Seeds from Italy News
Vol 5, # 2, June 2005
We publish four times a year (usually) and include information on all aspects of Italian vegetables, herbs and flowers: selecting, growing, harvesting and storing and cooking. We would be happy to receive and if space permits, publish your experiences in these areas.
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1. Privacy Policy
2. What's New
3. Recipe
4. Backorders
5. Bad Seed
6. The North End in Boston
7. What is this thing?
8. Book of note.
9. Market Growers. I need some help.
10. Seed Varieties for 2006
11. Fava beans for the fall.
12. Official Italian Seed Varieties.
13. What do I do with 5000 basil seeds?
14. What is Growing in the Seeds from Italy Garden
1. Privacy Policy. A number of people on their order forms asked me not to sell or divulge their personal information: address, telephone numbers, email addresses, etc. I want everyone to understand that I take privacy very seriously. I never disclose any customer information to anyone under any circumstances.(except of course the inadvertant screw up in the July 2003 newsletter. ) I have been bothered by too many telemarketers, received too much junk email to do that to anyone else. I don't even keep credit card numbers: a number of customers who reordered and told me to use their credit card number on file were surprised when I told them I do not keep them on my computer, nor do I have access to them from the credit card authorizing service.
2. What is new. I just got in a new kitchen tool from Rigamonti Pietro. It is the 'Mincy" meat mincer. Use it to grind beef, pork or whatever. It has a rubber suction mat so you can quickly affix it to any flat surface, then release the suction when you are done. In addition to grinding meat, it has a sausage nozzle (make your own sausage mix and stuff your own casings), a cookie cutter (disco per dolci), and attachments for different types of pasta (tagliatelle, spaghetti & thick maccheroni). The tool has the usual bullet proof Rigamonti construction. This is a home use machine; you are not going to grind up half a side of beef with one of these, but they work perfect for home sized portions. The tool is up on the web site.
3. RECIPE. This recipe is from Chris De Santis who is a customer and the chef/instructor of Intorno la Tavola, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Chris offers demonstration classes of traditions in Regional Italian cooking from a different region of Italy each month. Originally from New York, Chris organically grows all of his own vegetables and herbs which he uses in his classes.
Pasta di Estate di Romagna (Summer Pasta of Romagna)
½ lb. pasta of choice, preferably a small macaroni
4 tbs. unsalted butter
¼ lb. sliced pancetta, rolled and cut into ¼ inch strips
1 tbs. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbs. chopped fresh thyme, finely chopped
¼ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
¼ cup carrot, finely chopped
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
1 lb. chopped Swiss chard (you can try this with any greens: beet, spinach, escarole)
1cup (3-4) Italian plum tomatoes (blanched and peeled in summer, canned will work in winter.)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta until al dente, slightly hard to the bite, rinse and drain.
Melt 2 tbs. of unsalted butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add pancetta and sauté for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the rosemary, thyme, onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until the vegetables soften slightly, 2 - 3 minutes.
Add the Swiss chard, stir all ingredients together, and cover the pan for 3 - 4 minutes to "wilt" chard. Add the plum tomatoes, the remaining 2 tbs. of butter and cook an additional 5 minutes uncovered.
Add the pasta and grated parmesan cheese to the pan and heat pasta through for a few minutes.
The combination of traditional herbs and vegetables of the region of Emilia Romagna fill this dish with the flavors of summer.
4. Backorders. First, I want to apologize for all of the backorders this year; I had many more than usual. It was extremely difficult getting in the fava beans & agretti. Also, I misjudged on how well several new items would sell. The folks in Italy did their part by not shipping some varieties until the middle of February. However, for the most part, everyone should have received their backorders. The only items still outstanding are the spigariello. The Wallone endive finally came in the first week of June and was shipped. It looks like there will be no spigariello this year, so I am sending out refunds. If you have not received your missing items, that means that (1) it got lost int he mail (2) more probably, I put your backorder invoice in the wrong box and never shipped it. Either drop me a note at bmckay@growitalian.com or call 781 721 5904. I will take care of it immediately.
Good Growing.
5. Bad seed. It looks like some customers got some seed which has extremely poor germination. This year, Franchi Sementi was either out of some varieties or could not ship it until very late, so I bought some seed from a couple of other Italian seed companies. The seed from N. Sgaravatti8 & Co. was of mixed quality. Most of it was quite good, however, a few varieties were definitely dead seed. For sure, those of you who received the yellow corno rosso from N. Sgaravatti & Co. got bad seed. It will not germinate (or does so poorly that it is not worth trying.) It may also be that some of the Red Asti from this same company had poor germination. I have also had a few reports regarding the tondo piacenza zucchini from sgaravatti (but not the seed from Franchi Sementi) If you received these seeds [or any variety that did not perform well] I want to remind you or the no hassle guarantee. In short, if a seed does not perform to your satisfaction, I will either refund your money or replace the seed. What you can do is either tell me on your next years order to provide you with a free pack because it did not perform well or you can have me send out a refund or I will send you a replacement pack now.
