For those of you who are remembering field camp food so fondly, please don't set yourselves up for a fall when you try your favorite recipes from those listed here. Clearly the biggest problem is that in Italy, we were cooking with very high quality vegetables, which we can't match from the supermarkets in most parts of the States (certainly not here in Boone). And it is simply impossible to get equivalent "ordinary"cheeses that we had in such variety in Feltre. We have yet to find a domestic American parmesan or Asiago that comes anywhere close to the real thing from Italy. But at least the imitations are better than nothing (arguably). One thing is for sure, though: forget the grated parmesan in the little shakers. The stuff has lost all its oils and flavor.
The good news, though, is that a lot of the recipes don't depend on ingredients that are uniquely Italian and that are available in most supermarkets in the States.
Possible bad news, though, is that both of us use recipes as guides, and a lot of what we prepared at field camp was made up by us on the spot, depending on what we had found on the market or what was best in the greengrocers. But we've written them down in the best approximations that we could come up with, even translating real measures (metric) into our nationally beloved but ridiculous English measures.
The schedule of menus for the evening meal at the 1999 field camp can be found at the end of the recipes.

A Note about Pasta
Three to four ounces of dry pasta per person is needed. Pasta is cooked in salted (about a tsp salt per quart of water), boiling water, usually for 6 to 12 minutes, depending on how thick the pasta is. As soon as it is tender, but with a slight chewiness but no crunch remaining (al denti), drain the water off and immediately mix with the sauce or with enough butter or olive oil to make a thin film over the pasta and keep it from sticking together. Fresh pasta doesn't have to be cooked as long.
Of course, although it isn't listed in the recipes for pasta and spaghetti, parmesan cheese grated on top improves almost all the pasta dishes.

Antipasti

Antipasto of olives, red peppers, cold cuts, cheese
This one's self-explanatory. The only problem with trying to replicate it in the States is access (and wherewithal to buy) Parma ham; home-made salamis; and cheeses such as Piave mezzano, Piave vecchio, gorgonzola dolce, Tipo Carnia, Asiago in its various stages of maturity, parmigiano reggiano, and so on.

Bruschette of tomato/basil/garlic
Per 4 people:
8 slices (or more) Italian bread
4 large or a larger number of smaller tomatoes, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup basil, moderately finely chopped
2 (or 3) cloves garlic
salt and pepper
Use about 1 Tbs of the olive oil to spread thinly over the bread, then toast in a skillet, on a grill, or under a broiler. Mix the chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, remaining olive oil, and garlic (crushed, sliced or finely chopped). Add a little salt and pepper, to taste. Liberally ladle and spread the mixture over the toast.

Deviled eggs
One or two eggs per person:
eggs
olive oil
2-3 capers per egg, or
1 anchovy fillet per 3 eggs
Dijon or other good mustard
pepper
paprika
Bring water to boil. Break a tiny hole in the fat end of the eggs. (There is an air pocket at this end, and the hole allows pressure equalization during boiling so that the eggs have less tendency to break and spew the whites into the water.) Boil the eggs for 12-15 minutes, plunge immediately into cold water. Peel eggs, slice from end to end.
Place the whites onto a plate and the yolks into a bowl. Add about 1/4 tsp each of olive oil and mustard per egg, plus finely chopped capers or anchovy, pepper to taste and enough paprika to give some taste (not just color). A little chopped herb(s) is also good: chives, oregano, thyme, etc.
Finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive old make a good substitute for the capers or anchovy, but be sure to add a little salt, too.

Melon and prosciutto
Per person:
1/6 small or medium cantaloupe or similar small melon
2 slices prosciutto (Parma or another Italian import, if possible)
Remove seeds from cantaloupe, cut off peel, and wrap prosciutto slices around the cantaloupe wedge. Works better if the prosciutto is wrapped in a spiral around the cantaloupe.

Main courses (Primi piatti e Secondi piatti)

Beef sauteed with tomato and oregano (Fettine di Manzo alla Pizzaiola)
Per person:
1 slice of frying beef, about 1/4 to 1/3 lb (or higher quality beef)
approx. 1/3 lb fresh, ripe tomato
1+ Tbs olive oil
1/2 half clove garlic, sliced
couple of Tbs fresh oregano
GOOD QUALITY FRESH OREGANO IS ESSENTIAL FOR THIS DISH. IF YOU DON'T HAVE FRESH OREGANO, FORGET IT.
If using frying beef, put it on a cutting board and beat it with a cutlet bat until thin, or beat it with a sharp heavy knife, almost cutting it through in lots of places, at different orientations. If using better beef this is not necessary.
Chop the tomatoes. We didn't peel the tomatoes, but we were supposed to. It is easily done: bring a pot of water to the boil, drop the tomatoes in for no more than 10 seconds, then place in cold water. The peel comes right off, no trouble.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, put in the garlic slices and then the meat, and brown the meat quickly on both sides. Those with refined palates will throw the garlic slices away, but we keep them with the cooked meat. Sprinkle the meat lightly with salt, and set aside in a warm place (like between two plates if cooking only a small amount).
Add the tomatoes to the oil in the pan, season with salt, pepper, and lots of finely chopped fresh oregano. Cook over a moderate heat until the tomatoes are soft but not reduced to a pulp.
Pour the sauce over the beef, re-heating a little if necessary.
-- adapted from Italian Regional Cooking

Chicken stew
Per 6 - 8 people:
1 chicken, cut into portions
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced or crushed
2 carrots, thickly sliced (~1cm)
olive oil
thyme sprig (large one)
3 Tbs cornstarch mixed in 1/4 cup water
chicken boullion granules or cubes, (enough for 2 c broth)
Braise the chicken in enough oil to coat the pan well. The meat should become slightly brown. Remove from heat. Saute onion, garlic and carrots until the onion is translucent. Add chicken pieces and enough water to almost cover the meat. Add thyme and chicken boullion. Cover the pot and cook until the meat is tender (~1/2 hour). Add enough of the cornstarch mixture to thicken the stew to the desired consistency.

