally assist your body in doing so!)  After a drought of beets in the market, I finally found some beets that suited my standards.

Realizing that they aren't cheap in price, I then headed straight for the local farm co-op to purchase my beet seeds for planting our fall garden now that our tomatoes are all harvested and cleaned out of the beds this week.

Beets can be roasted or boiled and personally, I just haven't been able to taste a huge difference in taste between the two cooking methods, so being a creature of habit and not wanting to make my A/C work harder to cool down an oven-heated kitchen, I just plopped them into a pot of boiling water for this salad.  It's really your choice on how you want to cook your beets.

Usually all I do to prepare beets is to revert to tradition and Italian simplicity . . . and that is to do as little as possible to them:   just chop up some onion, cut up the cooked beets into slices or chunks, and then toss them into a simple Italian vinaigrette.  However, if that's too dull for you, and you prefer a bucket-load of ingredients in your beet salad, there is a plethora of recipes 'out there' in cookbooks and on the Web to select from.  I'll be sharing 4 more recipes soon for you to select from and be your own judge.

I have even explored more elaborate and 'loaded' beet salad recipes and posted them on this blog.  Truth is, they were no more delicious than this recipe.  You can find that recipe at the following link:   Beets With Avocados and Manchego Cheese.

So for this simple, yet classic spring and summertime beet salad recipe, I went beyond my own family cookbooks and referred to fresh cooking guru author and owner of Chez Panisse, Alice Waters and her 2007 "The Art of SImple Food:  Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution".

This woman validates my philosophy for cooking:   simplicity is best!

In her new cookbook, Ms. Waters includes one and ONLY one recipe for a beet salad and it is as follows:


Marinated Beet Salad
adapted from "The Art of Simple Food"

1 pound beets (red, Chioggia, golden, or white)
Freshly cracked sea salt
1 tsp. vinegar (red wine, sherry, or white wine)
Freshly cracked sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1  -  2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 of a sweet Vidalia onion, chopped into chunks (my family's addition)
Good Seasons Italian herbs packet prepared according to directions (my family's addition)
a teaspoon or two of sugar (my family's addition in the event that the beets may not be sweet enough . . . taste, taste, taste)

Wash beets thoroughly.
Place them in a baking dish with a little water to a depth of 1/8".
Sprinkle with salt.
Cover tightly and roast the beets in a 350 degree oven until they can easily be pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on their size.
Remove from oven.
OR:
Boil for the same amount of time as above in a tall pot of boiling water.
Drain when a fork can easily be inserted.
Cut off both ends and remove the skins.
Cut the peeled beets into 1/4" slices or 1/2" cube/chunks.
Add vinegar and olive oil (or in my family's case we use Good Seasons Italian dressing herbs prepared according to the package directions).
At this point, my family recipe adds the chopped onions too.
Salt and pepper to taste.
If beets are not sweet enough, add about a teaspoon of sugar until your preference is satisfied.
Let the beets stand to marinate and absorb the ingredients.
To plate, place the beets on a layer of your favorite variety of fresh lettuce such as arugula and romaine.

AND THAT'S IT!

This is truly the art of simple food, which is what Italian cooking is known for.

The only thing that my family ever added to the recipe above is chopped onions, some Italian herbs, and a little bit of sugar if needed.
It's a preference thing.


Mangia!

Pin It

A Fresh Thai Salad and Two Thai Dressings

Many of us with gardens have oodles of fresh veggies to harvest and use in recipes right now  . . . cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, green, red, yellow, orange, and even purple peppers and more!  And even if you don't have a vegetable garden, your local farmers' markets and roadside produce stands are brimming with summer's bounty.  Plus the heat of summer may be compelling you to prepare something without turning on the oven.

This salad is so fresh and healthy, and if you're into the 'raw food' movement, this couldn't be more perfect.  There's not a single moment of cooking with any source of heat for this salad making it spot-on for summer!  The colors in this salad are so pretty and inviting as well.  When tomatoes are so red and peppers are so bright green, it's just such a beautiful sight to see in front of you on the table.

I've provided two Thai dressings to select from for your salad.  I make both dressings because my husband just loves Thai peanut sauces.  Although I enjoy the Thai peanut dressing, I really prefer the the sweet, tart, spicy option that (in my opinion) pairs better with the cucumbers.  But I like to make everyone's tummies happy!  Last year, I developed a dressing for a classic Thai cucumber salad that is quite delightful that you may want to click on this link to check out.

The peanut dressing is adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook, in which Molly Katzen describes it as a "tart, sweet, spicy, peanuty, surprisingly exotic and very much fun to eat" dressing.  Now that's quite a description!

you can also use small romaine leaves to scoop up the salad!

this photo shows the Thai Peanut Dressing drizzled all over.

Fresh Thai Salad

2 cucumbers, peeled, sliced, seeds removed
2 medium garden-fresh tomatoes, sliced and halved
1 green pepper, cored, insides removed, sliced thin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced thin
1 tsp. minced hot red chili (Thai pepper if you have one and can handle the heat)
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 cups fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and clean
1 cup cilantro or Thai basil, chopped
1 - 2 cups unsalted peanuts, crushed (and if you're like me, use much more)

On salad or dinner plates, place the lettuce leaves in an appealing and attractive manner.
Continue to pile up the remaining vegetables, topping off with the bean sprouts, cilantro/Thai basil, and finishing up with a generous sprinkling of the crushed peanuts.
Pass the dressings around to your guests to select which they prefer to drizzle on salads.

Thai Peanut Dressing

4 Tbsp. rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar is also fine)
6 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup water
1-1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. sugar

Blend all ingredients together and serve.
If you want it more 'peanut buttery', then just add more peanut butter until you reach your preference.

Traditional Thai Cucumber Sweet and Spicy Dressing

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
1-1/2 Tbsp. fish oil (nam pla)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (this is NOT spicy)
3 Tbsp. minced onion
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. garden-fresh cilantro/Thai basil, chopped

Blend all ingredients together and serve.
As with the other Thai dressing, play with these ingredients and add more of what you prefer (i.e:  lime juice, or cilantro, or red pepper flakes).

above the salad is dressed with the traditional Thai peanut oil/rice vinegar, lime, sugar, red pepper flake dressing

Mangia!

To plate this lovely salad, I used my Baan Celadon pottery from Chiang Mai, Thailand where I visited for a research project in 2001.  If you like the design and color (I'm crazy about it), you can google it and order it on-line (be prepared for tremendous shipping prices because it is hefty pottery).  The exchange rate for the Thai baht is still excellent for the American dollar, but your savings will even out once you see how much it costs to ship it over here to the States.  For me, it was worth it and because they package it so well, not one piece arrived broken.  I bought a 4-piece place setting set with lots of serving pieces, both large and small.


Pin It