6. The North End in Boston. Most big cities have a 'Little Italy'. Sadly, many of them have gone into decline. Little Italy in Manhatten has pretty much become a subsidiary of nearby Chinatown. Some of these Little Italies are still vibrant neighborhoods and the North End in Boston is one of the most vibrant. You can still hear Italian spoken on the street; the butcher sells rabbit & goat; there are bakeries, pastry shops, candy shops, grocers, coffee & tea shops and an enormous number of restaurants. It is a great place to visit. You can either just walk yourself around (it is very close to downtown and is part of the Freedom Trail Walk) or you can take a guided tour which is a lot of fun and well worth the price of admission. DISCLAIMER. I do not get a cut from this; Michelle Topor does not know that I was going to mention this. If you are in Boston and are interested in things Italian, check out North End Market Tours: you can check them out at http://www.northendmarkettours.com/
7. WHAT IS THIS THING? This is a new addition to the newsletter and I think will be a regular feature. Each quarter I will highlight a particular vegetable which is either very little known in the United States or is one for which there is some confusion as to what it is, what it is called [as opposed to official name] and how it should be grown and used. What I will try and do is describe the vegetable, how it is grown, what it is used for in Italy, and how it is cooked. This time I want to focus on cima di rapa, mostly because it is a source of considerable confusion to lots of people. I probably get more questions on this than any other vegetable.
What is it: Cima di rapa (aka broccoli raab or broccoli rabe or rape by Americans) literally means turnip top and that what it is-a turnip green. it is not related in the slightest to broccoli (which in Italian is called cavolo ___, e.g. cavolo broccolo for true broccoli, cavolfiore for cauliflower, cavolo verza for savoy cabbage, cavolo laciniato for tuscan kale) Here in the United States it is often referred to as broccoli rabe. The rabe is obviously a corruption of rapa; the broccoli probably comes from the little 'tops' you find on most varieties of cima di rapa that somewhat resemble a broccoli head. There are ten or so varieties of cima di rapa in Italy. Franchi Sementi carries Quarantina (40 day), Sessantina (60 day), Novantina(90 day, centoventina (120 day) & maceratese. All but the maceratese have the little 'tops' that most people associate with cima di rapa. Maceratese has no tops. In addition to those that Franchi Sementi carries there is a foglia d'olivio (olive leaf). You may also see some called riccia san marzano (sometimes these are called cima grosso or large top) and they tend to have more in the way of tops which are a bit bent over or curled, hence the name, riccia (curly). They come in the 40, 60, 90 & 120 day versions. So what is the difference. Size mostly; the longer they take to mature, the larger the plant. The 40 day one is 10-12 inches high; the 90 day one will get to 16-17 inches with some pretty huge leaves and stalks. None of the Italian varieties have as many tops as the Andy Boy Brococli Rabe you find in the supermarkets; that is a variety developed by the grower and I do not believe the seed is available for sale.
How to grow cima di rapa (broccoli rabe). First, forget the folk wisdom that these need to be grown in cool weather, otherwise they will go to seed [send up the dreaded yellow flowers]. That is not so. You can grow them throughout the growing season. On the other hand, they will bolt almost as quickly in the spring as they do in the summer. Another piece of folk wisdom is that their names describe the number of days until maturity. No so. I can guarantee that if you plant quarantina & wait forty days, by the 40th day, you will have a lovely patch of yellow flowers. In fact, quarantina generally takes about 32 days; sessantina about 40-45 days; novantina & foglia d'olivio about 50-55 days. In order to grow cima di rapa successfully, you need to follow two simple rules. First, give them plenty of space. The seeds are tiny and it is hard to drop one seed. People almost always sow them too thickly. What I do is plant in a row and space rows ten inches or so for the 40 day, 12 inches for the others. I try try to drop one seed per inch; of course I never do. No matter. The cima di rapa germinates in a few days and in 10 days or so, it will be two or three inches high. Thin it to 4" for the 40 day & 6" for all the rest. Use the thinnings in salad. Secondly, as soon as the plant makes a 'top', cut it. Dont even wait a day. Cut it, wash it, put it in a plastic bag and store it in the crisper of your refridgerator. If you leave it out in the garden, it will bolt within two days; if you cut it & put it in the crisper, it will store ten days or more. Forget about multiple cuts also. It will not grow back or if it does, there is not much in the quality department. The trick is to succession plant it; replant every week or so if you are really into cima di rapa. The alternative is to plant a couple of different varieties.
How to cook cima di rapa (broccoli rabe). You can use it by itself or cook it with something else. It goes particularly well with pasta, but also with potatoes. To cook it, simply wash it well, and check the stems to see if they are still tender. If not, you can either discard them or peel them. They are really tasty. Drop a big bunch in some boiling water and cook until done. Remove it with a big spoon, run under cool water. If you are going to cook it as a side vegetable, just chop it roughly. Put some olive oil in a pan and add some garlic (to taste) & a pinch of red pepper flakes [just a pinch is enough to bring out the flavor, but not make it burn your tongue]. Cook a bit on medium heat. Add the cima di rapa and cook until it is warmed and the flavors have melded. Remove the garlic if you like. Use salt & black pepper to taste. To have it with potatoes, cook some potato in their skins until done. Remove, cool & when good & cool, cut in 1/4 inch pieces (or bigger if you like). Cook them together with the cima di rapa. For pasta with cima di rapa, try this. Cook about 1 lb cima di rape in slightly salted water. When almost done, remove & cool under running water, then drain in a colander. Save the water to cook your pasta until @ ¾ done [the classic type pasta to use is orecchiette]. Drain. Mince a clove of garlic & sauté briefly in 2 T or so olive oil. Roughly cut up 2-3 anchovies add them along with a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes more. Chop the cima di rape and add it to the pan, mixing it well. Add the drained pasta & a little bit of the water. Cook until most of the water is evaporated. Revove from the head, add some grated cheese and serve.
