This past fall we hosted a private group cycling tour through the western Veneto region of Italy. In addition to daily cycling through lovely vineyards, we enjoyed private winery tours and tastings, wine dinners, visits to Verona, Lake Garda, and Mantova, and two very fun cooking classes. The first was with the chefs at Allegrini’s historic Villa alla Torre.
We made some classic Venetian dishes, including Braised Beef in Amarone, Sbrisolona, and home made fresh pasta with a variety of sauces. We made a fresh tomato sauce, a traditional meat sauce, and a very nice and light sauce with green peas. Here, I share the recipe for the homemade pasta with pea sauce.
In the Veneto, peas are one the first greens to appear in spring. The most prized are from Lumingnano. Introduced to the area by the Benedictines, the monks reclaimed the land at the foot of the Colli Berici making this area ideal for the cultivation of peas, with the perfect habitat for exceptionally early production – lots of sun exposure, and heat held by the rock formations. Using this prime habitat, however, requires a lot of hard work on the part of the farmers, as they are grown in small terraced gardens cut into the steepest positions on the cliffs, in order to make best use of the sun exposure. Everything needed to build the terrace and cultivate the peas had to be carried up by the farmers. The result, however, is an extremely delicate and tasty product.
The Doges of Venice demanded that the peas of Lumingnano be the primary ingredient of their risi i bisi that was traditionally served to the Doges for the Feast of Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venice. This feast day, April 25, coincidentally occurs just about the time the peas first arrive in the markets of Venice.
Today, cultivation of these Lumingnano peas is extremely limited, and are produced only by families for the needs of local restaurants and the Peas Festival, which is held every year in May.
Home Made Pasta with Sugo di Piselli with Allegrini
Serves 6 people as a first course
For the pasta
14 ounces all purpose flour
4 whole eggs
salt
Make a little mound of flour in the center of the table with a hole in the center (like a volcano). Put the eggs and salt in the center.
Beat the eggs and salt well with a fork and slowly incorporate the flour. At this point start to work the mixture with your hands (wash them first, of course!), incorporating all the flour until you form a neat ball.
Knead the dough as much as possible until it forms a smooth and compact ball. Knead it using the lower part of the palm of your hand to elongate the mass, then push it back on itself to form a ball shape again.
The dough is ready when it starts to form bubbles as you knead it.
At this stage, wrap it in some cling film and put it aside to rest for about 30 minutes.
The pasta dough can be rolled out using a rolling pin or with the use of a pasta machine: this rolls out even sheets of pasta which can then be cut into appropriate shapes or strips: tagliatelle ‘ribbons’, fine stringy pasta, sheets for layered lasagna or for making tortellini and ravioli. You can choose what thickness you prefer, fine textured or more coarse, robust pasta.
Pea Sauce – Sugo di Piselle
9 ounces fresh peas
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper
In a skillet, melt the butter and saute the minced shallot until it becomes golden brown in color. Add the peas and continue to cook, adding three cups of water (about 10 minutes). Add salt and pepper. Make sure that at the end of cooking the peas remain soft and creamy.
Exploring the lovely village of Serralunga d’Alba in the heart of the Langhe district in Piedmont, one can not resist stopping to enjoy a meal on the terrace at Trattoria Schiavenza, soaking up the splendid vineyard view. Locals and tourists both dine here, as well as our guests on our Barolo Walk and Wine tour, but I’m not sure how many of the tourists know that one of the best Barolos in Serralunga is being produced just beneath their feet.
I recently met Walter Anselma, one of the current owners of Schiavenza, to learn more about his unique wines. Founded in 1956 by Vittorio and Ugo Alessandria, the estate was formerly owned by Opera Pia Barolo, a non-profit foundation founded by the Marchesa di Barolo to help the local poor, and the vineyards were typically worked by sharecroppers. Schiavenza is the local dialect for sharecropper. Today, the estate is run by the second-generation Alessandria sisters, Enrica and Maura, and their husbands Luciano Pira and Walter Anselma.
Walter meets me in the small tasting room, and apologizes that the cellar is not set up for tours. He offers to bring me through, if I am comfortable navigating the narrow metal circular staircase down. I am, and we head down to see their operation. A long, narrow tiled walkway leads us first past wood “botti”, large Slovenian oak barrels used for aging, then a few stainless tanks, then several cement cisterns. Walter describes their production process: all wines are fermented in the cement cisterns, using only naturally occuring yeasts – no yeast is added. Following fermentation, the wines are moved to larger botti for aging. There are no barriques, Walter comments that he want to “taste wine, not wood.”
