If you grew up Italian, you probably have a relative that forages for wild plants and mushrooms.  I was lucky enough to tag along with my father, uncles and nonno when I was a kid to learn from them and to this day, heading into the woods has remained one of my favorite pastimes.  So yesterday I headed out to a favorite spot of mine in search for some wild edible plants.

My targets were 2: asparagus and morel mushrooms.  I know where to find the first but the second has managed to eluded me once again (stupid Morels!)

The Asparagus are ready! As you can tell from the photo, these asparagus at one time were farmed. They are much different than the ones we found in Calabria.

read how we came across this wonderful field of asparagus last year.

When we got the asparagus home, we cooked them up and wrapped them in prosciutto!  (of course we did… it makes them more Italian.)

The morels are still a mystery… but I will find them someday.  Here are a few other wild things I came across.

Wild Onions (I think they are officially wild garlic… but they look and smell a lot more like onions to me)

Wild Onions were everywhere!

Wild Mustard Greens … little late when they’ve flowered.

Wild Carrot

Wild Strawberries will be ready soon!

Orpine – The leaves are great raw or in salads.

It’s true: Italians like foraging for wild things.

]]> http://italyville.com/2010/05/stuff-italians-like-wild-edibles/feed/ 13 http://italyville.com/2010/01/pasta-con-pollo-e-funghi/ http://italyville.com/2010/01/pasta-con-pollo-e-funghi/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:38:38 +0000 Joe http://italyville.com/?p=1164 Ever since Linda from Ciao Chow Linda sent me some dried morel mushrooms that her brother found, I’ve been thinking about what to make with them.  If you don’t know yet, I’m a huge fan of foraging for wild mushrooms.  You can read about some other wild mushroom recipes here and here.

Ever since Linda from Ciao Chow Linda sent me some dried morel mushrooms that her brother found, I’ve been thinking about what to make with them.  If you don’t know yet, I’m a huge fan of foraging for wild mushrooms.  You can read about some other wild mushroom recipes here and here.

So I decided to make a pasta recipe and it did not disappoint!

This is what you need:

• 1 pound of short cut pasta – I used ziti
• 1-2 oz of dried morel mushrooms
• olive oil
• pancetta – handful, diced
• 1/4 pound of chicken breast cut into small cubes
• 1 shallot – chopped
• 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of grated parmigiano
• salt & pepper

This is what you need to do:

Bring approximately 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot, then add your dried morel mushrooms and let them boil for about 15 minutes so they reconstitute.  Take your morel mushrooms out, chop them into small pieces and put the water aside (do not throw the water out.)

In a large sauce pan, add a splash of olive oil, your garlic, shallot and pancetta and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then add your morels and chicken.  Let it cook until the chicken is almost completely cooked through (about 10 minutes.)  Add the water from your morels and bring it to a boil, then add your cream, salt & pepper and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered to let the liquid reduce.  Lastly, add your parmigiano (which will thicken the sauce)… mix in your cooked pasta and give it a good stir.  Pour 2 glasses of Pinot Noir (one for you and one for your significant other… you don’t want to get in trouble) and serve.   Enjoy and buon appetito!

What’s better than chicken?  chicken with chicken!  The wild mushrooms have started popping up and we couldn’t be happier.  Chicken of the Woods is one of our favorite wild mushrooms and easy to spot with its shades of bright orange.  You can often find them nestled at the base of an oak tree.  We noticed the first one last week while walking Dexter, spotting it in a neighbors yard… unfortunately it was behind a fence! Do they know what yumminess is growing in their backyard we thought?  Maybe we should write them a note and leave it in their mailbox… wait, then they’ll start hunting them too, which will mean less for us.  So, we sacrificed that one and painfully watch as it grows out of it’s tender stage each day as we walk by… but the search is officially ON!  It wasn’t long before we found another one in a local park.  Wild Chicken for dinner!

Photo Credit: Christine4nier’s on Flickr

Chicken of the Woods (AKA: Sulpher shelf or Nassa in our family) has a great meaty texture.  This mushroom is delicious but you need to know how to cook it.  I’ve read on many websites and blogs that Chicken of the Woods is just ok… which to me means 2 things.

1. They didn’t know how to cook it
2. They’re CrAzY!

You do need to harvest Chicken of the Woods when it’s tender, otherwise it can be really tough and awful but if you’re lucky enough to find it in its early stages it’s wonderful.

