Mar. 2004

Minestra tuscia (Tuscan soup)

For 4 servings:

1 zucchini sliced in stripes, 1 sliced onion, 1peeld potato, 1 grated carrot, 1diced and peeled tomato, 1 garlic clove, 1 celery, 10 grs minced parsley, 5 minced basil leaves, 20 grs butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 litre water, 2 tablespoons semolina, 2-3 soup cubes, grated parmesan cheese.

Season in a pan with oil and butter all minced vegetables, add all remaining vegetables and water. When boiling, add the cubes and cook for 15 minutes. Pour the semolina, stir and cook again for 10 minutes; serve with grated cheese.

The light taste of the dish is better matched by a mild white like a Monterinaldi or the Montelio or a Martignano.

Vitello con Prosciutto alla toscana (Veal with Ham tuscan style)

For 6 servings:

1 kg veal, 300 grs potatoes, 100 grs crude ham, 40 grs butter, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 grated lemon peel, flour, 100 ml red wine, olive oil, 1 nutmeg, salt and pepper

Tie the veal meat with a string to keep the shape during cooking, add salt and pepper, flour lightly, and brown with the butter and oil.
Add the chopped onion and the ham cut in stripes, mix, pour the wine and evaporate with brisk fire, cover the meat with water and keep cooking on a mild fire, stirring.
Before taking away the meat, add the sliced boiled potatoes, the minced garlic, the lemon peel, some nutmeg and season for few minutes.
Serve on a hot tray, sprinkling with the cooking juice and surrounding with potatoes,

The suggested wines are dry reds like a Montescudaio or a Predicato di Cardisco or the Pontremoli red.

Bavarese di Cioccolato ed Albicocche secche (Chocolate mousse with dried apricots)

For 6 servings:

150 grs bitter chocolate, 4 dried apricots, 10 grs butter, 2 eggs, 50 grs sugar, 10 grs jelly leaves, 200 ml cream, almond (or seeds) oil for the mould.

Soak the apricots for 20 minutes in warm water, put the jelly leaves for 5 minutes to soften. Cut the chocolate in small pieces and put in a pan with butter; warm 30 ml water in a small pan. When boiling, put the covered chocolate pan over the water pan. While the chocolate slowly melts, separate the yolks from the albumens; put the yolks in a pan, add the sugar and whip for few minutes.
Squeeze the jelly and dissolve in a pan on very mild fire, adding 1 tablespoon cream, add the dissolved jelly to the yolks and stir. Pour also the melted chocolate with butter and mix rapidly.
Whip the albumens and add gently to the dough, lifting with a spoon to dismantle the albumens.
Whip the cream and add to the compound; drain the apricots and cut into pieces, add and mix. Oli the mould and pour the compound, keep in fridge for at least 4 hours.

The recommended match is with a sweet muscadel like a Moscato Rosa di San Michele all’Adige or the Moscato Rosa del Salento or ta Moscato Giallo di Pressano