If (for some inexplicable reason) you ever find yourself with leftover panettone, we highly recommend turning it into french toast. While we always gobble ours up immediately, we’ve found that buying a second loaf just for this recipe works equally well. Chef Liam’s panettone french toast includes almond extract, cinnamon and nutmeg in the egg custard, which gives each plate of french (italian?) toast touch of warmth.
–Whisk eggs. Add the remaining ingredients. Whisk until combined.
-Slice your panettone into 1.5” thick slices and soak in the mixture for about 30 seconds. Meanwhile, heat a non stick skillet, add butter and a little oil and place the slices of panettone onto skillet to brown on both sides. Remove from skillet and place on a sheet tray and finish in oven for 5 minutes at 375.
-Serve with fresh berries, and real VT maple syrup.
Nothing goes better with a juicy burger than a pile of hot, crispy, perfectly golden French fries. Unless, of course, you happen to have Chef Liam’s recipe for homemade fries with pecorino, garlic and oregano. Those might top the list.
LIAM’S PECORINO, GARLIC, OREGANO FRIES
INGREDIENTS
3 each russet potatoes, large
2 T chopped fresh oregano
1 T chopped fresh garlic
2 T fresh grated Pecorino Romano
Fryer oil, or canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
–Wash potatoes, keep skin on. Square off the potato by cutting it to form four sides. Proceed to cut ½ inch slices then cut into strips.
–Place a colander in a bowl. Place fries in the colander and run cold water continuously(it will fill up with water) over the fries till the water starts to run clear. This is removing any starchy sugars.
-Strain the potatoes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a deep saucepan for frying to 300F. Add strained potatoes to the fryer and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from fryer and place on sheet tray and let cool.
-Heat fryer up to 375…Then fry the fries again. Cook till crispy. Put in a bowl with the herbs, garlic, cheese and salt and pepper and toss. Serve immediately.
Insalata di riso is a typical summer dish in Italy, where the summers are hot and turning on the stove is avoided at all costs. Quick and refreshing, it’s infinitely adaptable to fit whatever you have on hand. Assunta, co-owner of Studio Geribi, sent over her family’s favorite recipe so that we might all enjoy summer the Italian way.
INSALATA DI RISO
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice
4 hard boiled eggs
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/3 cup cucumbers
1/4 cup celery
1/2 cup peppers
1 large carrot
1/3 cup fennel
1/2 cup olives (in oil or fresh)
1/3 cup artichokes (in oil)
1/2 cup mushrooms (in oil)
1/3 onion (in vinegar)
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
–Place a large tray in the refrigerator to chill (you’ll need this later).
-Add rice to a pot of boiling, salted water. 2-3 minutes before the rice is fully cooked, drain and let it cool on the tray that you chilled in the fridge.
-Meanwhile, wash and clean all the vegetables and place them in a large bowl. Once the rice has cooled, add it to the fresh vegetables, followed by the ingredients in oil and vinegar.
-Add the two tablespoons of mayonnaise and the egg. Mix carefully, trying not to damage the hard boiled eggs.
-Season with salt to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Chiara’s vibrant green bean pesto is a delicious twist on a classic. Use it generously on your pasta or as a spread on bruschetta—it goes particularly well with fresh, creamy burrata.
CHIARA’S GREEN BEAN PESTO
INGREDIENTS
500g green beans
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1 lime
Handful of mint
DIRECTIONS
-Wash and remove the sides of the green beans and then cook in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain into a colander.
– In a blender, combine drained green beans with lime juice, garlic, mint, pepper and olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Jennifer has an abundance of zucchini and is putting the blossoms to good use. This gorgeous arrangement of fresh zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and parmigiano is accented with bright cherry tomatoes and scented with lemon and basil. It’s a dish that never fails to impress—both for how gorgeous it is and how shockingly simple it is to prepare.
FIORI DI ZUCCA RIPIENI
INGREDIENTS
about 15 zucchini flowers
500g (1lb) ricotta
1/2 c grated parmigiano reggiano
1 T lemon zest
2 T chopped basil
1 t salt
2 T extra virgin olive oil (+ more for drizzling)
1 c sliced cherry tomatoes
DIRECTIONS
-Carefully pull the stamens out of all the flowers
-Mix the ricotta, parmigiano, lemon zest, basil and olive oil. Carefully stuff into the blossoms.
-Place the blossoms in a baking pan. Scatter the tomatoes around and sprinkle with a little salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Chef Simone’s Fregola Sarda Panzanella is a classic summer cookout staple. Filled with toasty fregola sarda and delicious summer vegetables like sweet peppers, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. The crisp vegetables offer a bright contrast to the tender cooked grains—Simone’s Summer Salad is the star of every BBQ.
SIMONE’S FREGOLA SARDA PANZANELLA
INGREDIENTS
I cup raw Fregola Sarda
2 cups hot water
Carrots
Celery
Fresh onion
Sweet peppers
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Basil
DIRECTIONS
– Boil the water and cook the Fregola. Once tender, drain and let cool.
-Dice all the veggies and toss with salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.
-Once the Fregola is cool, mix with the prepped vegetables and sprinkle with fresh basil.
Chef Simone’s Fregola Sarda Panzanella is a classic summer cookout staple. Filled with toasty fregola sarda and delicious summer vegetables like sweet ...