Chili
Per 6 people:
1# ground beef
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced or crushed
1/2 bell pepper (optional)
3 - 4 large tomatoes (or 1 large can tomatoes), chopped
2 cans kidney beans (in Italy use lamon beans)
salt to taste
chili seasoning (I took a packet of the chili seasoning but you can use a mixture of cumin, paprika, and chili powder)
Saute beef, onion, garlic, and bell pepper until beef is brown. Add chopped tomatoes and chili seasonings. Cook at least 1/2 hour. Salt to taste. Add beans and simmer for a while. This can be done a lot quicker, but the flavor will be much better if you can cook it for a while.

Chicken cooked in wine (Coq au vin)
Per 4 people:
1/3ñ1/2 lb salt pork (bacon, country ham, etc), cut in 1 cm pieces
1/3-1/2 lb onion, cut into wedges
2 Tbs butter
1/2 lb mushrooms, small or cut into 1/4î slices
2 cups red wine
3 lb chicken, cut into pieces
Bouquet garni (some herbs tied up together, such as bay leaf and
fresh parsley, thyme, oregano, sage)
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbs flour (not self-rising)
1 Tbs chicken bouillon granules or paste
2 Tbs chopped parsley
This dish can be cooked entirely on the stove top IF a heavy pot with a closely-fitting lid that can hold all ingredients is available. Otherwise, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Melt half the butter in a large, preferably heavy pot. Saute pork and onion over medium heat until the onion is slightly browned. (What you're doing is slightly singeing the onion, turning some of its sugar into caramel, but be careful that you don't burn it.) Scoop out the onion and pork into a bowl. Add the rest of the butter and the mushrooms; cook the mushrooms for a couple of minutes, then scoop them out too, adding them to the same bowl with the onion and pork.
Increase the heat under the same heavy pot and brown the chicken pieces, making sure that all pieces are in maximum contact with the bottom of the pot. You may have to do this in batches. When all the chicken has been browned, remove it all to a platter or bowl (on top of the onion, pork and mushrooms is OK. Put the flour into the pot, and over LOW heat, scrape up all the browned chicken bits into the flour, stirring it well. Before the flour starts to burn, pour in about a half cup of water and stir well to make a gravy.
Put all the chicken back into the pot, pour in the red wine and add the bouquet garni and garlic. Bring it to a simmer, then add about a cup of water and the chicken bouillon base. Cover it and let simmer on stove top or in oven for about 30 minutes. If cooking on stove top, check from time to time to be sure that the heat is as low as possible to keep it just barely simmering. At the end of the 30 minutes, mix in the pork, onions and mushrooms and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so until the chicken is very tender.
Remove the bouquet garni, season with pepper, and taste it to be sure that there is enough salt. (The pork may have had all the salt needed for the entire pot.)
So, this is a relatively primitive recipe for Coq au vin. There are dozens of recipes for it throughout France, all of them varying in ingredients, cooking procedure, or both. The description above is long, but it actually is pretty simple. What we did at field camp is pretty much the same way that we prepare it at home. If you want an elaborate version, go to some French cookbooks.

Lasagna (Lucio's mom made it and we don't have her recipe.)

Meatballs with orange peel
Recipe per person:
1/4-1/3 lb ground meat (mixture of beef, pork, veal & lamb was
used at field camp; any one or more of these or venison would do)
Approx 1/3 the peel of a small orange, chopped into little bits
Optional: couple of crushed juniper berries (esp. if using venison)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbs olive oil
Approx 1/4 cup minced onion
1 Tbs flour or 1 tsp corn starch
Mix half the orange peel and some salt & pepper into the ground meat. Shape into 2-3 cm diameter balls.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the meatballs and roll them from time to time until they are browned and barely cooked through. Remove the meatballs, add the onions and stir until translucent, letting them brown just a little. Remove the onions.
If using flour, add it to the pan and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then pour in about a half to one cup of water, mix the flour into the water to make a smooth mixture, put the onions back in, along with the rest of the orange peel and juniper berries, simmer until it begins to thicken, salt and pepper to taste, and pour over the meatballs.
If using cornstarch, mix it with about a tablespoon of water and set aside. Then pour about a half to one cup of water into the pan, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, add the onions back in, along with the rest of the orange peel and juniper berries. Now stir in the corn starch and simmer until the gravy begins to thicken, salt and pepper to taste, and pour over the meatballs.

Minestrone
Per 6 people (more or less or one with leftovers)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced or crushed
2 Tbs olive oil
2 or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 can beans (lamon, Great Northern, pinto, etc)
1 small zucchini
~1 Tbs chopped basil, sprig of thyme, 1 chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 c dried pasta (penne, bowties, etc. - not spaghetti)
Saute the onion and garlic in the oil. Add tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, and herbs and cook until the carrots and zucchini are tender (~20 min.). Add beans and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a while. Add pasta about 20 min. before you want to eat and cook until the pasta is tender.

