Winter salads and plentiful apples...

Autumn is definitely upon us, later than we are used to 'back home' but we are feeling the first of the cold weather just as we come to the end of November.  This week's bag has given us plentiful greens in the shape of broccoli, lettuce (lattuga), swiss chard (bietole) and escarole (scarola).  Some recipe ideas for these, from Italy and the UK, have been shared in previous posts, all of them giving you the possibility of cooking up some warming, wholesome dishes!

As well as cooking escarole, it is wonderful in winter salads, to serve alongside roasted or grilled meats and fish, or as a starter. Here are ideas for some:

• Toast a generous handful of walnuts, tear up the washed escarole leaves, thinly slice a small red onion, shave some parmesan and make a dressing of red wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing.
• Mix the torn leaves with a white wine vinegar, dijon mustard and olive oil dressing, seasoning to taste.  Crumble in blue cheese such as gorgonzola or roquefort. Take a firm but ripe pear, peel, core, halve and cut into thin slices, then add this to the salad with either toasted walnuts, pecans or croutons, or any combination of these.  Toss together and serve.  
• Feta cheese can also work well in these recipes, as can the addition of some crisped pancetta or streaky bacon.

'Scarola' is also used widely in local recipes here in Naples and southern Italy.

• In a bean soup: http://www.scordo.com/…/…/escarole-and-bean-soup-recipe.html
• In a 'pie' using bread or pizza dough: http://memoriediangelina.com/…/pizza-di-scarola-escarole-…/…
• As a side dish or antipasto: http://www.grouprecipes.com/…/scarola-tiepida-con-uvetta-e-…

The small, red 'melannurca' and delicious organic apples

Apples have been a talking point this week, as we have been discovering the 'mela annurca' (also knows as 'la melannurca campana'), a small, red apple grown in the Campania region and which has 'IGP' (protected geographical provenance) status.  It reminded some of apples they had eaten straight from the tree in their childhood and it has a distinctive taste, small size and many claims to health-giving benefits!  We have had wonderful, organic apples in the past few weeks, so here are some recipe ideas shared within the community and a few more (see also the previous blog post with Italian Apple Cake recipes).

• With thanks to Emma Greenhill, here is the 'Best Ever Apple Crumble' recipe from Delia Smith http://www.deliaonline.com/home/Print-Recipe.html?PID=5900
• Apple Snow is a lovely dessert, this 'luxury' version uses cream: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/applesnow_66346  and this one doesn't: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10449887/Apple-snow-recipe.html
• For a simple apple sauce that you can freeze and serve with roast pork http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/applesauce_1310
• If you are feeling festive, here is an apple-based Christmas Chutney recipe from Nigella Lawson http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/christmas-chutney
• Assia Miale Colturi shared an Italian Apple Pie recipe: 

You will need 200g brown sugar, 350g plain flour, 3 eggs, 150ml of flavourless oil, 125g plain yoghurt, 16g sachet of 'Pane degli Angeli' style dried yeast for cakes, 5 or 6 small apples, a tsp of cinnamon and a lemon.  

Thinly slice the apples, place in a bowl with the lemon juice and some extra sugar. In another bowl, add all the other ingredients apart from the yeast and mix well.  Dissolve the yeast with a small amount of milk then add to the rest of the ingredients. Add the apples and cinnamon, give it all a final mix then put the mix into a greased and floured round baking tin and bake for 30 or 40 minutes at 180/200 degrees depending on your oven.