L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES W hen fall co- mes, scents get warmers and m u s h r o o m s , p u m p k i n s , chestnuts and truffles are the kings and queens of markets. You can see other, peculiar root-like vege- tables which are, in fact, quite common in Italy, but almost unk- nown outside our national borders. Certainly, they aren't too pretty, nor colorful, but they are tasty and versatile, as you can eat them as vegetables, but can work as medi- cines, too! Soncino's bitter root: it is a product typical of the area around the ancient borough of Soncino, near Cremona (Lom- bardia). It has the shape of a car- rot, but it is usually longer and more irregular, with a whitish co- lor. It is picked only during fall and winter. It belongs to the com- positae genus, and it is rich in inulin, whose molecules are very low in calories, support a better assimilation of iron and are use- ful to people suffering from dia- betes. Pectin and lignin are good for the gastro-intestinal tract. Topinambur, AKA German turnip, Jerusalem artichoke or Canadian potato: it belongs to the large asteraceae genus and it comes from North America. Fa- bio Colonna (1567-1640), a natu- ralist and botanist, provided one of the first Italian description of it. According to popular medi- cine, its tubers have a plethora of healing properties, especially for the gastro-intestinal tract, and are a natural tonic for the immune system. Their root used to be ea- ten, but today potatoes are lar- gely preferred. Celeriac: it is a root vegetable belonging to the ombrelliferae ge- nus. Only its root, whitish, rough and wrinkled in appearance, is edi- ble. Its leaves are dark green and its stalks are hollow. Celeriac is particularly common in Northern Italy, while it is almost unknown in the South. It takes between 110 and 150 days to this vegetable to mature and be ready for consump- tion; it can be kept in the fridge where it can last up to 4 or 5 months. Beside having the same medical properties of celery, ce- leriac is thought to be useful to fi- ght rheumatisms, lung inflamma- tion, liver issues and lack of minerals. It contains a very little amount of calories (23 kcal for 100 grams) and 88% of it is wa- ter. Chard: chards belong to the asteraceae genus. They are grass- like, relatively tall plants, with pe- rennial or annual growth cycles. Characterized by thorns and by flowers reminiscent of those of ar- tichokes', chards are notoriously hard to grow. In order to keep it sweeter and tender, it should grow in cold and shadow: fall frost makes it, indeed, very tender. The best chards are closed, light in co- lor and heavy. The only that can be consumed raw are the cardi gobbi, all other varieties necessi- tate long cooking times. The plant's fruits have been used VARINIA CAPPELLETTI since ancient times to produce a substance capable to curd milk. Chards contain little calories, but are very filling, which means they can be enriched with a good amount of fats, without loosing their properties. Chards are good with salted anchovies and this is why they are a must when prepa- ring bagna cauda, the hot Pied- montese sauce made with ancho- vies, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Radice Amara sott'olio (bit- ter root in oil) Scrape the root clean and dice it. Boil together equal parts of sal- ted water and white vinegar, then add the roots to it when the mix- ture is piping hot, leaving them in for 4-5 minutes.  Drain and let dry on a clean kitchen towel. Place in glass jars, cover with olive oil and add garlic, pepper, laurel and basil. This way, they can last a few months. Chips di topinambur (Jeru- salem artichokes' chips) Ingredients for 4 people: ■ 10 medium Jerusalem arti- chokes' roots, sliced very thin (you should use a slicer or a grater for this) ■ Aromatic herbs, thinly chop- ped (you can choose what you like: rosemary, sage, thymes) ■ 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped ■ Extra virgin olive oil ■ Salt and pepper to taste Procedure: 1. Place the sliced Jerusalem artichokes in a large oven dish, using baking paper to avoid sticking. With a cooking brush, cover them with the mixture of herbs, olive oil and garlic 2. Add salt and pepper 3. Bake at 360F until they look golden. Vellutata di sedano rapa e porro (celeriac and leek creamy soup) Ingredients: ■ 1, one pound celeriac, pee- led and diced ■ 3-4 medium potatoes diced ■ 1 leek ■ Fresh chives ■ 1 clove of garlic ■ Extra virgin olive oil ■ 1 pint (500 ml) of vegetable stock ■ Salt and pepper to taste ■ 1 glass of milk (optional) Procedure: 1.Slice thinly the leek, and sauté it along with the celeriac, the potatoes and the garlic 2. When they are golden, add the vegetable stock, add some salt and pepper and cook until all ve- getables are tender. 3. Purée the soup with a mixer. If it is too thick, add some extra stock. 4. Add the milk and the fresh chives. Jerusalem artichokes and Soncino's bitter roots: healthy, low in calories and versatile in the kitchen Chard is a delicious fall staple in the cuisine of many northern Italian regions Root vegetables of all sorts may not be too pretty, but they are tasteful and good for you Bring the flavors of the fall on your table with root vegetables, turnips and chards

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