Here’s how we cooked ours the other night.  What you’ll need:

• Chicken of the Woods
• Chicken (cut into pieces or cubes)
• garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• chicken broth
• splash of heavy cream or half/half
• splash of white wine
• salt & pepper

Clean your mushroom thoroughly and tear the most tender parts into pieces.  Add your extra virgin olive oil to your pan with some minced garlic. Let the garlic and olive oil smell fill the room (che buono!)… then add your Chicken of the Woods and let it saute for a few minutes.  You’ll notice the brilliant color of the mushroom as it cooks… really beautiful.  Add your chicken and let it cook until almost completely cooked through.  Then add your chicken broth, splash of wine and heavy cream, salt and pepper.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

For another wild mushroom post, head over to Ciao Chow Linda where Linda’s brother Frank breaks it down nicely including Chicken of the Woods and other wild favorites.

Here’s another recipe for Chicken of the Woods with tomato sauce from last year with additional photos.

Where have I been?! After a week in the desert (Las Vegas) for work we went on vacation to Cape Cod…. the weather was fantastic! Wish we were still there… ahhhh, back to reality. I’ve been neglecting Italyville but I’m back and promise to post more. I will also do my best to get back to everyone who has emailed me in the last few weeks. I also promise to mow the lawn and finishing painting the house….. Blah!

What a great time of year! I must say, late summer/early fall is my favorite. The weather, the veggies, the wild mushrooms…. did I say wild mushrooms? That right. My favorite mushroom is here and E and I have been finding them everywhere! As I mentioned in my last post on wild mushrooms, in my family we call all the tree growing mushrooms “nassa” but the correct name for these is “Hen of the Woods” or “Maitake” They also sell for a big $ at the grocery store. In addition, the American Cancer Society promotes Maitake on their website as boosting your immune system among other things.

I saw this one on the side of the road while we were driving… E can’t figure out how I spot them on a drive by… must be the vigorous training my nonno put me through when I was younger.:)

We decided to take a little walk through the woods after finding this one and we ended up finding a few more.

So what do you do when you find yourself with a whole lot of wild mushrooms?

Nassa Giardiniera

What you’ll need:

• white vinegar
• Canola oil
• garlic
• hot peppers
• salt
• black pepper (optional)
• jars/lids

Thoroughly wash your nassa in cold water and break them up into small pieces. (They grow in the woods so there’s often bugs, dirt, leaves etc.) After washing them, place them in a pot of bowling water for 20-30 minutes. Then transfer the nassa to another pot of boiling water and white vinegar (approx. 1 to 1 ratio) Make sure to use a ladle to transfer the nassa so that any dirt that was removed in the first pot of boiling water doesn’t transfer along with your nassa. Boil the nassa in the vinegar/water mix for an additional 20-30 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once your nassa is cool, squeeze the excess water out of it with your hands and place it in a separate bowl.

Add Canola oil, diced garlic, diced hot peppers, salt and pepper to taste and mix with your hands. NOTE: It’s important not to use extra virgin olive oil (you won’t hear me say that too often) as it congeals when you put it in the fridge and it doesn’t come out as good.

Tightly pack your nassa into jars and then add a splash of Canola oil to the top. It makes a great side dish, snack and personally I like them with my eggs in the morning.

Enjoy and buon appetito!

PS – Hen of the woods is fairly easy to identify but please don’t eat ANY mushrooms that you are not sure about as there are many mushrooms that can cause sickness and even death!

I’m thankful for many of the things my dad and nonno taught me growing up but one of my favorites is hunting for wild mushrooms. I also love the fact that E loves it too. I think it’s a combination of being in the woods and the fact that I’ve always been fascinated with finding hidden treasure (it would be nice if it were in the form of gold or cash but wild mushrooms will do) not to mention, they taste GREAT.

It’s a great time of year for what my family always referred to as “Nassa” growing up, which for us is basically any mushroom that grows from or around the base of a tree. The correct layman name for this orange beauty is “Chicken of the Woods” not to be confused with its partner in crime that usually gets a later start (September) called, “Hen of the Woods” among other names. I’ll post about that once when I find the first one of the year.

It’s really hard to mistake “Chicken of the Woods” for another wild mushroom but PLEASE do not eat anything you are unsure of.

It has been a great year for “Chicken of the Woods” so far and this is our favorite way to cook it.
What you’ll need:

• olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 cups of tomato sauce
• salt, pepper and other seasonings of your choice
• splash of heavy cream (optional)

A good “Chicken of the Woods” is soft and tender. If the mushroom is in it’s later stages of growth it will be hard and woody. You may still be able to use the tips of the mushroom as the tips are usually softer but a really good one will be soft and tender throughout.

After cleaning the mushroom thoroughly, you should be able to tear it into small pieces with your hands. If you’re able to do this, the mushroom should be tender enough to eat.

Once you’re done pulling or cutting your “Chicken of the Woods” into small pieces, place it a frying pan with a little olive oil and garlic and fry it for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. (The mushroom will turn a beautiful dark orange color.) Add your tomato sauce, season well and let it simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. You can also add a splash of cream if you want (we usually do) for a richer taste. Serve as an appetizer with some bread or as a side dish. Enjoy and buon appetito!