Mixed grill
Per 6 people:
2 medium zucchini
1 eggplant
1 or 2 fennel bulbs
1 large onion
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 lb green beans
6 pork or lamb chops
6 4-5î sections of Italian sausages
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
fresh basil, finely chopped (optional)
This one's very easy. Get the charcoal going (OK, you're in the States, so some of you will use a gas grill instead). Choose whichever vegetables and meats (no beef, please) out of the list that are available and that appeal to you.
Cut each zucchini into four longitudinal slices. Slice the eggplant across in slices no thicker than 1/4". Parboil the fennel bulbs for 3-4 minutes, then put into cool water and cut into 4 wedges. Half each tomato transversely, so that there is a stem end and a blossom end; don't cut it from end to end UNLESS it is a Roma tomato.
Coat the vegetables thinly with olive oil, place them and the meat on the hot grill, and cook until the surfaces are singed and the interior has softened a bit, turning all but the tomatoes over from time to time to check for doneness. Be careful especially of the eggplant, which has a small window of opportunity between being insufficiently cooked and getting burned. Put the tomato skin-side down and leave it that way, on a part of the grill that is only moderately hot.
Salt and pepper everything to taste when it comes off the grill, sprinkling everything with rosemary if you like, EXCEPT the tomatoes. Put a tiny amount of olive oil on the cut surface of the tomatoes, and sprinkle with fresh basil if it is available. Keep the tomatoes level so that the cooked juices don't spill out.

Pasta al Rovingno
Per 2 people:
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green or yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/4 lb or less pepperoni, salami, or salt pork, cut into small pieces
1 Tbs powdered paprika
1/2 Tbs finely chopped rosemary
1 Tbs olive oil
2 medium or 4 Roma tomatoes, cut into 2-3 cm pieces
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
1/2 pound spaghetti
parmesan cheese
Start the water for the pasta. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, over medium heat, cook together the onion, peppers, rosemary and meat. When the peppers and onion have softened and become slightly singed, stir the paprika in very thoroughly, turn off the heat, add the tomatoes and garlic, add salt and pepper (being careful not to over-salt it), and cover while you finish cooking the pasta.
Either serve the pasta and place the sauce on top, or mix the sauce into the drained pasta and then serve. This is one that is greatly improved by a liberal amount of parmesan grated onto the top.

Pasta con quattro formaggi
Per 4 people:
Approx. 1 lb mixed cheeses
1/2 cup or more cream
pepper
1 lb pasta
This was a way to use up bits and pieces of cheese that weren't taken for lunches, and it actually included more than 4 cheeses. We cut the cheeses up into irregular pieces about a half inch cubed, mixed them well, stirred in the cream and pepper, and then mixed it with the pasta while it was still hot (but after it had cooked al dente and had been drained). The cheeses included parmigiano, Asiago mezzano, Piave mezzano, Piave vecchio, tipo Carnia, and others.

Pasta with basil/tomatoes/brie (Linguine con pommodore e basilico)
Per person:
Approx 1 cup tomatoes, cut into 1/2-1î pieces
1/4 pound Brie or equivalent Italian cheese, torn into bits
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
1 small or 1/2 large garlic clove, finely minced (or crushed)
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 pound linguine or other elongate pasta
Combine everything except linguine and let marinate for a couple of hours. Boil the linguine in salted water until al dente, drain, and mix with tomato/cheese/basil mixture. The portion is probably large enough to generate nice leftovers.
--adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook

Pasta (fettucine) with butter and cream
Per 6 people:
1 sprig of FRESH rosemary
1/2 cup sweet butter (not margarine)
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh fettucine
coarse kosher salt
In a heavy skillet simmer butter, cream and rosemary. All the while you should be cooking the pasta. Use only the salt in the water when cooking the fettucine. Five to seven minutes is all it should take to cook the pasta "al dente" Once the sauce boils remove it from heat. Drain the cooked pasta and remove the rosemary from the skillet. Do not discard the herb. Put the drained pasta into the skillet and toss it with the sauce. Serve with the rosemary sprig on top of the pasta.
-- from Adam Shepard, who cooked it for us

Pasta (fettucine) dalla Grappa
1 oz finely chopped shallots
~1 oz grappa
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1 Tbs garlic (more to taste)
Fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs Olive oil
Heat the olive oil; sear the shallots and garlic. Add the grappa, cooked
fettucine and parsley. toss, mix in butter and top with pepper.
-- also from Adam Shepard. We didn't have this at field camp, but Adam came back with a taste for grappa and either found this one or made it up.

Pasta with cheese and cream
Just cook your favorite pasta, toss with butter to coat it. Add a bit of cream and grated scraps of whatever cheese(s) remained from lunch. Whoa! I'm back at field camp. You don't have cheese like that for lunch. Do the best you can. Add a little fresh sage.

Pasta with cream/mushrooms/butter
Per 6 people:
1 cup heavy cream
2 oz (half stick) of butter
1 lb mushrooms of any sort, sliced
12-16 oz pasta
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in saucepan or skillet, cook the mushrooms over moderate heat until tender, stir in the cream, and take the saucepan or skillet off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix with the cooked and drained pasta.

Pasta with fresh buffalo mozzarella/ tomatoes/basil
Per 4 people:
1 1/2 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes
8 oz mozzarella (preferably fresh)
3 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
12-16 oz penne or other pasta
Chop the tomatoes into approx. 2 cm cubes, and cut the mozzarella into approximately 1" X 1/2" X 1/2" pieces (or any other fairly small sizes). Mix all ingredients except pasta into a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and let it stand for a couple of hours if you've had foresight to do it before time to eat.
Cook the pasta, drain, and mix the sauce into it.
We're lucky at field camp to get real, buffalo milk mozzarella. By the time it is shipped from Italy to the US, it is no longer truly fresh. General consensus is that it isn't worth the cost in the States, and fresh domestic cows' milk mozzarella should be used.

