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ITALIAN WALNUT SAUCE, WARM-SPICED CHICKEN WINGS & A GAME OF WALNUTS

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by eatingcloudsinitaly in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Boxing Day recipe, chicken wings, christmas, italian, liguria, Nocino, salsa di noci, spicy, walnut game, walnuts, warm spices

Walnuts

I’m already thinking post-Christmas and that burning question of what to eat on Boxing Day or the day after…or the day after that…? Left-over turkey, ham and trimmings are always a treat but sometimes you want to pop in a little surprise, something different – but without the work!

Well….I’ve just discovered something rather wonderful thanks to our lovely neighbour who presented us with a large bag of organic, home-grown walnuts. ‘Salsa di noci’ or walnut salsa is this something rather wonderful, a classic Ligurian sauce that’s normally served with pasta but here I’m using it as a dip for chicken wings.

I’m sure somewhere you’ll still have a large bowl of nuts and walnuts left-over from the festivities…..or maybe like me you still have some from last year’s Christmas! If so, chuck them out and start with fresh.

Book yourself some quiet time – light the fire, put on an old movie, find your nutcrackers…. and get cracking walnuts! If you’ve also got some almonds …. crack those too.

Don’t crack all your walnuts – (now there’s a motto for life!) – keep some whole ones back and give this ancient Italian game a try. I’ve just copied the origins and instructions from a wall in the Ligurian village where I found this game and I think you’ll find it reassuringly non-energetic – physically or mentally – for after-Christmas partying!

OMILLA (the triangle in the circle)

como 635 - Copia como 633 - Copia.JPG

Historical origins:
This game was part of the target games played with walnuts in the classical Greek and Roman times. The triangle shaped area that is drawn on the ground, corresponded to the capital letter ‘delta’ of the Greek alphabet. The throws were done with walnuts (which was a symbol of youth games in the classical period) or small astragal bones from sheep or goats carcasses which were used as dice or for other games in those periods.

Number of players:
As many as wished, minimum two.

Materials:
Walnuts or small animal bones or even small stones are good.

How to play:
In turns, each player throws the walnuts or bones on the ground from a distance previously decided and the same for everyone, bopping that their own walnut will land within the area where the highest score is marked. Highest total score wins.

Obviously I used my walnuts but if you happen to have any sheep or goat carcasses around …..then bones it is!

Meanwhile, here’s a recipe I did earlier!…

RECIPE: ITALIAN ‘SALSA di NOCI’ with WARM-SPICED CHICKEN WINGS
For 6 – to be eaten with fingers

Nut-cracking time: flexible
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Spiced chicken wings.jpg

Pre-heat oven 200C/400F

INGREDIENTS

CHICKEN WINGS (for 6)
24 chicken wings (I’ve allowed 4 each)
1 Tbsp sumac spice
1 Tbsp paprika
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon
Salt & ground black pepper to taste
2-3 Tbsp olive oil (appx.)

SALSA di NOCI (to use as a dip
125g shelled walnuts
75g shelled almonds
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ tsp salt
5 heaped Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
200ml single cream
5 Tbsp olive oil (appx.)

METHOD
Mix the chicken wings, spices and olive oil together in a large bowl.

Arrange in one layer in a baking dish and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Remove and allow to sit covered for about 5 minutes.

Put the nuts into a food processor and blitz until they are coarsely ground.

Tip in the garlic, salt, parmesan cheese, cream and olive oil and blitz again until well mixed to make a fairly firm dipping sauce.

Adjust to how liquid you would like the salsa – adding more oil or cream if necessary. Pour into a bowl – or bowls.

Serve the chicken wings on a large wooden platter with the bowl/bowls of ‘salsa di noci’ and perhaps a large green salad. No cutlery needed – these are to be eaten in the fingers – so just a pile of paper napkins.

Follow up with some fresh tangerines and if you can find a bottle of the Italian liqueur made with young walnuts called ‘Nocino’ – then this would be just the icing on the cake!

AUGURI! BUON NATALE e BUON ANNO!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A SHEPHERD’S OPEN SANDWICH

23 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by eatingcloudsinitaly in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

alpine, bergamo, dandelion leaves, goats, italian food, italy, malga, olive oil, pastore, rye bread, sandwich, sheep, shepherd, strawberries, walnuts

open sandwich3a

I stopped and chatted with a nomadic pastore this morning as he grazed his flock along the river. Well strictly speaking he, being nomadic, stopped to chat to me! We talked sheep and finding the best pastures – one of us quite a lot more knowledgeable than the other!

bergamo pecoreHe and his dog are slowly shepherding their goats, donkeys and the lovely floppy-eared Bergamasco sheep with their 2 week old lambs towards the mountains, hoping to be up in the alpine malga in a few weeks time.

sheep feeding

He’s making the most of the beautiful warm spring weather – life’s pretty tough otherwise for these guys and as he points out, the pay’s rubbish.

However, he does manage to make goat and sheep cheese as well as getting offerings of food and bottles of vino on his travels…..and as he says….you’ve just got to keep moving, keeps you healthy!

dandelion

I continued my walk back home picking dandelion leaves along the way. All this talk of goat cheese made me want a cheese sandwich and I thought I’d make it with dandelion leaves…..these are the very leaves I picked!

feeding goat

However, this is not the very goat I got the cheese from…..it was sitting in my fridge at home…the cheese that is.

So for anyone who would like a new idea for a sandwich….

A Shepherd’s Open Sandwich
Local goats cheese on home-made seeded rye bread topped with dandelion leaves, toasted walnuts and diced strawberries….and drizzled with cold-pressed olive oil.

Slices bread
Olive oil
Goats cheese
Dandelion leaves (must be organic) – if not use rucola or lettuce
Walnut halves
1 or 2 strawberries

Slice some good bread – our lovely Ukrainian friend had just made us a wonderful seeded dark rye loaf so this was perfect.

Either leave as bread or lightly toast it

Drizzle with olive oil

Spread or slice goats cheese onto the bread

Thoroughly wash and dry the dandelion leaves and place on top of the cheese

Lightly toast some walnuts and put on top of the leaves

Then – for a touch of acidity and colour – I diced a strawberry quite small and dotted a few over (to give the idea of tiny wild strawberries!)

Drizzle a little more olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

Pronto!

bread2

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