I’m reading about the snowstorms in US East Coast.
The last days have been rather tough in this area too. A flood in the nearby valleys and in Cinque Terre (60 km from here) has caused severe damages and 10 victims (but there are still a few missing persons). In the near town of Pontremoli, according to the weather station functioning since 90 years, it has never rained so much in a day. In our valley the rivers are flooding but luckily we got no inundation. Now the sun is shining, but heavy rain is forecast again from Tuesday on.
I’m waiting for some friends, it will be a reunion ‘around the table’. I’m going to cook using what I can find in the vegetable garden (or in the pantry): kale chips, pumpkin tershi, pumpkin toasted seeds and garlic pickles as appetizers, pumpkin bread and a grape custard. But the main course will be a traditional lumbard dish, cassoeula with polenta – we all are from Lombardia – a casserole of pork and savoy cabbage.
I have been living here for 6 years and I often miss my hometown. But I’m not sure to be ready for such … a barbaric dish!
1, 2 – carved pumpkins (I’ve made this for the first time!)
3 – me and the chili peppers ripening inside the house :)
4 – cyclamens under the hedges
5 – fruits of spindle tree
This entry is about
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Euonymus europaeus
Fruiting
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Day 1370
Cyclamen hederifolium neapolitanum Cyclamen hederifolium neapolitanum
Flowering
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Day 267
Capsicum chinense
Ripening
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Day 194
pumpkin Galeux d'Eysines (from HollyBee) Cucurbita maxima
Harvesting
1.0 x
it’s delicious! (thank you, HollyBee)
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Herbs and vegetables container garden
some pots have been moved inside the house
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Comments
orientallily wrote:
I do hope the nasty weather leaves you unscathed and that you can enjoy the reunion with your friends.
Posted on 31 Oct 11 (over 1 year ago)
cristina wrote:
Thank you, orientallily!
Posted on 31 Oct 11 (over 1 year ago)
AnneTanne wrote:
I heard about the floods in Liguria and Toscana. I just saw some video’s showing the aftermath of the floods in Monterosso.
We were there last year (Easter 2011 in le Cinque Terre, Summer 2010 in Toscana).
Hope you were safe…
Posted on 31 Oct 11 (over 1 year ago)
halhurst wrote:
Warm, safe, and dry, feasting with good friends on dishes from home, with the rain drumming on the roof. What could be more conducive to good fellowship and love? Happy Halloween, and All Saint’s day.
Posted on 31 Oct 11 (over 1 year ago)
digfrance wrote:
we hope the weather leaves you guys alone . and enjoy your friends we our only given one day at a time. and there our no do overs so enjoy . we our from the northeast and our famalies and house our fine . so we wish you a happy all saints day stay warm.
the digfrance family
Posted on 31 Oct 11 (over 1 year ago)
flowerweaver wrote:
This is the first I have heard of your floods, so sorry to hear. We have been through them and it is very scary. I think your first pumpkin carving turned out lovely! Blessed Samhain! (or is it Samonio?)
Posted on 01 Nov 11 (over 1 year ago)
laurieann wrote:
Hope you are staying dry. Your pumpkins are adorable! I’m going to bookmark your cassoeula recipe – we are getting a side of pork next week and I have a couple of napa cabbages still to harvest. Perfect timing!
Posted on 01 Nov 11 (over 1 year ago)
CDfolia wrote:
Your 1st pumpkin carving is lovely, my first looked like it had been done with a machete.
I hope the extreme weather doesn’t come any closer to you, and that you have a great meal with your friends, it sounds like the sort of hearty food you need to deal with winter.
Posted on 01 Nov 11 (over 1 year ago)
cristina wrote:
@AnneTanne – the floods hit Monterosso and two bordering Tuscan valleys; the area of Emilia Romagna where I live is wedged between Liguria and Tuscany.
@halrust – I totally agree with you and …let me send you a hug!!
@Thank you, digfrance! I’ve enjoied these days spent with good friends :) In front of our traditional winter meal we all felt like expats… LOL
@flowerweaver – it has been funny carving the pumpkins, and, as far as I know, …no Italian translation for Samhain.
@laurieann… it’s kind of you! I didn’t like cassoeula when I lived in Lombardia… but yesterday, at last, I have been able to taste it (… it must be the power of nostalgy!)
(If you are trying this recipe, I suggest to eliminate as fat as you can from the pork and to blanch the rinds – and ears and trotters, if you are going to add them – in boiling water for about one hour; this will make the dish lighter and more digestible; we also sprinkle the cooking meat with a glass of white wine. Enjoy!)
@CDfolia – a pumpink carved in a ‘machete style’ must be scary!
Let’s see what is happening with the weather. Today it’s very grey and foggy.
Posted on 02 Nov 11 (over 1 year ago)
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