Pasta with (asparagus and) gorgonzola cream
Per 4 people:
1 1/2 pounds asparagus (optional)
2 cups crumbled gorgonzola
3/4 cup cream
12 oz penne or other pasta
2 tsp lemon juice
Cook asparagus in boiling water until crisp-tender, rinse in cold water, drain; cut into 2" pieces.
Heat gorgonzola with cream until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Simultaneously, cook the pasta, drain it, and add the asparagus and sauce. Stir it all up together with a bit of pepper, and then drizzle lemon juice on top.

Pasta with tomato/sausage sauce (Lea's recipe)
Per 8 - 10 people
4 - 5 sausages, skinned
oil with one mint leaf
3 garlic cloves
2 sage leaves
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
~ 2 t oregano
hot pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste
3 cans tomatoes (medium sized)
Saute sausage, carrot, celery in oil. Break it up as it cooks. When the meat is brown, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve over pasta.

Pasta with pesto
Per 4 people:
Approx. 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Approx. 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Approx. 1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
12 oz to 1 pound spaghetti or other pasta
Put all ingredients except pasta in a food processor and blend until you have a grainy, green paste, increasing the amount of olive oil if it seems too dry.
Cook pasta, coat with a little olive oil and ladle a mound of pesto onto top of each serving of pasta, or leave off the olive oil coating and mix the pesto directly into the pasta before serving.

Pastafagiol
Per 6 people
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced or crushed
2 Tbs olive oil
sprig of thyme or ~ 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbs chopped parsley
2 cans beans (Great Northern or pinto, lamon if you are in Italy)
~2/3 pound pasta (penne, bowties, etc.), cooked in salted water
Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add herbs and beans. Add enough water to make a soupy consistency. Cook at least 1/2 hour. Add cooked pasta and continue to cook until the pasta and bean mixture are well combined.

Pork Sauteed with herbs and red wine vinegar (Roustissouns)
Per 6 people:
3 lbs lean pork, cut into 2" cubes (or buy pork chops)
2 Tbs fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbs fresh sage or 2 tsp dried sage
1 Tbs oil
salt & pepper to taste
3 to 5 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 TBs chopped fresh parsley, basil, or fennel
Sprinkle the pork with the thyme & sage and let stand for 1 hour.
Heat oil in heavy-bottomed pot and add the pork. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, cooking for about 30 minutes. Brown the port evenly on all sides. Add the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes more until the pork is tender. From time to time check to be sure there is liquid in the pan and renew with a little water as necessary. Stir in or sprinkle on the parsley, basil or fennel.
-- adapted from Cuisine of the Sun

Rabbit with preserved lemon/garlic
Per 6 people:
6 whole heads of garlic, preferably fresh
3 Tbs olive oil
1 whole rabbit or chicken (about 3 lbs),
Bouquet garni (2 fresh bay leaves, large bunch of thyme)
12 slices preserved lemons, plus 4 Tbs liquid from the jar
1 cup dry white wine
Cut straight across the garlic heads, about 1/3 distance from top of head. Discard the top if using fresh garlic (there's not much flavor in it), or keep the tops for something else if using dried garlic. (I've never seen fresh garlic in supermarkets in the States.)
In a large pot, heat the oil until hot, add the rabbit (previously cut into 6 pieces) or the chicken (previously cut into 8 pieces), reduce the heat, cover the pot, and cook gently about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a platter and season lightly with salt and pepper.
In the hot oil/fat remaining in the pot, add the garlic heads, cut side down, and brown (2-3 minutes). Return the meat to the casserole and add the bouquet garni, preserved lemons, the liquid from the lemon jar, and the wine. Cover and reduce heat to a bard simmer. Cook for about an hour, stirring from time to time.
(To make preserved lemons: wash 2 lemons, slick lengthwise into 8 wedges, toss with 1/3 cup coarse sea salt and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Pack into a glass or plastic container and seal with a non-metal lid. Let stand at room temperature for a week then add enough olive oil to cover them and refrigerate. Will keep up to 6 months.)
-- from Patricia Wells at Home in Provence
This was not a successful dish for three reasons. First, it was too lemony for most folks. You might try reducing the lemon liquid to 2 Tbs. Second, I tried to hide the fact that rabbit (coniglio) was being served but got caught, which caused a lot of the more tender-hearted to try to avoid the rabbit and go for the chicken. But rabbit is actually a healthy, tasty meat that is underutilized in the States. Third, since some who had never had rabbit and were willing to try it didn't know what it looked like, they avoided everything that looked like chicken and went for the most different-looking thing. That turned out to be rabbit liver, which I had thrown in thinking that no one except possibly myself and one or two others might take. So, people who took the rabbit liver thinking that it was rabbit meat but who really don't like liver were pretty well put off. Oh well. It really is a good dish, but all that garlic (one head per person) makes you want to drink a lot of fluids.

