Elderflower pancakes

 

The elder is a very widespread shrub throughout the national territory and its flowers, rich in properties, are also used for the preparation of infusions, syrups, liqueurs.

Elderflower fritters can be prepared in both sweet and savory versions:

• for the sweet version (the best known) follow the recipe below where you will find the addition of sugar in the batter;

• if you want to experiment with the savory version, you simply have to omit the sugar, leaving the other ingredients unchanged (and possibly add salt to taste once cooked)

If you prefer an all-vegetable recipe, suitable for those who follow a vegan diet or those who are intolerant to eggs, just exclude the latter from the ingredients and add a little more water, just enough to make the batter smooth and fluid.

 

Ingredients Doses for 6 people

 

16 elderberry flowers

150 grams of flour 1

30 grams of brown sugar

2 medium eggs

100 ml of water

1 L of sunflower oil

powdered brown sugar to taste

 

 

Preparation

 

• Cut the flowers, rinse them under running water and place them upside down on a clean, unwashed cloth with fabric softener,

• in the meantime, prepare the batter by mixing the eggs with the sugar in a bowl, then add the flour and water,

• dip the flowers upside down in the batter and then always fry them upside down in the boiling oil, when cooked, put the pancakes on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

• Serve the elderberry pancakes while still hot sprinkled with icing sugar.

 

 

 

Soup with shepherd's purse

 

Ingredients: for 4 people

 

400 g of young leaves of shepherd's purse

20 g of butter

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

grated

salt

a pinch of nutmeg

a liter of broth

250 g of gramigna type pasta

 

Preparation:

 

Clean and wash the shepherd's purse leaves, chop them and let them dry in a saucepan with 20 g of butter.

Combine the beaten eggs with three tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.

Still stirring, add about a liter of broth, season with salt and bring to a boil.

Dip the pasta into it and cook.

Serve piping hot.

(Recipe taken from: Herbing, cooking 300 recipes with herbs by ML Rapaggi, Edagicole editions)

 

 

 

Dandelion and onion omelette

 

Before talking about the preparation, you should know that dandelion, commonly known as dandelion or piscialetto, is a medicinal plant well known for its renowned purifying and anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore, together with onion, it is able to stimulate diuresis promoting the elimination of excess fluids.

The dandelion and onion omelette is a second tasty, delicious, easy and quick to make prepared with strictly fresh dandelion leaves, eggs, and very few other ingredients. It can be served as an appetizer if cut into cubes or even as a single dish in our dinners. It can also be cut to fill delicious sandwiches.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

150 grams of dandelion leaves

to taste olive oil

1 clove of garlic

6 eggs

1 rather large onion

salt to taste

pepper to taste

nutmeg to taste

 

Preparation:

 

• Collect the dandelion (the leaves from October to April, to be eaten fresh in the kitchen) paying attention to the place where you collect it because it must be far from polluting sources.

• Clean them from the discarded part, washing them thoroughly under fresh water and put them in a non-stick pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 clove of garlic.

• Sauté in a pan for 5 minutes and until the dandelion leaves are limp, then remove them from the pan, remove the garlic and set aside in a saucer.

• In the meantime, clean the onion, wash it and cut it into rather thin slices, then fry it in the pan previously used with 2 tablespoons of oil.

• Break the whole eggs into a bowl and beat them until they form a homogeneous mixture, then pour in the cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mix very well.

• Finally, add the dandelion leaves, the fried onion and mix the mixture well.

• In the previously used pan, pour a generous splash of olive oil, the egg-based mixture and let the omelette set on one side.

• When the omelette begins to take on a nice golden color, with the help of a plate or a lid turn the omelette and let it thicken on the other side as well.

• When the omelette is cooked, place several layers of kitchen paper on a large serving dish and place the omelette on it (with this system the excess oil will be absorbed, and the omelette is ready to be consumed and digested without major problems) .

 

 

 

 

THE CALZAGATTI o   Polenta "imbrucada" - "Paparuccia"

TYPICAL PRODUCTION AREA: MODENA AND THE WHOLE PROVINCE


Ingredients (dose for 6 people)

 

250 gr of dried beans

400 grams of corn flour

1 onion

1 stalk of celery

1 carrot,

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

oil, salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

Borlotti beans soak months the night before. After soaking, put them in a pan with cold water, overcoming the beans by 6 cm, because they will continue to swell as they cook. Bring to the boil, skim the broth and cook slowly, covered, for about two and a half hours. In a large separate pan, or in the cauldron, put the cooking water of the beans which will be used to cook the "farinata".
About 200 grams of coarsely ground maize flour are used per liter of broth. The flour is "dropped" when the broth is about to boil, it is stirred continuously for half an hour. Separately prepare the sauté with a little oil, onion, celery, carrot, tomato paste and cooked beans.

Let it simmer and season for about ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour into the farinata which will continue to simmer until it reaches the right consistency. It must be a little more tender than a normal polenta. It is served hot as a common soup or when cold it is cut into slices that can be roasted or fried.

(Recipe taken from the publication "THE SOUL AND THE THROAT" by the Consorzio Modena a Tavola)