The Autumn air is crisp, the leaves are falling and the apples are ready for harvest. Its time to pack the family up and take a drive to the apple orchards and partake of the yearly tradition of picking apples.
Old Fashioned American Apple Pie
Polenta with Sausage and Pork Rib Ragu
I have made this Polenta and Ragu on several occasions now. My first attempt was actually not mine at all but a generous Italian friend volunteered to come over and cook this hearty dish for some visiting friends. I loved the experience from top to bottom. My friends gathered in the kitchen and began preparing the polenta.
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Pumpkin Risotto (Risotto alla Zucca)
Mmmmm, Pumpkin Risotto! It was one of my first acquired recipes while living in Italy and one of my favorites! The Autumn, with its sunny days and cold nights is the perfect time to enjoy this Autumn vegetable while it warms your home and your family. Pumpkin Risotto is like eating macaroni and cheese, the color is orange and the texture creamy. The addition of butter and parmesan at the end adds that cheesy goodness that we all crave.
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Porcini Fettucini
There are some things I will really miss about living in Italy, such as the produce I will just not be able to taste again until I return. One is the Porcini. This mushroom is available in the spring and fall and is native to the forests in this part of Europe. It does not have “gills” like the large Portobella we are familiar with in America. But it is similar in size. It is medium golden brown and thicker than a Portobello. The flavor is intense and woodsy but not as intense as a truffle.
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Hearty Beef & Farro Soup (Zuppa d’manzo e farro)
The Autumn days of October when the air is crisp, the trees are changing colors and the weather is unpredictable. Today we had some rain in Italy and what better way to welcome Autumn and cozy up in the house than to cook up some hearty soup. Farro is quite popular in Italy and is grown in the Northern regions such Umbria and Tuscany and mine, the Lazio Region.
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Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter
Autumn is gently rolling in and the late summer harvest of Pumpkins has arrived. I love when I start to see the pumpkins with their large spheres and pale pink skins start to show up at the farmers market. The pumpkins here are different than our American version that are orange skinned. The pumpkins in Italy have pale skin and dark orange interiors. They call them ‘zucca” and this is my favorite variety.
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Pear Gorgonzola Salad with grapes and walnuts
Seasons are changing and here in Italy fall is in the air. The mornings have that cool crisp feeling and we are starting our day a little later as even the sun wants to stay in bed longer. This slight change is bridging that gap between two seasons: the waning of Summer and the start of Autumn.
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Changing Seasons in Italy
So our three months in Italy has come to end much too soon. We have felt the temperatures drop as late summer became autumn and now autumn is turning to winter. The summer clothes have been safely stowed away until once again we are imagining ourselves frolicking on the beaches and strolling through town in flip flops. We have replaced those days with sweaters and boots and hats and scarfs. We are learning how to dry clothes without a dryer when they no longer dry on the line. Now we hang them on the wall heaters and heated towel racks and hope for the best.