The next step is very unique to Schiavenza, and Walter – the frequency with which they “rack” the wines as the age. Racking, called “travaso” on Italian, is a method in wine production of transferring wine from one barrel to another, using gravity rather than a pump. A pump would disrupt the wine by mixing in any particles that may have settled in the barrel. This process is done several times during the aging process, more often at first, but eventually time between racking extends to months. Walter does is much more frequently, every 10 days for some wines like Barbera, less frequently for others. Barolos that age for 60 months are racked every 3 months.
Each time a botti is emptied during racking, it must be cleaned of any sediment before being refilled with another wine. Cleaning is done by hand, and involves Walter himself squeezing his entire slim frame into the dark interior through the small entry hole at the bottom of the botti. He cleans the entire inside with only water and a brush, no harsh chemicals. If more than three months pass between racking a barrel, the sediment becomes too hard to wash off with water, and they would need to scrape off 2-3 mm of wood from the inside of the barrel to remove it. Walter emphasizes that clean barrels mean good air circulation, clean wines. I commented about the amount of work involved with this dedication to frequent racking, and Walter downplayed it, saying most of the work occurs in the winter months, when there is not a lot of other vineyard work to be done.
I ask Walter to share his thoughts on organic wines. He belongs to an Italian group of producers dedicated to sustainable practices, but he isn’t certified by an official ‘biologic” wine entity, it is too onerous, and he goes on to share several anecdotes about local farms that are supposedly organic but he sees them doing things that are suspect. He gives a very personal reason for his clean production methods – his family drinks his wines daily, so he very much wants them to be healthy. He uses no pesticides, no harsh chemicals. He does occasionally use a tractor, and employs staff from the local cooperative.
Broglio vineyard
But there are two tasks that are only ever performed by Walter and his brother-in-law Luciano: pruning, and green harvesting. These require expertise, and are too important to outsource. Pruning, done in the winter and early spring, is essential for training grape canes and producing quality fruit yields. Later in the season, it is done to allow light and air to reach the plant’s interior. Green harvesting, done in late summer, is the harvesting of unripe green clusters of grapes from the vine. It is a form of crop thinning to help manage yield and to enable the remaining grape clusters to fully ripen according to the winemaker’s aims. This is especially important for a prolific grape like Nebbiolo.
Walter leads the way back to the small tasting room, where we try a taste of his amazing wines. Schiavenza produces 48,000 bottles of wine annually.
We begin with the 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba. I ask why they still produce a Dolcetto, as many wineries are turning all their vineyards over to the more profitable Nebbiolo. Walter insists that Dolcetto is still an important wine, the “everyday” drinking wine the locals enjoy. They produce 7,000 bottles a year.
Schiavenza 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba
100% Dolcetto, from different vineyards all located in the village of Serralunga d’Alba. Don’t be misled by the name, Dolcetto is a dry wine. Ruby purple in color, with scents of red fruits and cherry. Strong fruit flavor, austere with a bitter almond finish.
Schiavenza 2017 Barbera d’Alba
100% Barbera, from their vineyard located in Perno in the village of Monforte d’Alba, just south west of Serralunga. Again the same question, why still plant Barbera when you can make more money selling Nebbiolo? The vineyards in Perno are very well-positioned, but brother-in-law Luciano believes these vineyards are absolutely optimum for Barbera. Intense ruby color with purple-violet reflections. Intense ripe cherry taste, lots of spice. Nice acidity.
Schiavenza 2017 Langhe Nebbiolo
100% Nebbiolo, from the same vineyards in Monforte d’Alba. If they used these grapes in any of their Barolos, they would not be able to use the “Serralunga d’Alba” name on the bottle. Light ruby in color with hints of orange. Delicate scents of cherry and rose, flavors of cherry, licorice. Nice tannins and good acidity.
Schiavenza makes 4 Barolo wines. In bad years and good, they are all made in exactly the same way – same fermentation, same aging. The only difference is the terroir of the 3 vineyards.
Schiavenza 2014 Broglio
100% Nebbiolo, from the Broglio hamlet of the village of Serralunga d’Alba. Walter describes the earth here contains lots of clay, so the Nebbiolo vines here are particularly prolific. They do extensive green harvesting, removing almost 40% of the grapes. Lighter ruby red color with orange reflections. Aromatic, with intense floral notes of rose and fruit jam. An elegant wine, full bodied, with great structure and tannins and persistent finish.
