While touring Tuscany in September most every garden had lots of a veggie that we did not recognize. It was a large plant, large bluish green leaves. It resembled our broccoli plants here in the states but we couldn't see any heads. What was the popular plant?

Cavolo nero? Tuscan kale? Photo?

That is my guess also. I did a bit of googling and here is the best picture I could find.

Adventures to come in Chile

that's it!
sometimes called dinasaur kale or lacinto in the states.
It will be ready to eat after the first big cold!!! that makes the stems more tender!

Cooking in Florence
www.divinacucina.com

I don't know how, but here in SoCal where we are having a heat wave, the grocers are featuring Tuscan kale in the produce departments. I don't know where it comes from, or whether it's "stringono o sciolgono" (see Brigolante's post), but it's a really great autumn veg! What do you think, Diva, with pumpkin in something, or just as greens?

It is mandatory in Minestrone, my friend Faith Willinger does a kale pesto.. over cook the kale ( pulled off the stems) in salted water... then puree with olive oil, garlic and grated parmesan!!1 great on toast or pasta.

You can also cook it forever with the stems and then serve it on fettunta,, toasted thick french bread slices, rubbed with raw garlic ( FETTUNTA) ... if you eat it dry... it is a bruschetta sort of thing.. but if you serve it with the liquid you cooked it in, it is a sort of soup..
Also great with white beans..
the pumpkin idea is great! nice colors!

Cooking in Florence
www.divinacucina.com

Judy, you made me wonder (those ideas sound great for the kale!) about Fall ratatouilles, do they exist in Tuscan cooking? Some of the things I think about (orange squash or pumpkin, a few but not many tomatoes, kale, garlic, maybe even raisins or nuts and some not-overpowering hints of winter spices may not go together, could be the veg from hell, but I just wondered...)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Carol M:
What do you think, Diva, with pumpkin in something, or just as greens?

---

I am not diva, but cavolo nero si also used in a Pistoiese dish called "farinata con le leghe". That's a minestrone with added polenta flour in it. Also the minestrone Diva refers to can be turned into ribollita soup (the leftovers are layered with stale bread and warmed in the oven). My mother in non-law also serves it first boiled than minced with a "mezzaluna" and finally tossed with some garlick and red pepper (and oil).

Alice Twain
--
Te recuerdo Amanda / la calle mojada / corriendo a la fabrica / donde trabajaba Manuel
La sonrisa ancha / la lluvia en el pelo / no emportava nada / ibas a encontrarte con el
Ese cinco menudos / la vita es eterna en cinco menudos                Victor Jara

quote:

---

I am not diva,

---

all the same happy to hear about the farinanta con le leghe etc. Is the red pepper with the minced kale pepperoncini or pepperoni? Thanks, Alice.

quote:

---

My mother in non-law also serves it first boiled than minced with a "mezzaluna" and finally tossed with some garlick and red pepper (and oil).

---

I've been known to have a sharp tongue, but....

Red pepper (at least what I think Alice is talking about) is the crushed red pepper (or whole if you have them)that is used for heat. Normally found driend but of course fresh is wonderful. Peperoncini is what they are called but that gets confusing as the long green peppers in vinegar that are so wonderful in sandwiches are called pepperoncini in the states. Here in Siena they are called zenzeri (pl.) which is confusing because ginger is called zenzero in Italian but ginger in Siena. Go figure.

Moving to Italy and Driving in Italy

love the farinata... if you cook the kale first.. and chop it up... then you can add more water and cook the kale in the water with the kale etc// fab!!!
leftoves solidify... and you can slice them and fry them!!
AH winter food!!!

there is a caponata..from sicily with onions, peppers, eggplant, celery with raisins, pinenuts vinegar and sugar..
and my motherinlaw made buglione with potatoes, carrots and bell peppers.. all cooked together..sometimes with tomato sauce and sometimes with just water...until they almost fell apart.

Cooking in Florence
www.divinacucina.com

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cristina:
Red pepper (at least what I think Alice is talking about) is the crushed red pepper (or whole if you have them)that is used for heat.

---

Yep, that's it. But nobody told me what is the "mezzaluna" called in English (if it's called at all ^_^).

Alice Twain
--
Te recuerdo Amanda / la calle mojada / corriendo a la fabrica / donde trabajaba Manuel
La sonrisa ancha / la lluvia en el pelo / no emportava nada / ibas a encontrarte con el
Ese cinco menudos / la vita es eterna en cinco menudos                Victor Jara

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alice Twain:
But nobody told me what is the "mezzaluna" called in English (if it's called at all ^_^).

---

Just "mezzaluna"! It's newly fashionable here in the UK, because TV cook Nigella Lawson is always enthusing over hers. I think they look nice, but I find I chop faster and with more control when I use a decent chef's knife with my LH steadying the tip of the blade.

Jonathan

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jonathan:
Just "mezzaluna"! It's newly fashionable here in the UK, because TV cook Nigella Lawson is always enthusing over hers.

---

Just like the chef's springs that are in fashion here in Italy because they get used on "La prova del cuoco"! My friend Consuelo had a set added to her gift list for the marriage, and they were really called "Le pinze della 'Prova del cuoco'"!

quote:

---

I think they look nice, but I find I chop faster and with more control when I use a decent chef's knife with my LH steadying the tip of the blade.

---

Much depends on how used you are to either knife (and how good the knife is). When I have my chef's knife I use it quite often, but sometimes I still use the mezzaluna (by the way, it means "half moon") if I don't have it and I have no decent knife either. I just don't use the one I have at home because my grandma loves dull knives of any sort 8-(((((

Alice Twain
--
Te recuerdo Amanda / la calle mojada / corriendo a la fabrica / donde trabajaba Manuel
La sonrisa ancha / la lluvia en el pelo / no emportava nada / ibas a encontrarte con el
Ese cinco menudos / la vita es eterna en cinco menudos                Victor Jara

When the cavalo nero is really fresh, we actually eat it raw!! Take out the stems, toss with olive oil (a good one), a bit of sherry vinegar (works better than lemon juice for some reason), a bit of salt, and parmesan shavings. Tastes best the second day. Hi Judy!!

Devera.. what are you doing in NY?
we get the tiny cavolo nero that I use in salad!!!

Cooking in Florence
www.divinacucina.com

Sorry to disapoint but the picture of the kale looks nothing like what we saw. The plants were upright, wide leaves and clustered. But as I said we could not see a "head".

The only other plant I can think of is an artichoke, but you would probably recognize those, wouldn't you? This time of year I think they are not producing, so there might not be any "heads" showing.