Rachel's bean salad
Per 6 people:
Marinate together these ingredients for about 2 hours:
2 chopped ëmedium' tomatoes
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 fresh basil leaves
some chopped parsley
2-3 Tbs olive oil
pepper
Heat 3 cans of beans (red kidney, white, black, or whatever) and drain juice. Mix drained beans with tomato mixture. Top with feta cheese. Serve with fresh Italian or French bread.
--from Rachel McKinney

Roasted chicken with vinegar sauce and rosemary potatoes
Per 4-6 people:
Approx. 1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
2 Tbs flour
4 cups meat stock, chicken or mixed chicken and beef
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Approx. 5 lb chicken
-------------------
2 pounds medium potatoes, cut into wedges
1 1/2 Tbs minced or crushed garlic
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, minced
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to about 375 degrees F. (Well, we made this at San Martino, in the wood-fired stove, so who knows what the temperature actually was.)
Split the chicken right down the middle and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat about half the olive oil in a heavy, oven-proof pot, and brown the chicken halves (skin-side down) for about 15 minutes, turn them over, and cook for 5 minutes longer.
While the chicken is cooking as described above, thoroughly mix about 1 Tbs olive oil, potatoes, garlic, rosemary, and about 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Put the coated potato wedges on a large sheet.
Put the potatoes in the top of the oven and the chicken in the bottom, and cook for 45 minutes.
While the chicken and potatoes cook in the oven, heat about the remaining olive oil over medium to medium-high heat and saute the onions and thyme until the onions begin to brown. Add the flour and stir about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the stock and boil until it is reduced to a little over a cup (about 20 minutes). This is the sauce.
Cut each chicken half into 6 to 8 pieces and make the sauce available so each person can pour some over the chicken (not over the potatoes, though).
-- based on a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine

Sauteed pork chops
Per person:
1-2 pork chops
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper
This one's mindless. Heat a skillet to "medium", dribble a little olive oil into it, drop on the pork chops and sear the first side just until juices start to appear on the top, immediately turn them over and sear the second side until juices start to appear on the top. Take them off immediately and add salt & pepper to taste.

Spaghetti alla carbonara
Per person:
Approx 1 oz salted pork (bacon, pancetta, cured ham)
Approx 1 tsp olive oil
1 egg
pepper
1/4 lb spaghetti
Cut the pork into pieces equal or less than 1 cm in all directions, saute in the olive oil three or four minutes (or, if using something fatty like bacon, just until the fat becomes translucent), then let it cool. Beat the egg, add pork and pepper to the egg. Cook the pasta at the same time that you're dealing with the pork and the egg. As soon as the pasta is al dente, quickly pour off the boiling water and stir the egg mixture into the spaghetti. Ideally, there will be enough residual heat in the pasta to cook the egg. If not, heat gently until the egg is all congealed. Do not add any salt to the dish until you taste it, because many of the varieties of pork will add all the salt that is needed.
When you order this dish in American restaurants, a large amount of cream has been added to the egg. Yuck. I much prefer the way that we do it, following the simpler recipe above (which is also the same recipe that the Ferrara students used when they prepared the dish for us at the toga party). You can add cream if you want, just don't invite us when you prepare it. Besides, this is spaghetti in the style of the charcoal-makers. They were poorer than dirt and lived in the forests; where the hell would they have been able to get the cream?
The best substitute for pancetta that we've found is country-cured ham sliced 1/4" thick.

Truffade (crushed potatoes with cheese)
Per person:
1-2 oz bacon, country ham, or pancetta, cut in 1/4" pieces
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/3 lb potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 oz Gruyere cheese or Italian equivalent, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper
Cook the meat only until tender, not crisp or browned. Remove with slotted spoon, leaving any fat in pan. Add the oil to the hot pan, add the potatoes, salt (WARNING: be careful, the meat already salts the dish) and pepper, stir, cover, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add bacon back in after the 5 minutes and continue to cool over low heat, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, stirring and crushing the potatoes, until they are tender. Stir in the cheese, let it melt at low temperature, stir again to be sure all is well mixed. Raise heat to high and let cook without stirring for at least 5 minutes, until the cheese at the base of the mixture is browned and crusty, almost scorched. During this time keep pressing the potatoes down as firmly as possible. Use a spatula or whatever you can think of to loosen the truffade from the pan, then in one smooth, uninterrupted motion, turn the pan upside down onto the platter from which you intend to serve the truffade. Get faint-hearted, interrupt the motion, or hesitate in any way, then it will all land in a heap. Turn it over smoothly and quickly (but hot hurriedly), and it'll look great. (Marg's trick: Put a large pizza pan or big plate over the skillet so that it covers the entire area. Hold it in place as you turn the skillet over. It is to be hoped that the truffade is on the plate.)
--adapted from Chateau Cuisine

Spinach spatzle
Per 20 people
2# spinach
10-12 eggs
healthy dash of ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 liter milk
1.5 kilo flour
Cook spinach until tender, press water out, and grind. Mix into the other ingredients until well blended. Bring to a boil a large pot of salted water . Hold the spatzle maker over the boiling water and press the dough into the boiling water (~ 1 c of dough into 2 gallon water) and cook until the spatzle rise to the top. Scoop cooked spatzle into a sieve and chill in cold water. When they are chilled, spread on a clean towel to drain. Work a small quantity of oil into them to prevent them from sticking together. They can be reheated when you're ready to prepare them by placing them in boiling, salted water until they rise to the top. Just drain them like pasta. Top with butter or butter and chopped sage.
Add a little panceta to that for even more flavor. Spatzle can be frozen.

Veal stew
Per 4 people
1 # veal (I do not use veal unless I'm in Italy.)
4-5 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic or crushed
2 carrots, sliced
4 small ñ medium potatoes, cut into chunks
sprig of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Coat the veal with flour and saute it in hot oil until browned. Saute a few pieces at a time and set aside when browned. Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add meat, carrots, potatoes, thyme, and salt and pepper. Add enough water to barely cover. Cover the pot and cook ~ 30 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. The flour from the veal should have thickened the stew. If you need more thickening, mix a little cornstarch in cold water (2 Tbs to 1/4c water) and add enough to thicken.