Schiavenza 2014 Cerretta
100% Nebbiolo, from vineyards located in the Bricco Cerretta Cru found in Serralunga d’Alba. Lighter ruby red color with orange reflections. Aromas of rose, red fruits, tobacco. Flavors of red cherry, raspberries, licorice, with an earthy minerality. Full bodied with nice acidity and pronounced tannins.
Schiavenza 2014 Prapò
100% Nebbiolo, from Schiavenza’s flagship Prapò vineyard in Serralunga. Great south-east exposure, this vineyard has terroir with lots of limestone, less fertile than Broglio. There is almost no green harvesting done here. Intense ruby red color aromas of berry fruits, violet and rose. The palate is well rounded and intense with elegant tannins.
Schiavenza Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba
100% Nebbiolo, a blend of grapes from the preceding 3 cru areas. Lighter ruby red color with orange reflections. Aromas of rose, cherry jam, tobacco. Flavors of cherry, raspberries, licorice, leather. Elegant structure, full bodied, nice tannins, long finish.
After my tour and tasting, I had a very nice lunch at Trattoria Schiavenza. The trattoria is overseen by the Alessandria sisters, Enrica and Maura, featuring the traditional dishes of the Langhe area. I enjoyed the carne cruda, ravioli del “plin“, and budino for dessert, accompanied by a glass of the Cerretta Barolo. Wonderful food to enjoy as I gazed over their Broglio vineyards below.
This post is the first of what I hope will be many, sharing wine and recipes for our new Newburyport Wine Club. Our club is an easy, affordable and fun way for members to experience new wines – absent pretension. We are a private club, started by myself, Newburyport resident Kathy Bechtel and my friend, Certified Sommelier and Educator Gary Sullivan. Our club is a relaxed get-together where we drink wine, enjoy a little food and bring together a mix of friends and neighbors. Amongst friends, we strive to create an environment that is comfortable, and encourage participation. No question is ever silly; the joy of discovery and knowledge gained at this early stage will become the foundation for years that follow. We hope this will be the beginning of a love affair with wine.
We gather once a month at a local venue to enjoy a taste of four wines, thoughtfully paired with a small plate to assist us in learning to appreciate how food and wine can complement each other (and just because we enjoy great food too). On my blog I plan to share recipes and pairing thoughts for all to enjoy at home.
The theme of our first meeting was Grillin’ and Grapes: Wine Pairings with Barbeque. One wine we sampled was a 2018 Bodegas Olivares Rosado, from Jumilla, Spain. From Gary’s tasting notes: Traditional BBQ fare can be enhanced by a crisp glass of Rosé. In contrast to the rich, smoky flavors associated with tangy sauces, a dry rosé wine will provide refreshing, fruity flavors. This Olivares Rosado is intensely aromatic with notes of wild strawberries, blueberries and raspberry jam. The palate is dry and serious, with good balance and focused flavors.
I prepared a grilled fruit dish to accompany this, Grilled Summer Peaches with Burrata, Mint and Balsamic Drizzle. From the southern Italian region of Puglia, burrata is often described as “cream filled mozzarella”. A stretching method, similar to that used for mozzarella, is used. In the case of burrata, a layer of stretched curd about half an inch thick is used to form a “bag”. The bag is filled with strings of stretchy curd that have been combined with cream from the whey. The bags are knotted at the neck while still warm, then dipped in brine for a few minutes to salt it. After salting, they are immediately packaged in plastic bags or tubs and sold, as it is quite perishable.
In order to halve the peaches and remove the pit to grill, you will need freestone peaches where the pit is “free” of the flesh. Often peaches in farmer’s markets are clingstone (the pit is attached to the flesh) and these are very difficult to prepare for grilling as described.
Grilled Summer Peaches with Burrata, Mint and Balsamic Drizzle
Serves 4
4 freestone peaches
Extra virgin olive oil
2 small burrata cheeses, cut in half, or 1 large, cut into quarters
10 – 12 mint leaves, thinly sliced
Good quality balsamic vinegar
Maldon Sea Salt
Preheat grill.
Cut the four peaches in half and remove pit. Brush with olive oil. Place cut side down and grill 2 – 3 minutes, until beginning to soften and showing nice grill marks. Flip and grill for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cut in half if desired.
Place two grilled peach halves on four small plates. Place one piece of burrata on each plate, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, garnish with mint and sea salt. Serve.
