When Chestnuts are Roasting you know it’s Fall

Grilling Up!

There are so many things to love about Fall, the leaves are changing, the weather is crisp and cool. But especially here in Italy when food takes center stage, there is always something new to try. I’ve been loving the pumpkins and walnuts, pears and apples. But those are fabulous at home in California also. A few things that aren’t so common for us are Porcini mushrooms and Chestnuts! Here, they call Chestnuts “Castagnia”and “Marone”. I see them for sale in little trucks lining the streets as well as in the farmers market and every vegetable stand in town.

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Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin bread

Today is the first of October and already the mornings and evenings are getting cooler and there is a crispness in the air. The fields of pumpkins are ripe and ready for harvest. I couldn’t resist buying one today at the fruit stand that is spilling over with fresh produce.

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Pumpkin Chickpea Lentil Curry

Pumpkin curry with Lentils and Chickpeas

I love this Curry, its full of Indian spices like Gram Marsala, Tumeric, Ginger, garlic and chili. If you can’t find fresh pumpkin where you live you can omit it and it will still be delicious. The coconut milk adds a nice creamy consistency to the lentils and chickpeas. This is a vegetarian recipe that is hearty and filling and gluten and dairy free too! You can stock up your pantry with these dry ingredients and be ready to make this dish even if you are in desperate need of going to the grocery store. Best of all it’s ready in under 30 minutes, so get your rice started and you will be sitting at the table in front of a steaming bowl of curry in no time.

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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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Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter

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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