Tagliatelle with Sculpit

Sculpit or Stridolo is a treasured Italian green herb that is almost completely unknown here in America, which is a shame, gastronomically speaking. Its’ flavors have been compared to a blend of Chicory, Arugula and Tarragon, but milder and with its’ own unique flavor. A fast-growing annual, it is traditionally found on the edge of fields, forests and mountain pastures and is harvested in Spring before the first blooms appear. The leaves are the part used in cooking, most famously flavoring risotto, along with pasta, soups, salads and main courses including meat.

It really reminds me of Ramps- or more properly- Rampions in the East where there are huge multi-acre patches growing in forests and alongside old, established agricultural fields. They have a cult-like following, and are now becoming so popular that some of the native patches are being over harvested, causing a decline in recovery and a decreasing size of the patches.

Back to Sculpit, though. They are extremely popular in the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy, with Bologna as its’ capital. So popular, in fact, that they have their own festival at the end of April in the little mountain village of Galeata, in the Southeast of Emilia-Romagna.

Here is a classic Italian Sculpit recipe with Tagliatelle noodle pasta- as always, the fresher the ingredients, the better the flavors!

Tagliatelle agli Stridoli

2 Mild Italian sausages, sliced  1/8″ thick

2 slices of pancetta

4 ripe tomatoes- Italian Plum such as Goldman’s Italian American, Principe Borghese or the San Marzano tomatoes.

5 oz Sculpit, coarsely chopped

7 oz Tagliatelle pasta

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

Heat pasta water in a large pot on high heat with salt added to water. Once the water just starts boiling, start cooking. Start the pasta cooking right after adding the pancetta to the pan.

Cook the sausages in a heavy pan on medium heat with a little oil for 3-5 minutes, then add the diced pancetta. Cook until light golden, then add fresh tomatoes and sculpit, reduce heat slightly to a simmer.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, drain it, and place the pasta in the pan with the sauce, frying it for a few seconds. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and serve immediately with fresh bread. Optionally, add a very light sprinkle of grated hard Italian cheese- don’t drown out the fresh flavors with the cheese, though.

A fast growing herb, oregano serves many purposes beyond the kitchen counter.

Related to mint (but nowhere near as sweet), oregano is a popular herb found throughout
Italian, Greek, and Mexican cuisines. Whereas Greek oregano is very strong and slightly bitter
with a clove-like afterbite, Mexican oregano is almost all bitter, and can be almost tongue
numbing. Oregano is great with anything involving tomatoes, and goes very well with savory
dishes like eggs and roasted meats.

How to Grow:
Because it loves warm climate and direct sunlight, you want to plant your oregano only when
you are sure the last frost has passed. It only takes a week-and-a-half to germinate, with the
leaves ready for harvest after six. Since compost and manure have a tendency to adversely
affect the final flavor of the leaves, it is best to plant the seeds (or transplants) fifteen inches
apart in loose, moist soil and cover with mulch to combat weeds. Because it is drought
tolerant, as long as you water it periodically, the plant will take care of itself.

Non-Culinary Uses:
Oregano can be used as a border for many gardens and walkways. It is a perennial and will
grow back each year. Many people enjoy its aromatic fragrance.
Due to its high levels of an antiseptic called carvacrol (also responsible for its ‘pizza-like’ flavor),
oregano acts as a bacterial inhibitor and an effective first-aid treatment for insect, spider, and
even snake bites.

Culinary Uses:
Oregano is often used in many soups and pasta sauces. However, oregano is most widely
recognized as the “special herb” which turns bland pizza sauce into real pizza sauce. You can
make your own pizza sauce following the simple recipe below.

Ingredients Needed:
1 32 oz can of plain crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz. can of tomato paste
½ teaspoon of dried crushed oregano (Either True Greek or Sweet Marjoram will work well).
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ cup water

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the garlic and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

Author Credits: Elizabeth Trementozzi Krause publishes her own Italian cooking website,
www.simpleitaliancooking.com where she features more Italian recipes. She enjoys spending her time cooking and
drinking espresso with friends and family. She and her husband love eating pizza with a dish of pasta on the side
along with a nice green salad. She offers a newsletter each week featuring new recipes and tips.