In Italy, I’d enjoy this with a dry Chiaretto from Bardolino.
One of Italy’s loveliest wine regions, producing luscious red wines, is still very much overlooked by even the most knowledgeable wine tourists. Hidden in the north of Lombardy along the Swiss border, the Valtellina wine region stretches along the river Adda from Lake Como on the west to Bormio and the foothills of Stelvio National Park to the east. This unique and dramatic landscape, where one must avoid stepping on the occasional cactus while admiring snow capped mountains looming just a few miles away, is the birthplace of one of Italy’s best red varietals, known locally as Chiavennasca, but better know as Nebbiolo.
View east towards Stelvio
Like many other wine regions in Italy, wines have been produced here in Valtellina for more than 2,000 years. In this northern alpine climate, farmers learned that the grapes ripened better when grown high up on the sunny steep hillsides. They built complex terraces, constructing retaining walls from the dark grey bedrock and transporting sandy topsoil from the valley floor. They favored one particular grape, which they called Chiavennasca, in the local dialect “the best grape for wine.” Even hundreds of years ago, the wines from Valtellina were prized – Leonardo Da Vinci was a fan, and the monks brought cuttings with them on their travels west, bringing their favorite grape to their new home in Piedmont.
I had the opportunity to explore these dramatic vineyards first hand during a visit to Nino Negri, the largest producer of this small region. My host Olivier drove me up a narrow winding road (his favorite daily cycling route) to Negri’s Inferno vineyards. Inferno is one ot the five Valtellina subzones, indicating the grapes come from small set of vineyards known to produce quality wine, similar to the French “cru”. Inferno is aptly named, home to the very steepest terraces in Valtellina, making is extremely difficult to work. Negri uses a helicopter to airlift the grapes out of the vineyards during harvest, as the steepest vineyards are inaccessible to vehicles. The steep pitch of the slope results in a near 90° angle between the ground and the sun even at this northern latitude. Oliver relates that in the heat of the summer, workers here begin their day at 6am and finish by 2pm to escape the brutal sun. The dark rock of the terraces reflects the heat, baking the workers from both sides.
Inferno vineyards
Terrace walls
We step over cacti growing in cracks in the warm rock, carefully descending down one level of terraces to get a closer look at an old structure perched on this hill, with NEGRI written down the side. Oliver informs me that this is the original drying loft for their Sfursat di Valtellina. This unique wine is a passito secco style wine; a dry red wine made with dried grapes; a very similar process used in the Valpolicella region to produce their famed Amarone. The best bunches of Nebbiolo are selected and laid out to dry, now in plastic pallets in a newer facility, but originally on straw mats in the top floor of this building on the hill. Prevailing winds, called the “breva” and “foehn”, blow up and down this valley, through large open windows of the loft, naturally drying the grapes. The grapes spend about 3 months drying, loosing 30-35% of their weight. This concentrates the sugars, which during the fermentation process are converted into alcohol, resulting in an intense, dry, high alcohol wine.
I’ve visited numerous Amarone producers, and know that wine dates from 1936, evolving out of the area’s traditional sweet wine, Recioto. I was surprised to learn from Olivier that Sfursat wines predate Amarone wines. The sfurzato/passimento process came here from the Swiss in the 1600s, and was always used to produce a dry wine – there is no sweet red “Recioto” equivalent in this wine zone. Negri produced it’s first commercial Sfurzat in the early 1950s, about the same time the first Amarone were introduced. The view from these terraces is spectacular. Looking to the east, the peaks of the Stelvio National Park loom, still covered in snow. To the west, more steep slopes covered with terraced vineyards – the hill just to our east with a church at the top is the Sassella subzone, the next one down the valley with the ruins of an ancient fort at its’ summit is Grumello. The Nino Negri winery owns 31 hectares in Valtellina, 2 in Sassella, 11 each in Grumello and Inferno, and the remaining 7 in Fracia in the Valgella subzone.
View west with Sassella and Grumello hills in distance
We return to the winery, located in the town of Chiuro in the historic Palazzo Quadrio. In the 1400s, Venice and Milan were at war, and a local captain Stefano Quadrio was instrumental in assisting the Duke of Milan in his victory over the Venetians. The Duke rewarded Quadrio by naming him governor of Valtellina and giving him the Palazzo. Quadrio began cultivating grapes and producing wine at his new estate, his original cellars remain under the Palazzo today. The Quadrio family eventually sold the Palazzo to the Galli family. In the late 1890s, a daughter of the Galli family married the son of a hotelier from nearby Aprica, Nino Negri.
