Autumn flavours southern Italian style...

This week's veg bag has arrived during a very sunny start to November, much welcomed by those of us who ventured to more northerly climates over the half-term holidays!  Two ingredients are very typical of southern italian households, friarielli (a type of bitter broccoli) and cachi (persimmons or sharon fruit).

Friarielli are a bitter broccoli, known in the US as 'broccoli rabe'.  They are delicious but can be an acquired taste. To cook them, trim the tougher, lengthier stalks so that you are left with tender, leafy greens then simply boil until soft to the bite and drain thoroughly.  The traditional, local way to eat them is to warm up some olive oil, thinly sliced garlic and chili flakes then to toss the friarielli in this mixture, seasoning with salt to taste.  Even more traditional is the cooking method of preparing the oil mixture with plentiful olive oil, then to cook the broccoli in the oil until tender.  A recipe for this method  is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/dining/292mrex.html?_r=0


Persimmons in particular have always reminded me of Italian Autumn and my parents used to seek them out in the international markets in London. Once ripe, they can quite simply be eaten as an everyday fruit (just leave them in the fruit bowl for a few days to ripen further). Wash them thoroughly, remove the stem, cut a small cross into the top of the fruit then try to peel back the thin skin with a sharp knife (or your fingers when they are ripe) and eat the flesh inside. You can also just cut it into wedges and while the skin is edible, it can be very bitter and leave a 'fuzzy' feeling in your mouth!  The other method is to cut off the top and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon, just as if you were eating a boiled egg.

Some ideas for persimmon recipes, such as a starter with bresaola (cured beef); roasted with pork; in salads; grilled as a dessert; in a white chocolate bread pudding or steamed pudding, can be found here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/275469/persimmon-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide

You can also use persimmons to make a pickle, for salads, with mascarpone and cured ham or with cheese.  This recipe is from "The Modern Preserver" (Vintage Books, 2015):

Ingredients:
4 persimmons
240ml white wine vinegar
120ml rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
a pinch of saffron strands
1 tbsp of sea salt

These quantities make 3-4 250ml jars

Method:
Top and tail the persimmons and peel off the skins. Slice into 1cm-thick discs and then cut each into 6 wedges.
Put the rest of the indgredients into a medium, stainless steel pan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Pack the persimmon wedges into warm, dry sterilised jars then pour in the warm brine to fill to about 5mm below the rim.
Gently tap out any air bubble and top up with more brine if necessary.
Seal, leave to cool and store in the fridge.
Keep in a cool, dark cupboard for 3-5 days before opening.  Keeps for up to 6 months unopened and needs to be refrigerated and eaten within 4 weeks once opened.