I Contorni (side dishes) e le Insalate (salads)

Bean salad with vinaigrette dressing
This is a warm bean dish, but is also good cold.
Per 6 people
2# green beans
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
salt & pepper
1/3 C olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 c minced parsley
Cook the beans by steaming or boiling for ~15 minutes. While the beans are cooking, mix the remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Drain the beans and pour the vinaigrette ove them. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Boiled potatoes with butter and parsley
Per person:
1 large potato peeled and cut into 1î chunks
1Tbs butter
1Tbs chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Boil water and add the potato chunks to the boiling water. There should be enough water to cover the potatoes. Cook until tender (~15 minutes for one potato, ~30 minutes for 4or5). Drain. Add remaining ingredients.

Carrot salad
Per 4 people:
4 medium carrots
1 Tbs olive oil
juice of 1/4 - 1/2 lemon (approx. 1 Tbs)
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried, crushed)
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Grate the carrots, add the other ingredients, and mix thoroughly. The wild card here is the rosemary. The longer it sits in the salad, the stronger it tastes (well, up to a point, anyway). You just have to try making the salad and adjust the rosemary to your own taste. But, if it is going to be a few hours or more before you eat it, always leave off when the rosemary can be tasted but isn't at the level you think it should be. It probably will reach there by the time you eat it.

chard fritata

Feta potato salad
Per 4 people:
Approx 2 lbs potatoes
1 Tbs finely minced bell pepper
1/2 cup finely minced celery
2 Tbs finely minced onion
2 Tbs finely minced sweet or dill pickle
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
About 1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the potatoes until tender (about 20 minutes). Plunge the potatoes into cold water, peel, and cut into 1-2 cm cubes. Mix all other ingredients together, then stir the mixture into the potatoes.

Green salad
Lettuce and tomato salad
Lettuce/fennel/onion/pepper salad
A single kind of lettuce, or better yet mixed greens, with tomato and other vegetables if you want, and at field camp we generally had a version of vinaigrette dressing.
The dressing is based on a ratio of approximately 2 olive oil to 1 wine vinegar (sometimes balsamic or fresh lemon juice), then we chucked in whatever among the following that we had in hand and felt inclined to include: crushed garlic, fresh thyme, fresh minced basil, fresh minced sage, fresh minced rosemary, a little prepared mustard, or anything else with an interesting flavor.

mashed potatoes (with garlic)

Orange/fennel/ arugula salad
Per 6 people:
2 oranges, chopped up, keeping as much juice as possible
2 heads of fennel, in 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick transverse slices
1-2 cups of arugula, cut into approximately 1î pieces
Mix it all together, maybe put in a LITTLE salt and pepper, and let it stand for about half hour before serving it.

pasta salad

Peppers/onion/cucumber salad
Per 4 people:
2 peppers (two different colors, because they taste different)
1 medium onion, mild if possible
2 "regular"or 1 European cucumber
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
a little minced herbs of some kind
Slice the vegetables as thinly as possible, then mix with the other ingredients, using enough salt to just barely eliminate the acidic taste of the vinegar.

Polenta
Per 8 people
3 c cornmeal (~1#), a good yellow one is best - DO NOT USE SELF- RISING!
~8 1/2 c water
Bring the water to a boil, pour in the meal, lower the heat and cook until the mixture is thick and well cooked. Italians cook it ~ 45 minutes, stirring the entire time. Believe it or not it doesn't burn and is worth the time. (Use a pan that will transfer heat evenly and is relatively thick.) Pour the polenta out into a pan or onto a clean surface to cool.

Polenta with sauteed peppers and cheese sauce

Per 8 people:

1 recipe polenta as given above

1 Tbs olive oil
~2 cups sliced red bell peppers (yellow or green if necessary)
~1 cup Asiago or Piave Vechio (or whatever you can find that's similar) cheese
2 cups milk
4 T butter
4 T flour or cornstarch

Put the olive oil into a skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add the sliced peppers, and cook until the peppers have softened and barely browned (which produces a nice caramel taste because of the slightly burned sugar in the red peppers). Take the peppers out of the skillet as soon as they are properly done. Melt the butter in a saucepan. If you are using flour, mix it in until it is completely combined. Add the milk and cheese and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to keep it from scorching on the bottom. (If you use cornstarch, mix it with enough water to make a smooth paste. Melt butter, add milk and cheese and when mixture is heated, add cornstarch.) Slice the polenta, top with peppers and then with the cheese sauce.

Risotto with asparagus
Per 6 people
1 1/2# asparagus
2 c broth (vegetable or chicken; boullion works fine)
2 T oil
1 1/2 onion, shopped
1 1/c c arborio rice (the short, fat one)
1/4 c Parmesan cheese , grated
2 T butter
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shaved
Cook asparagus for ~ 4 min. in water to cover. Drain asparagus and save the liquid. Add the liquid to the broth. Chill the asparagus (Just put it in ice water. This saves the bright green color.). Reserve the asparagus tips and cut the stems into 1/4" thick rounds. Cook the onion in oil. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 3/4 c liquid. Cook until the water is absorbed. Add the asparagus rounds. Cook until the rice is tender, adding more liquid as needed. Stir continuously to prevent the rice from sticking. This will take ~ 20 min. When the rice is tender, add the tips, grated cheese, butter, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with shaved cheese.

Roasted potatoes
See recipe for roasted chicken.