Palazzo Quadri
Nino Negri inherited the estate in 1897, and entered the wine business. His family had a network of carriages to transport guests to and from their hotel to Sondrio, Negri put it to use to transport his wines. Negri’s son Carlo took over the business, but Carlo’s children had no interest in the wine industry, so it was sold to a Swiss bank. In the 1980s it was purchased by Gruppo Italiano, a large conglomerate in Italy focused only in the wine industry. It may be a large company, but they run Negri well. Since 1971 they have supported the efforts of current winemaker Casimiro Maule, who has made Nino Negri a success. In 2007, Casimiro was named “Winemaker of the Year” by Gambero Rosso, and his wines continually receive awards and high ratings from international wine publications like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
The Valtellina region produces only 3.5M bottles per year. Negri is the largest producer, representing 30% of the total market. It has its 31 hectares of vineyards, but also buys grapes from many small local farmers. In the mid 1980s, there was an export freeze on Italian wines, the response to a wine contamination scandal that left at least 20 persons dead from methyl alcohol poisoning. This freeze forced Italy to suspend all wine exports until they could be certified as safe. As a result, demand for Italian wines tanked, and the small local growers with no income were in dire straits. The leadership at Negri stepped up and made a promise that they would purchase all grapes from local farmers as long as they adhered to Negri’s quality guidelines. The majority of the farmers took the offer, and survived the crisis. Since them, some have left the Negri fold to pursue their own path, but most remain, happy to know their grapes will sell year after year.
Olivier next led me on a tour of the cellars. There were several aging rooms, from the historic cellars first built by Nino to more modern rooms, all filled from floor to ceiling with aging barrels of all shapes and sizes. The age of the barrels themselves varied, from new barriques to large barrels from the original cellar that date from the late 1800s. Many were from Italian barrel producers using a variety of oaks – French, Slavonian, even American. Each possess a unique flavor profile and different oxygen exchange qualities. Blending wines from different sizes and ages of barrels gives the wines more complexity.
Aging barrel made from American oak
There are a seemingly endless number of barrels, giving the impression that Negri produces a vast amount of wine. But when you account for the fact that every wine Negri makes spends time in a barrel, most at least two and some as many as four years, you begin to appreciate how much cellar real estate that requires. These barrels hold multiple years of production.
We step into one cellar that holds some of the largest barrels I have ever seen. Before I can ask, Olivier tells me that these barrels, originally used to brew beer, were moved into place and the cellar built around them. These were constructed after WWII to sell to the Swiss market, newly opened, but only to producers located in Valtellina.
My host Olivier provides some scale to appreciate the size of these barrels
The very last aging room we visit contains a series of newer mid size barrels. Olivier describes the latest technology that is being used to produce these barrels – when first selecting the wood for each barrel, a laser is used to analyze the content and to characterize each piece. This information is used to design a barrel to deliver a specific flavor profile – spicy, oakey, subtle. A producer can now order a specific flavor profile and get a barrel customized to create a very particular style of wine.
Laser analysis used to produce barrels
And of course, a thorough study of the wines from Nino Negri must end with a tasting! The Nebbiolo wines here in Valtellina are distinctly different from the Barolo from Piedmont. They are typically lighter in color, with higher acidity and lower alcohol content due to the alpine climate – although the effects of global warming have increased the alcohol in recent vintages. The sandy soil produces wines that can be a bit fruitier, with milder tannins, ready to enjoy at a younger age. But many, especially those from the most prestigious vineyards, age very well.
LE TENSE Sassella Valtellina Superiore DOCG
During the rule of the Swiss in the 1500s, the finest vineyards were referred to as “tense”, i.e.“protected” by the guardians of the vines, the arbostrari. This is the origin of the name “Le Tense”, which is representative of the finest vineyards of the Sassella subzone.
This 13.5% alcohol wine is aged over two years in wood: 80% is one- and two-year-old French and American oak, and 20% in large Slovenian casks.Dark in color for a Nebbiolo. Raspberry and cherry, with notes of coffee, spice and dried fruit. Robust and round, with soft tannins and well-balanced acidity.
INFERNO CARLO NEGRI Valtellina Superiore DOCG
Inferno is the smallest of the four Valtellina Superiore DOCG subzones. Negri started producing Inferno in 1945.
