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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.

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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.

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These coriander plants are very welcome volunteers right now

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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.

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Romanesco — I steam it with our diced purple potatoes and finish in a pan with some brown butter, garlic and sage.

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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

The flowers provide welcome colour to our winter salads 

Peppers love the cooler weather and taste better now too.

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

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)

Fennel is coming on nicely

 our second planting of fennel

Purple tat soi

Purple tat soi

Pak Choi

and Pak Choi

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Salsify root is delicious peeled and glazed in a pan with some duck fat then served with duck leg confit and a salad

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rapini (cima di rape) sprouting

Alchechengi are plentiful this year

Alchechengi are plentiful this year

and they are ripening now

and they are ripening now. We dip them in chocolate and serve them with coffee

Broccoli. We pick the

Broccoli. We pick the large heads but the plant will continue to produce smaller “sprouts” all winter….

Like this

Like these

This looks like lunch to me

Cabbage, fennel, peppers and salsify. This looks like lunch to me

Using vegetables for food coloring - purple cabbage candy

 purple cabbage candy

Peppers stuffed with leftover tomato water risotto. Worth making extra risotto for!

Peppers stuffed with leftover tomato water risotto. Worth making extra risotto for!

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