Roasted vegetables
See recipe for mixed grill.

salad of cauliflower, cucumber, radiccio, asparagus

sauteed eggplant

sauteed zucchini

sauteed zucchini and eggplant

sauteed zucchini/peppers/ tomatoes/onion

sauteed zucchini, tomatoes, onion

Steamed carrots

steamed flat beans with butter

Tomato and arugula salad
Per person:
1 medium tomato or 3 Roma or other small tomatoes
2-3 Tbs coarsely chopped arugula
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Cut the tomatoes into cubes or slices, gently mix with the arugula and olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato and basil salad
Per person:
1 medium tomato or 3 Roma or other small tomatoes
1 tsp - 1 Tbs coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Cut the tomatoes into cubes or slices, gently mix with the basil and olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato and carrot salad
Per 2 people:
1 medium tomato or 3 Roma or other small tomatoes
1 medium carrot
1 tsp chopped fresh basil, rosemary, or oregano
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Cut the tomatoes into cubes or slices, thinly slice or grate the carrot, gently mix with the herb and olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Desserts (I dolci)

Apple crisp
Per 6-8 people:
4 cups cored, peeled apples cut into eighths
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup + 1 Tbs flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 pound butter (margarine is a poor substitute)
1/2 cup rolled oats (regular oatmeal, not instant)
We had to cook this on the stove-top, but usually it is cooked for about 35 minutes, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven. Cooking on the stove top does just fine if the heat is kept VERY low, so that the dish just barely simmers for 30-40 minutes.
Stir together the apple pieces, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbs, and the cinnamon in the bottom of an oven-proof casserole dish or in a heavy pot (if cooking on stove top). If cooking on the stove top, add 1/4 cup water to prevent initial scorching of the apples.
Melt the butter and mix with 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, and the oats. This will make a crumbly/sticky mixture that should be spread evenly over the apples. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until apples are soft and the topping is cooked.
This works with peaches, plums, rhubarb (mix with full cup of sugar), and soft fruits. But then you wouldn't call it apple crisp.

Apple strudel (Lea's recipe)
For 20 people
Dough: 2 kilos of flour, ~ 1 tsp salt, enough water to hold it together (consistency of almost dry biscuit dough)
Fruit, etc: 1 pkg raisins (plump in water); 10-12 apples thinly sliced; enough sugar and cinnamon to coat; ~ 3/4 c pine nuts; some marmalade if the apples are tart. Mix the fruit, etc. with the hands to bruise the apples.
Mix the dough ingredients by hand and knead until smooth, ~ 15 min. Roll the dough out very thin. Top with the fruit and pine nuts; flip the dough over and turn the strudel so that the seam in the dough is underneath. Coat the surface with a thin coating of oil and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a big wood stove (or at ~375) until crust is brown (~30 min). Baste with a mixture of marmalade and water about 4 times during its baking.

Banana pudding
For about 6 people
1 recipe blanc mange (below)
2-3 ripe bananas
~ 2 c vanilla wafers or something similar
Interlayer the bananas, wafers, and blanc mange. End with blanc mange. Top with whipped cream (optional and naughty).
Blanc mange
2 1/4 c milk (at home I use 1 1/4c evaporated milk and 1 c water)
1/3 c granulated sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 t vanilla
dash of salt
Mix milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together and heat over medium flame, stirring, until it becomes quite thick (pudding). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. The wrap should be pressed down on top of the surface to avoid formation of a skim.

Fruites a la meringue et chantilly
Per person:
About 1/2 cup small meringues or crushed meringues per person
About 1/2 egg white
1 oz powdered sugar
2-3 oz raspberries, sliced strawberries, or other soft fruit
Chantilly cream:
2 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
drop or two of vanilla
The meringues can be found in any grocery store in Italy, but in the States you'll probably have to make them. Do a minimum of 3 eggs and 6 oz powdered sugar to make them. Beat the eggs until they hold a peak, add 2 Tbs powdered sugar and continue to beat for another minute or two. Then, using a spoon, fork, etc. fold in the rest of the powdered sugar. Lumps left from place to place are OK. Spoon the meringue in little blobs onto a thinly buttered and floured baking sheet, then bake for 1.5-1.8 hours. They'll keep for a couple of weeks, depending on the ambient humidity.
If meringues are small (no larger than 1/2 ì), no need to crush them. Otherwise crush them into the bottom of a bowl or dessert plate, put the fruit on them, and top it off with the chantilly cream.
--adapted from Chateau Cuisine

Mixed fruit (Macedonia fruit)
This, too, depends on what is available. The more fruits mixed together, the better. You should end up with about 1 cup of fruit per person.
Use berries and grapes whole (or half the grotesquely huge grapes), and cut other fruits into 1 cm cubes. Mix in enough sugar to offset any tartness and, if you wish, about 1/2 Tbs brandy, Cointreau, grappa, etc. per cup of fruit. Let it sit for about an hour for the flavors to blend.

Peach cobbler
For 6-8 people
~ 5-7 ripe peaches depends on the size
~ 3/4 c sugar, depends on the sweetness of the peaches (use part brown sugar
Batter: 1 c flour
1/2 sugar
1 stick butter, melted
dash salt
~ 1 c milk (enough to make a runny, but not watery batter)
Slice the peaches and mix with sugar. Put in heavy pot. Mix batter and spread over the top of the fruit and sugar. Cook on low heat until the batter is set. It's a good idea to have a heat diffuser or trivet under the pot to prevent scorching.