8. BOOK OF NOTE. Amy Goldman, The Compleat Squash, a Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squashes and Gourds. New York, 2005. Great photos & descriptions from pumpkins and squashes around the world. Detailed information on growing & harvesting, sources of seeds (including seeds from italy) and some really good recipes. The ones for fried zucchini blossoms is a classic and the gnocchi made with marina chioggia squash has me waiting for fall. A worthy read.
9. MARKET GROWERS. I need some help. I advertise in Growing for Market and for next year, I would like to have an advertisement which includes 'testimonials' from customers (preferably positive) who subscribe to Growing for Market. If you have used my seeds, I would appreciate a comment about them. Perhaps what customers said about the vegetables, perhaps how they grew or germinated or produced or taste, or anything else you can think of. Please keep it brief-advertising space is not cheap. Also, if you are willing to allow me to use your name and/or the name of your farm, please indicate that. You can either send by email: bmckay@growitalian.com by fax: 612 435 4020 or postal mail to Seeds from Italy, PO Box 149, Winchester, MA 01890 Many thanks for your assistance.
10. SEED VARIETIES FOR 2006. I am in the process of deciding on new varieties to carry for 2006. Franchi Sementi has a couple of new ones which sound pretty good including a yellow watermelon from Poland of all places and a white eggplant. I also ran into a small seed company specializing in seeds from Southern Italy and will probably pick up some new escarole, cucumber/melons and another wild arugula from them. If anyone has any suggestions, please drop me a note. If you have a source for your suggestion, that would be helpful.
11. Fava beans for the fall. In many parts of the country (pretty much anywhere the winter temperature does not go below 15F or so), fava beans should be planted in the late fall. They overwinter well and give a crop the following spring before the temperatures get excessive. In the past, I have had problems getting favas in time for fall planting. This year, I have already ordered them. They are here now and will be available for the fall.
12. Official Italian Seed Varieties. Very often, someone will write or call and ask if I happen to stock a specific variety of vegetable. If I do not happen to carry it, the place I go to look is the official government registry of seed varieties. The rule in Italy is that seed companies can only sell officially registered varieties. Here is a link to the government registry: http://www.sementi.it/registri_varietali/RegOrt03.pdf
13. What do I do with 5000 basil seeds? I am constantly receiving questions about the size of the seed packs. While I would prefer it if the packs were smaller (I would sell more packs), the fact is that they are pretty good sized. Some you would normally finish up over a summer in a good sized garden; others are so big that it would take a small farm to grow out the quantity of seeds in a pack. So what to do with all those extra seeds.
Save them. One thing lots of people do is save them until next year; if you store your seeds in a dry place (no basements, refridgerators, etc) and keep them out of direct sunlight, most varieties will germinate well for at least the following year and often longer.
Give some to your friends. If you let them know where they came from, I may get another customer next year.
Grow some extra transplants & give them away (or sell them). This year I grew about 100 tomato transplants. I only put 45 or so in the garden & gave away the rest to my neighbors & some gardening friends. Next year I think I will grow a bunch of tomato & pepper sets for the local plant sale done by the friends of the Winchester Public Library. There are lots of groups that do plant sales who would love some donations. You could also sell them to a local nursery. Way back when I had lots of time, I used to grow 500 or so heirloom transplants for a local nursery. While it was hardly worth the time and effort, it was a lot of fun.
You could also do what one of my customers did. She belongs to the Italian Ameriacan Club and made up some of the cutest seed packs I have ever seen. She put in some supermarconi seeds & brought them to one of the meetings and handed them out to folks who were interested. There was a lot of interest. She gave me permission to put the picture of her packet on the web site.
I love this. Wish I were as clever: 
14. What is Growing in the Seeds from Italy Garden. It has been another difficult spring in the Northeast. Between the cool & wet weather and demands of business, it has been difficult to get much done. Usually by now I am harvesting full size lettuce, peas are ready, etc. This year has been great so far for letttuce & greens, but not much else. Did not get the tomatoes out until the 2nd of June. The week before I set them out, temperatures were in the high forties if you can believe it. Now it has been hot for the past week (2nd week of June) and everything is growing quite nicely. Fava beans are looking good and the early tomatoes like costuluto fiorintino have flowered. Everything survived an infestation of flea beetles and so far the aphids have not shown up to feast on favas. The year may have possibilities. I will have a few photos up on the web site along with some descriptions as soon as it stops raining and I can take some pictures.
Good Growing
Bill McKay