Rape Viola (purple turnip) is the star of the show right now. My favorite way to eat them is braised in a little butter and sprinkled with a pinch of Petraia lavender salt.
Turnip tops. I chop these up and toss them into the pasta water with the pasta. Seasoned with EVOO and parmesan its an easy lunch.
These coriander plants are very welcome volunteers right now
Old faithful ….cavalo nero. This plant will sustain us all winter. In spring there will be tender broccoli-like shoots and pretty yellow flowers to eat before the whole cycle begins again.
Romanesco — I steam it with our diced purple potatoes and finish in a pan with some brown butter, garlic and sage.
The nasturtium, on its last legs continues to take over the orto. It now occupies almost 2 entire quadrants of our garden.
The flowers provide welcome colour to our winter salads
Peppers love the cooler weather and taste better now too. I like to stuff them with leftover risotto to bake topped with parmesan or mozzarella cheese.
Purple Cabbage. We poach these colorful leaves in a simple syrup then dry them in a low oven to make delicious purple cabbage candy to garnish wild boar and venison based main courses (scroll down for the photo)
our second planting of fennel
Purple tat soi
and Pak Choi
Salsify root is delicious peeled and glazed in a pan with some duck fat then served with duck leg confit and a salad
rapini (cima di rape) sprouting
Alchechengi are plentiful this year
and they are ripening now. We dip them in chocolate and serve them with coffee
Broccoli. We pick the large heads but the plant will continue to produce smaller “sprouts” all winter….
Like these
Cabbage, fennel, peppers and salsify. This looks like lunch to me
purple cabbage candy
Peppers stuffed with leftover tomato water risotto. Worth making extra risotto for!