Italian Menu Prep: Caponata, Ribolita, Olive bread, Sauce alla Norma,Polenta

The rain has gone again and the blue skies and sunshine has returned!!

Bright day for making a wonderful Italian inspired menu, it's around 68F and the garden is drying out.

The prep. for the deliveries tomorrow, so far ( the menu is in previous blog. posted yesterday)

The artichoke and green bean soup

Sauteing the vegetables with olive oil & red wine vinegar for the Caponata

The completed Caponata cooling

The sour dough bran bread with olives and own grown sprouts

walnut-spinach-parsley pesto to be served with whole wheat gnocchi

Alla Norma sauce also added some zucchini for texture

Traditional Italian olive bread also has chard in it, I have added a California twist, it is a sour dough base, and added spinach and own grown sprouts, and will have a marbled loaf

The mixed dough

Previous 2 the shaped loaves ready for a 4-6 hour prove at room temp

Corn and thyme polenta, to be baked with butter & cheese at client's home

Previous 2, the Tuscan Kale dense Ribolita, also added chickpeas and red bell peppers

To all my readers in Brazil

My prayers and thoughts are with you in this terrible fire.
I am so very saddened to read about this

Stay strong, and know the  world is with you.

A great new snack idea...eat more red/orange vegetables for better health in winter months!

OK, I began this dish through an experiment yesterday afternoon.
I was craving potato chips, but they are off my diet, so I go the idea of "roasting/baking" whole, unpeeled, tender carrots, in very little olive oil & sea salt.

These are not marinated overnight, just washed air dried then placed on a lightly oiled cookie sheet & put into a pre heated 400f oven for 30-45 mins.
Just leave them alone, don't turn them over.
Remove from oven and allow to cool, enough to handle, on the tray.
Then remove with a spatula and plate.
They are great eaten as a snack,  with any kid of dip. ( sour cream and onion, salad dressing, mustards, & etc.).and can be made into "Cardogs", by wrapping in a rice wrapper with wasabe mustard and some greens.

Don't use the washed and peeled small "baby" carrots as they have been processed, and the natural skin on the carrots is best roasted, not peeled off.

They are delicious, similar to a roast potato and less sweet then a sweet potato, yet still have a caramel flavor.

Go ahead ..roast some carrots and you will never eat boiled carrots again!

small tender carrots washed and air drying

Previous 2 the complete roast-baked carrots great for dipping and snacking.."finicky eaters" will love these