Seasonal fruit and vegetables: December's shopping
From late radicchio to chicory, from beetroot to cabbage: a rich dish this month. A few more table grapes, but here come the blood oranges... December is here, no goodbyes and some new arrivals on the fruit and vegetable stalls. But a few new arrivals. A place of honour, in this month, certainly belongs to the red radicchio. Or rather, to the late variety. This vegetable was born between 1860 and 1890, when the Belgian nurseryman Francesco Van Den Borre, called to take care of some gardens in the Treviso area, applied the bleaching techniques used for Belgian endive to the local green radicchio. Thus were born the red wine of Treviso and then the red wine of Verona, the variegated red wine of Castelfranco and that of Chioggia. Early red radicchio is harvested from September to November, and has a more bitter aftertaste. The late one, which is sweeter, is instead available from November to March, and therefore has one of its periods of choice in December: what better occasion than the Christmas holidays for a good risotto? A good late red radicchio can be recognized by the leaves, in which the contrast between the red and the main white vein must emerge. Breaking them up, they should be crunchy and the taste only slightly pungent. In this period you can also find the red radicchio of Verona (with particularly crunchy leaves) and that of Chioggia (also here in the late variant), while for the variegated of Castelfranco the right period was October.
December, however, is the best time for another typical vegetable of Italy: chicory. Or, rather, cutting chicory, not Milan-type chicory, sugarloaf, which is still in circulation (it is harvested from October to December). Particularly common in Rome and Central Italy, common chicory is excellent boiled and then sautéed in a pan with garlic, chili pepper and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. But it can also be enjoyed raw in salads or, even, in first courses, with spicy orecchiette with chicory, chilli pepper and cherry tomatoes, with pecorino or salted ricotta as cheese.
Speaking of orecchiette: December is also the best time for the best turnip greens grown in our South, and in particular in Puglia. Next to them, we find as usual the team of cabbage in full force and in top shape: black cabbage, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and romanesco broccoli. Cabbage has been defined as the healthiest and most nutritious food in nature, thanks to the incredible amount of nutritional properties it manages to accumulate: it is a natural inflammatory, has more iron than meat, is rich in fiber, omega 3 and omega 6. It also has a lot of calcium and vitamins and is a natural antioxidant: it protects the heart and arteries, is an ally against hypertension and even has anticancer properties. Its consumption, in fact, contributes to the increase in the presence of glucosinolates, natural enzymes that can help the body protect itself from carcinogenic substances and the liver to purify itself.
Secret IngredientDecember is also the right time for carrots, artichokes, celery, radishes, mushrooms, beans, pumpkin, radicchio, endive, leeks, fennel and spinach. Among the new arrivals there is also beetroot, which as a vegetable is not very common in our country, but which perhaps deserves better luck. In fact, it is rich in sugars, minerals and vitamins; It has dietary properties, facilitates the elimination of toxins from the body, is purifying and restorative. Not enough? It promotes digestion and strengthens the gastric mucosa and stimulates the production of red blood cells, consequently curing anemias. It can be eaten fresh in salads, or cooked in tasty soups, of which it can be the delicious "secret ingredient".
Citrus at full throttleAs far as fruit is concerned, the last cartridges to shoot for table grapes, which will say goodbye to us with the new year. Instead, we are entering the middle of the orange season, with the arrival of the first reds from Sicily. And then on with mandarins, clementines, kiwis, lemons, persimmons, chestnuts and dried fruit. In short, at least at the table, welcome winter!
From late radicchio to chicory, from beetroot to cabbage: a rich dish this month. A few more table grapes, but here come the blood oranges... December is here, no goodbyes and some new arrivals on the fruit and vegetable stalls. But a few new arrivals. A place of honour, in this month, certainly belongs to the red radicchio. Or rather, to the late variety. This vegetable was born between 1860 and 1890, when the Belgian nurseryman Francesco Van Den Borre, called to take care of some gardens in the Treviso area, applied the bleaching techniques used for Belgian endive to the local green radicchio. Thus were born the red wine of Treviso and then the red wine of Verona, the variegated red wine of Castelfranco and that of Chioggia. Early red radicchio is harvested from September to November, and has a more bitter aftertaste. The late one, which is sweeter, is instead available from November to March, and therefore has one of its periods of choice in December: what better occasion than the Christmas holidays for a good risotto? A good late red radicchio can be recognized by the leaves, in which the contrast between the red and the main white vein must emerge. Breaking them up, they should be crunchy and the taste only slightly pungent. In this period you can also find the red radicchio of Verona (with particularly crunchy leaves) and that of Chioggia (also here in the late variant), while for the variegated of Castelfranco the right period was October.
December, however, is the best time for another typical vegetable of Italy: chicory. Or, rather, cutting chicory, not Milan-type chicory, sugarloaf, which is still in circulation (it is harvested from October to December). Particularly common in Rome and Central Italy, common chicory is excellent boiled and then sautéed in a pan with garlic, chili pepper and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. But it can also be enjoyed raw in salads or, even, in first courses, with spicy orecchiette with chicory, chilli pepper and cherry tomatoes, with pecorino or salted ricotta as cheese.
Speaking of orecchiette: December is also the best time for the best turnip greens grown in our South, and in particular in Puglia. Next to them, we find as usual the team of cabbage in full force and in top shape: black cabbage, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and romanesco broccoli. Cabbage has been defined as the healthiest and most nutritious food in nature, thanks to the incredible amount of nutritional properties it manages to accumulate: it is a natural inflammatory, has more iron than meat, is rich in fiber, omega 3 and omega 6. It also has a lot of calcium and vitamins and is a natural antioxidant: it protects the heart and arteries, is an ally against hypertension and even has anticancer properties. Its consumption, in fact, contributes to the increase in the presence of glucosinolates, natural enzymes that can help the body protect itself from carcinogenic substances and the liver to purify itself.
Secret Ingredient
December is also the right time for carrots, artichokes, celery, radishes, mushrooms, beans, pumpkin, radicchio, endive, leeks, fennel and spinach. Among the new arrivals there is also beetroot, which as a vegetable is not very common in our country, but which perhaps deserves better luck. In fact, it is rich in sugars, minerals and vitamins; It has dietary properties, facilitates the elimination of toxins from the body, is purifying and restorative. Not enough? It promotes digestion and strengthens the gastric mucosa and stimulates the production of red blood cells, consequently curing anemias. It can be eaten fresh in salads, or cooked in tasty soups, of which it can be the delicious "secret ingredient".
Citrus at full throttle
As far as fruit is concerned, the last cartridges to shoot for table grapes, which will say goodbye to us with the new year. Instead, we are entering the middle of the orange season, with the arrival of the first reds from Sicily. And then on with mandarins, clementines, kiwis, lemons, persimmons, chestnuts and dried fruit. In short, at least at the table, welcome winter!
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