Mamma Che Fame!

The humble yet delightful Fettunta!

Fettunta is a typical snack from Tuscany.

I’m not sure about its origin but probably it’s medieval like everything in Italy. 

Another thing I’m certain is that this was a dish for poor people, and like all things poor and traditional it’s also damn delicious.

“Fettunta” literally means “oily slice” and it’s pretty much one of Tuscany’s versions of bruschetta.

The following fettunta recipe is a seasonal delight but it can also work simply with oil, garlic and salt.

You need: stale bread, black cabbage, garlic, olive oil and salt.

Remove the rib from the black cabbage and blanche the leaves in salted boiling water, keep the water and set aside.

Get some stale bread, slice it and toast it on the grill (both sides); when it’s done rub it with a peeled clove of garlic.

Heat up some Italian extra virgin olive oil in a pan and throw in some unpeeled garlic cloves. 

When they’re nice and golden set them aside.

Squeeze the cabbage and lightly fry it in the same oil (be careful with the temperature, olive oil has a low smoking point and burns easily). 

Quickly dip one side of the toasted bread in the water you used to boil the cabbage, pour some oil over it, cover with some fried cabbage, and a clove of unpeeled garlic. Sprinkle some some salt and you’re set.

It's vegan, but please don't tell anyone!

Eat while hot, don’t worry about the black plague and enjoy your day working in thy Lord’s fields.

Ciao!

Marvellous Crunchy Veggie Crisps!

Usually I’m not into overly healthy stuff but since I got a dehydrator I found out that you can obtain a crispy and delicious texture without having to fry.

Veggie crisps are especially yummy and they are fun to play around with. 

Two tips: make sure to cut the vegetables in very thin slices and to mildly season them before drying in order to avoid sogginess.

This time I prepared:

-Ultra crunchy beetroots with tarragon, salt and extra virgin olive oil

-Light and savoury zucchini with yeast flakes, rosemary and extra virgin olive oil (yeast flakes give an unexpected “cheesy” flavour)

-Sweet and mildly spicy radish with cinnamon, golden syrup and walnut oil (you can use honey or agave syrup instead)

I can’t give an universal dehydrating timing for these chips because I noticed that it can change depending on your tools. You can also use an oven instead of a dehydrator, just sei it at a very low temperature and dry for quite a long time.

Enjoy!

Update!

Since last time I’ve been in a dehydrating frenzy: I made another batch of zucchini (this time summer squash), a tray of kale and I also tried to work with savoy cabbage (it’s quite chilly in Norway so you can still find these winter veggies).  Kale is the superstar of veggie crisps: it’s so crispy and tasty that even my husband loves it.  On the other hand I was surprised by the results I obtained with savoy cabbage, so much that I think it became my new personal favourite.

Here are my seasoning tips:

-Summer Squash with extra virgin olive oil, mixed herbs (rosemary, sage and thyme), salt and lemon zest. The lemon makes it super fresh!

-Kale with extra virgin olive oil, salt, tomato paste (double concentrate), grated garlic, yeast flakes and oregano.

-Savoy cabbage with extra virgin olive oil, korean chili flakes (lately I became a kimchi junkie so I’m using it everywhere but feel free to use any kind of chili you like), grated garlic and salt.

Enjoy!