Transforming zucchini from a seed in your garden to a meal on your plate.

We call it ‘zucchini’ here in the Americas, but where the British and French roam, it is known as ‘courgette.’ Technically, it is not a vegetable, but an immature fruit, as it is the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower. Sounds pretty unappetizing, until you sauté it in a little butter or olive oil with garlic and onion.

How to Grow
Zucchini is one of the easier vegetables to grow; only taking 45- 55 days to grow to maturity. Begin planting after the last frost date or when the temperature is consistently 65 degrees Fahrenheit or above. If your soil is already full of organic materials, you typically do not need to include additional fertilizer to the soil since these are such wonderful natural producers. However, if needed add some fertilizer to help the plants along.

In your gardening bed, make large, flat mounds of soil, spacing them about three feet apart. Into each mound, plant 3 or 4 seeds at least six inches from each other and water generously at least once a week. The idea behind all this spacing is that when the vines grow, they will need room to run; to really stretch out. Once the zucchini seeds have begun to grow, thin them down to only 2 or 3 per mound. Do not thin by pulling the plants by their roots as this can disturb nearby plants. Simply use a scissors and snip the unwanted plants at their base.

You will know when your zucchinis are ready for harvesting when they approach 5 to 6 inches in length. Waiting until the zucchini are too large can result in a tougher outer skin. However, if you discover you missed a few zucchinis which are now overgrown, try using the insides of the plant for a nice zucchini soup.

Keep in mind, if kept unchecked, zucchini will take over your garden. One recommended way to keep this from happening is to eat the large, female flowers on the ends as they blossom. Sure, you could eat them raw, but then you would miss out on a great Italian recipe for fried zucchini blossoms. Simply wash the blossoms gently and then stuff them with herbed ricotta cheese. Next, dredge the blossoms in an eggwash and breadcrumbs mixture. You can use Italian breadcrumbs, plain breadcrumbs or even your own if you are so inclined. Pan fry them in a sauce pan over medium-high heat and let drain on paper towels on a plate. You will end up with a wonderful easy appetizer that would stop Julia Child in her tracks. Some Italians are known to fry the blossoms without any stuffing, and just pan fry them with the egg and breadcrumbs mixture.

Storing
Zucchini can be frozen by cutting them into slices and placing them in containers or sealed freezer bags. Place in the freezer but remember, label and date each bag since the life span is 4 to 6 months. To extend the storage life for up to 12 months, blanch the zucchini for 3 minutes, and then cool completely before freezing.

Food History
While most squashes are considered native to the Americas, the squash we know as ‘zucchini’ has its roots in Italy, and did not become popular in the United States until the 1920’s. The cocozelle zucchini is an Italian variety which cannot be mistaken for its striped pattern of alternating dark and light green lines. This variety makes for a beautiful presentation in a variety of dishes. A simple way to prepare the zucchini is to cut in half length wise and drizzle a few tablespoons of Italian olive oil on top. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. During the last 10 minutes spoon some tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with Romano cheese. Zucchini is ready when the inside is very soft and a fork easily cuts through the inside of the zucchini. Serve while warm.

Nearly every backyard garden includes zucchini – and it is no wonder why. These easy to grow vegetables (or immature fruits) provide a variety of culinary uses from simple appetizers and salads to the staple ingredient in a main meal. No matter how you choose to use them, these green vegetables will give you great eating pleasure throughout the summer months.
This article was contributed by Elizabeth Trementozzi Krause publisher of SimpleItalianCooking.com where she offers free Italian cooking recipes. Elizabeth’s favorite dish is angel hair served in individual pasta bowls with fresh tomato sauce and cheese. She often includes vegetables in her recipes. She currently resides in Virginia with her husband who also grew up in an Italian home. They appreciate Italian culture from love of food to using an Italian espresso maker for a quick shot of espresso.