Plum cake with strawberries and blanc mange
Plum cake is a sponge cake. You can use that or pound cake. Just put a couple of dollops of blanc mange on top (See the recipee in the banana pudding recipe.) and top that with sliced strawberries (You may want to slice the berries, add a wee bit of sugar and allow them to sit and juice up for a bit.) on top.

ricotta torte

strawberries and cake

strawberries/apricots/ meringues/cream

Tiramisu
Per 6 people
4 eggs, separated
3 T white sugar
3/4 c Mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 c fresh coffee
1 t instant coffee
4T brandy
2T rum
35 Boudoir biscuits (ladyfingers, etc)
1 C plain chocolate, grated (chill choc and grater before attempting this)
4 T chopped nuts
Blend the egg yolks and sugar together and beat until light and creamy. Mix in the Mascarpone cheese. Mix the fresh and instant coffee with the brandy and rum. Dip each biscuit into the coffee/ liquor mixture and arrange at the bottom and around the sides of a bowl or pan. Spread half the Marscapone mixture over the biscuits. Sprinkle over half the grated chocolate. Repeat the process with the biscuits, cheese and chocolate using up the ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if possible. Just before serving, sprinkle with the chopped nuts.
-- from The Classic 1000 Italian Recipes

Trifle
This is a fancy way to get rid of odds and ends. The base is lady fingers (long, narrow spongy ìcookie/cake thingiesî). Layer a bowl or pan with them and line the side of the container with them. Sprinkle with spirits (rum, brandy). Spread fruits (depends on what you have and what you like. Typically, strawberries, bananas, blueberries ñ but anything goes.) on the bottom layer. Top with blanc mange (and cream if you want to be truly decadent). The blanc mange recipe is in the banana pudding recipe. Continue to interlayer ladyfingers (with spirits), fruit and blanc mange until you run out of room. Top with whipped cream and allow to sit at least 2 hours for the flavors to mix.

5/29 Pasta with basil/tomatoes/brie; green salad; strawberries/meringues/ cream
5/30 Pasta (penne) al Rovingo; green salad; gelato at Cristallo's
5/31 Toga Party: Spaghetti alla carbonara (prepared by Italian students); bean salad with vinaigrette dressing; strawberries/meringues/cream
6/1 Veal stew; steamed flat beans with butter; green salad; mixed fruit
6/2 Spaghetti with gorgonzola/cream; sauteed zucchini, tomatoes, onion; salad of cauliflower, cucumber, radiccio, asparagus; strawberries/meringues/cream
6/3 Mixed grill [ sausages, schiz (fresh cheese), polenta, peppers, fennel, onion]; trifle
6/4 Pork Sauteed with herbs and red wine vinegar; risotto with asparagus; tomato and basil salad; apple crisp
6/5 Bruscheti of tomato/basil/garlic; (bowtie) pasta with pesto; sauteed zucchini, carrots, mint; melon and prosciutto
6/6 Pastafagiole; polenta with sauteed peppers and cheese sauce; orange/fennel/ arugula salad; plum cake with strawberries and blanc mange
6/7 Eat out - Al Capello
6/8 Feta potato salad; salad bar; fresh fruit and cookies
6/9 Pasta with cream/mushrooms/butter; tomato and basil salad; torte from Il Fornaio (overnight at Zoldo)
6/10 Chicken stew; leftover potato salad; green salad; mixed fruit and cookies
6/11 Meat balls with orange peel; pasta with butter and cream; steamed green beans with vinaigrette sauce; steamed carrots; strawberries/apricots/ meringues/cream
6/12 Pasta with fresh buffalo mozzarella/ tomatoes/basil; green salad; peach cobbler
6/13 Pork with sage; mashed potatoes with garlic; sauteed zucchini/peppers/ tomatoes/onion; the photo cake from Garbujo
6/14 Eat out - Al Capello
6/15 Ravioli from the pasta factory; steamed carrots; steamed green beans ; lettuce and tomato salad; banana pudding
6/16 Lucio's birthday dinner: chard fritata; lasagna; sauteed eggplant; bean salad; green salad; ricotta torte; fruit torte IS THIS RACHEL'S BEAN SALAD?
6/17 to 6/19 Holiday
6/20 Pasta (spaghetti) al Rovingo; tomato and carrot salad; cakes purchased at bakery
6/21 Beef sauteed with tomato and oregano; mashed potatoes; steamed carrots; salad of peppers/onion/cucumber; apple torte (purchased)
6/22 Spinach spatzle; roasted chicken; roasted potatoes; green salad; peaches and cookies
6/23 Minestrone; pasta (penne) with tomato/sausage sauce; sausages; roasted vegetables; salad of lettuce/fennel/onion/peppers; apple strudel
6/24 Antipasto of olives, red peppers, cold cuts, cheese; truffade; tomato/arugula salad; apple crisp
6/25 Eat out - Malga Rolle
6/26 Rabbit with preserved lemon/garlic; pasta (orchietti) with cream and mushrooms; sauteed zucchini; steamed carrots; green salad; banana pudding
6/27 Pasta con quattro formaggi; sauteed pork chops; green salad; tiramisu
6/28 Pasta with rosemary and cream; chili; corn; corn bread; slaw; apple crisp
6/29 Roasted chicken (Pollospiedo); boiled potatoes with butter and parsley; sliced tomatoes; strawberries and cake
6/30 Salad bar; Rachel's bean salad; pasta salad; deviled eggs; peaches, fruit cake
7/1 Eat out - Al Capello
7/2 Coq au vin (made with chicken and guinea fowl); steamed carrots; sauteed zucchini and eggplant; fresh fruit
7/3 Pasta with cheese and cream; green salad; gelato (Cristallo's)
7/4 Fourth of July: hamburgers; hot dogs (sausages); green salad; watermelon; cake
7/5 Eat out - Al Capello
-- Marg and Ken McKinney