A trio of summer salads that are easy to prepare and pair easily with your favorite grilled meat, fish or veggies. Light and refreshing and sure to brighten up your plate.
ASPARAGUS AND RHUBARB SALAD
INGREDIENTS
10 stalks asparagus – ends broken off
3 stalks rhubarb – slightly shaved
2 cups pea shoots
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1T honey
DIRECTIONS
Lightly brush asparagus with olive oil and roast until tender. Slice into 1” pieces. Slice the rhubarb into matchsticks. Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and honey. Toss asparagus and rhubarb with dressing in a serving bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with pea shoots and lemon zest.
STRAWBERRY AND ASPARAGUS SALAD
INGREDIENTS
1 pint strawberries sliced
4 cups baby arugula
10 stalks asparagus – ends broken off
Goat Lady Chevre
Marcona Almonds
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Lightly brush asparagus with olive oil and roast until tender. Slice into 1” pieces. Put arugula in a serving bowl and add strawberries. Whisk together vinegar and olive oil – season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the arugula and strawberries. Top with dollops of goat cheese and almonds.
FAVA BEANS AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fava beans shelled
3 Portobello Mushrooms cleaned
¼ pound aged pecorino shaved
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
DIRECTIONS
Steam fava beans for 1-2 minutes (should still be bright green) remove from heat and put on ice to quick chill. Slice portobellos. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss together mushrooms and cooled favas. Top with pecorino and serve.
Umbria is famous for its Norcinos – butchers – creating cuts to be grilled, roasted and cured. This Father’s Day our Norcino shares his in-house seasoning blend inspired by the flavors of Norcia. The fragrant and summery flavors of wild fennel and citrus provide a piquant and unexpected twist to a classic summer BBQ.
UMBRIAN SPICE RUB
INGREDIENTS
1 lb Sicilian fleur de sel
1 oz fennel pollen
2 oz coarse black pepper
2 oz muscovado sugar
2 oz dried orange zest
DIRECTIONS
-Mix together blend ingredients and store in an air-tight container. Makes 1 1/2 lbs.
To use: rub steak, chicken, etc. with extra-virgin olive oil. Rub 1 oz. of seasoning per every 1 lb of meat and allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Grill, roast, smoke, sous vide or cook however you like.
Note: this blend is also great on roasted olives tossed in good olive oil.
Guests from our most recent Chef’s Dinner (“Spring in Puglia”) will recognize this creamy-cool burrata with fiery peperoncino from the menu. As striking as it is, it’s remarkably simple to pull off and is a great way to end the day during those hot summer months.
BURRATA WITH PEPERONCINO CREMA
INGREDIENTS
1 pc Fresh Burrata
2 t of Calabrian Hot pepper paste
1 t fennel pollen
1 t smoked sea salt
DIRECTIONS
–Cut burrata in half, remove the stracciatella and place in a separate bowl. Add hot pepper paste to your liking and the fennel pollen. Once combined, use a spoon to put it back into the cavity of the burrata and set aside.
-To plate: Put about 2 tablespoons of the cold fava bean puree (recipe follows) down on the plate and place 1 burrata half alongside it. Add a small garnish of baby greens tossed with lemon and olive oil. Season the burrata with a pinch of smoked sea salt and finish with EVOO. Garnish with Taralli.
FAVA BEAN PUREE
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fava beans, blanched, shells removed
1 small onion, small dice
1ea garlic clove, sliced
2 T mint leaves
EVOO
Water
Salt
DIRECTIONS
-Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and fava beans; sauté for 2 minutes on medium-high heat.
-Add about 1.5 cups water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off heat and transfer to a blender.
-Add the mint, and about ½ cup EVOO and puree on high speed till smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt. Reserve and cool.
Come spring, our kitchen is bursting with fava beans. Their fresh, slightly grassy flavor is a wonderful accompaniment to almost any homemade pasta dish, but this might be our favorite iteration. Tossed both with a spring medley of local produce and petite, velvety bites of gnocchi, it’s a vibrant dish you can easily pull off at home.
GNOCCHI WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND FAVA BEAN PUREE
In this deceptively simple side, tender asparagus spears are wrapped in thin, crispy slices of guanciale, a bacon-like cut of cured pork cheek. The clean flavor of roasted young asparagus contrasts beautifully with the salty-savory flavor of our traditional Umbrian guanciale.
Asparagus Spears with Guanciale
INGREDIENTS
Asparagus
Guanciale, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
-Clean and peel asparagus
-Parboil for 2-4 minutes until just softened
-Wrap spears with a thin slice of guanciale
-Roast a 425 degrees for 10 minutes, until pork is slightly crisp
Think of this Mint Gin(ger) Mule as a delicious liquid stress ball. Ginger beer’s subtle kick tickles the back of your throat while the fresh mint dulls gin’s bite. It’s simple enough to whip up after a long day at work, but we think it tastes best when slowly savored on a warm and lazy weekend afternoon.
Mint Gin(ger) Mule
INGREDIENTS
Ice
1.5 oz Gin
1 oz lime
.5 oz simple syrup
7-8 leaves mint
Ginger beer
DIRECTIONS
-Pour gin over ice into your glass. Add lime, simple syrup and a few mint leaves.
-Top off with ginger beer. Garnish with more mint leaves.
