Family Recipes 

Nonni’s Torta

Ingredients:

6 eggs

Swiss /Italian Chard 2cups cooked, drained, and chopped.

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon Baking soda

1 2/3 cup sugar

2 ¾ cup flour

1 large lemon (2 Tablespoons zest)

½ cup butter room temperature

6 oz Bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate chips

½ teaspoon salt

2 shots of Galliano/Strega liqueur

Pie Crust:

In mixing bowl mix butter and 1 cup sugar until creamy

Once creamed add two eggs. Then add one shot of the Galliano and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

In separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda together.

Add in thirds to wet mixture to knead into dough.

Form into ball divide in half..

Save one  half in the freezer for future pie crust or biscotti.

Form dough into 9 inch pie plate.

Spike edges of dough. Set pie plate aside. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pie filling:

In mixing bowl combine 2 cups chopped cooked and drained Swiss chard.

Add 2/3 cups sugar

Separate two eggs and add the two egg yolks only.

Add the other two eggs whites and all.

Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

Add shot of Galliano.

Add ½ teaspoon salt.

Melt chocolate with double boiler..

Once melted slowly add to mixture as not to cook the eggs.

Fold in 1 cup of dried cubed bread.

Place filling into crust.

Cooking:

Place pie in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until center of filling is firm.

Allow pie to completely cool. Optional:Dust with powder sugar.

Cioppino

Serves 4–6

Ingredients:

·         1/4 cup olive oil

·         1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes

·         8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

·         3 cups fish stock

·         1 ½ cups whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed

·         10 leaves basil

·         1 lb. cod, cut into 2″ chunks

·         1 lb. cleaned calamari, bodies cut into ½″-wide rings

·         12 oz. medium shrimp, deveined

·         12 oz. bay scallops

·         16 clams, cleaned

·         16 mussels, cleaned

·         2 2-lb. Dungeness crabs or snow crab legs, halved

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Serve with Fresh sourdough bread

Malfatti:

Serve with a mixture of melted butter and Parmesan cheese, or a very light creamy tomato sauce.

4 lbs spinach, washed with stems removed

Steam the spinach in a covered saucepan. The water clinging to the leaves is sufficient to cook the spinach stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until very tender. Add a few drops of water if needed.

Cassoulet:

2 cups cubed root vegetables in any combination (see list below)

4 turkey or chicken Italian sausages, uncooked

3 or 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, seasoned with salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 small leek, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked white beans 9PCC sells excellent organic canned beans, or you an cook your own)

2 teaspoons fennel seed

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

1 cup Muir Glen fire roasted chopped tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Hot Pepper sauce

Basil-Caper oil for garnish (recipe below)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the root veggies with a little olive oil and salt and place in a single layer on a baking sheet . Place the chicken and sausage on a separate baking sheet. Roast the veggies for 10-12 minutes until tender and the sausage and chicken for 20 minutes, or until just  done through. Cool the meats slightly and cut into bite-sized chunks.

To prepare the Cassoulet:

In a large heavy pot, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic, leeks, fennel, thyme and sage for 1 or two minutes. Add the sausage and the chicken and cook until gently browned. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth and root vegetables. (I save a few of the roasted veggies for garnish). Cover and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and hot sauce.. Serve in shallow bowls with the basil-caper oil drizzled over. Accompany with crusty country style bread.

 Root Vegetable Medley: (Use in any combination)

Organic carrots, peeled and diced

Organic parsnips, diced

Organic turnips, peeled and diced

Organic  rutabagas, peeled and diced

Organic golden beets, peeled and diced

Organic Jerusalem Artichokes, diced

Organic Yams, peeled and diced

 Basil-Caper oil:

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup Italian parsley, stems removed

2 tablespoons capers

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth

                                                         Minnestrone

     2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon basil

 

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 3/4 cup chopped onion

• 6 cupschicken stock

• 2 stalks celery, sliced

• 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes

• 3 carrots, sliced

• 1 cup chopped green beans

• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced

• 1 cup small pastashells

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat oil in large pot and cook bacon until crisp. Stir in onions and celery and cook until tender. Stir in carrots, bay leaf, basil and oregano and toss to coat. Pour in chicken stock and tomatoes bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in green beans and shells. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season to taste Serve with sour dough bread and butter.

 INSALATA DI CRUDO

Radicchio and Escarole salad with crispy prosciutto and marinated mushrooms

4 servings

The assertive bite of hearty winter greens is the perfect complement to tangy mushrooms and crisp, salty prosciutto.

Ingredients

 1 head radicchio, cut into 1/4-inch wedges

1/2 small head escarole, torn into small pieces

2 ounces prosciutto, roughly chopped

1/2 cup marinated mushrooms (from a jar or olive bar), halved or quarter if large

 Extra-virgin olive oil

 Coarse sea salt

 Freshly ground black pepper 

 Instructions

Arrange radicchio and escarole in a large serving bowl. 

 Ricotta Pie

Makes one 9- or 10 inch pie, 12 servings

• CRUST

• 1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) pastry or unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon nonfat dry milk (optional, but helpful for browning and tenderness)

• 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces) cold butter

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind or a few drops of lemon oil

• FILLING:

• 3/4 cup (1 ounce) unbleached all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar

• 2 pounds (4 cups) whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese, drained if necessary*

• 4 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil or 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1. CRUST: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then cut in the cold butter. Whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla, and water and stir into the dry mixture; the dough should be crumbly but hold together when squeezed.

2. Roll the dough into a 13- to 14-inch circle. Roll from the center out in firm strokes; don’t overwork the dough. Transfer dough to a 9-inch removable-bottom cheesecake pan, or 9- or 10-inch springform pan. The dough is fragile, so you will probably have to patch up holes and tears that occurred as you were trying to get it into the pan. Don’t worry; these won’t show. Press the dough all the way up the sides of the pan. Place pan in refrigerator to chill while you make filling.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. FILLING: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, ricotta cheese, eggs, vanilla, and lemon oil. Mix slowly but thoroughly; you don’t want to beat air into the filling, but you do want to combine the ingredients well.

5. Remove chilled crust from refrigerator and brush with a bit of milk on bottom and sides. This will help prevent crust from becoming soggy. Pour filling into crust. Place pie on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave pie in oven an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, remove from pan and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve pie at room temperature, or refrigerate if you wish to serve it later.