Light ruby red. Warm inviting nose with black pepper and blackberries. Fresh, elegant and well-balanced palate. Drink with red meats and hearty pastas.
Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore Riserva DOCG
Ruby-red. Warm nose of cherry with notes of spice and licorice. Robust harmonious palate with a persistent finish with a pleasant minerality. A wine to savor with rare meats.
CASTEL CHIURO Valtellina Superiore DOCG Riserva
In 2017, 120 years since the winery was established, Casimiro Maule decided to pay tribute to Carlo Negri and his important history with a new edition of Castel Chiuro, his most famous wine produced since the 1950s in the wine cellars of the castle, which is still home to the winery.
Aromas of red fruits, rose and anise. Full-bodied, with flavors of sour cherry, leather, and spice. Smooth elegant tannins with a well-balanced persistent finish.
SFURSAT CARLO NEGRI Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
Sfursat is derived from a selection of Valtellina’s finest grapes that are subjected to “forced” natural drying. The resulting wine is particularly intense and high in alcohol.
Intense garnet color. Warm, intense nose of dried fruits with spicy notes of cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper. Savory and warm, with flavors of cherry and prune with notes of leather and licorice. An elegant, persistent finish.
I recently held a cooking class on the cuisine of Tuscany at Port Plums in Newburyport, introducing some of the wonderful dishes we enjoy on our private Tuscany tours. We started with a couple of types of bruschetta. Pronounced BRU-sketta (note the “ch” is pronounced as “k” in Italian), the name comes from the Roman verb bruscare, meaning ‘to roast over coals’. This is an ancient dish, dating back to the Etruscan age. Then, this referred to a simple dish of grilled bread – best day old, a bit stale – either grilled or baked in an oven, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. You’ll also see this called fettunta, which translates as “oiled slice”.
In Tuscany, renowned for its olive oil, the olive farmers believe that the oil used for this should be very young and recently pressed and that bruschetta or fettunta is best accompanied by a glass of wine. As an old Italian proverb goes, “Day-old bread, month-old oil, and year-old wine”.
Today, the term bruschetta refers to an antipasti that consists of this basic grilled bread served with just about any topping you can imagine. All over Italy you will see an enormous variety of options – with meats like prosciutto crudo, chicken livers, fresh sausage or lard; versions served with zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers and many different kids of cheeses. In Tuscan favorites include bruschetta al pomodoro, topped with tomatoes, basil, and more olive oil, bruschetta with chicken livers, and this one – bruschetta with cavolo nero, “black kale”.
Lacinato kale, called cavolo nero (“black kale”) is a variety of kale with a long tradition in Tuscan cuisine. It is also known as Tuscan kale or Tuscan cabbage, and is one of the traditional ingredients of the Tuscan soup ribollita.
The history behind these bread-based dishes in Tuscan cuisine – bruschetta, ribollita, panzanella, pappa al pomodoro – dates back to the 12th century, when the rulers of Pisa were at odds with the rulers of Florence and cut off their supply lines from the coast. This made salt prohibitively expensive. The Florentines, unwilling to cave to the pressure, simply began making their bread without it. Hence, Pana Toscano was born – Tuscan bread, made without salt. So the cuisine of Tuscany is filled with inventive ways of making this fairly tasteless bread delicious.
Bruschetta al Cavolo Nero (Tuscan Kale)
1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Big pinch hot red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cloves garlic, whole
1 lemon
Cut off and discard the center stem of the kale. Slice the leaves into 1/2-inch pieces.
Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add 3 tablespoons olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. When the oil shimmers, add the kale. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. You might need to mound the kale to make it fit, or wait for some of it to cook down before you add the rest. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove the lid and increase the heat to high. Move the kale to the outer edges of the pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oi into the center, then add the garlic into the oil and let it sizzle gently for about 2 seconds, until it starts to release an aroma. Before the garlic begins to brown, stir to combine it with the kale. Taste and adjust the salt and red pepper flakes as needed. Remove from heat and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the kale.
Stir, taste, and add more lemon juice if needed. Remove from heat. Let sit at room temperature while you toast the bread.
Toast the bread in a 350° oven directly on the rack until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Or grill. You want nicely browned grill lines, but still a softer interior.
Remove from oven, and rub each slice all over with a garlic clove. Brush each slice with olive oil. Place the bread slices on a serving plate, top the bread with the kale, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil right before serving.
Variation: Top bread first with ricotta cheese, seasoned with salt and pepper, then top with kale.
