Saltimbocca (Italian veal chop with sage and Parma ham)

We had this classic Italian dish a fortnight or so ago on our patio. The sun was still high up, late in the evening. There was a warm summer breeze. The grasshoppers were exceptionally noisy that night - one could have easily mistaken them for cicadas. The warmth, the food, the sounds - all made us feel like we're somewhere very nice and very far away :)

This famous Italian dish, Saltimbocca, originates in Rome and translates as "jump in the mouth/leap in the mouth". There are many chicken and turkey saltimbocca recipes in cookbooks and Internet, but the original version is always made with veal. I used fresh sage from my own garden, and garnished the dish with some picture-perfect fresh woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa) from our flowerbed.

Saltimbocca
(Itaalia vasikalõigud salvei ja singiga)
Serves 4



4 veal cutlets or escalopes (about 150 g each)
4 thin slices of Prosciutto
4 to 8 fresh sage leaves
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil and butter for frying
about 250 ml (1 cup) dry (Italian) white wine

Place veal slices between two pieces of clingfilm and roll or pat until about 4-5 mm thick. (This is not necessary if your meat pieces are thin already). Remove the clingfilm, season generously with black pepper.
Place 1-2 sage leaves on top of each meat piece. Top with a slice of Parma ham, and secure it with a toothpick (I do it out of a habit, but Cooks Illustrated suggests you can forget the toothpick, as searing the cutlets Prosciutto-side down first helps the ham stick).
Heat about a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat.
Place the cutlets to the frying pan, ham-side down. Fry until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side until light golden brown.
Pour the wine onto the pan and cook until reduced by half. Season.
Serve with potato mash or creamy polenta.

TIP OF THE DAY: If you've run out of white wine, you can use a mix of dry sherry or Marsala and water. Works just as well :)

Summer crostini with feta cheese and strawberries

Here's a truly summery crostini from one of my favourite food magazines, Swedish Lantliv Mat & Vin. I'm really sorry I got the magazine issue and came across the recipe just last week, as the Estonian strawberry season has come to an end. I can just imagine how lovely it would have tasted with just-picked sun-kissed strawberries as opposed to those much less pleasant imported ones. Still, these were wonderful and come highly recommended.

Crostini with feta cheese and strawberries
(Krõbesaiad maasika ja fetaga)



sourdough bread (ciabatta, baguette)
extra virgin olive oil
feta cheese
strawberries
fresh basil leaves
freshly ground black pepper

Slice the bread thinly, halve the slices, if necessary. Brush or drizzle with a little bit of oil and toast in a pre-heated 220C/450F oven until golden and crisp.
Slice the cheese, divide the cheese slices on hot bread.
Garnish with sliced strawberries and basil leave, grind some black pepper on top.
Serve.

Meatless Monday: Swiss chard, ricotta and tomato bake

I'm officially a fan (perhaps even an afficionado) of Swiss chard now. It took a while. Yes, I've been dutifully buying plastic boxes of those pretty baby salad leaves that are available in most supermarkets' vegetable aisles here in Estonia, but that's not what Swiss chard is about. Last year I took a leap and grew several varieties (silverbeet, rhubarb chard, rainbow chard) on my vegetable patch, but didn't do much with them. I tried to sauté them once or twice, but wasn't so keen on the flavour (I was pregnant at the time, so perhaps my tastebuds were just off?). However, I did decide to give the leafy version of one of my favourite vegetables another go this year.

I'm happy I did.



I don't know if it's the fact that my chard has been freshly picked (Elise suggests that this makes all the difference), or whether my tastebuds are working properly now, but I love the vegetable this year. I mean, look at that colour!!!

The recipe below is adapted from the British Olive magazine (June 2011), and I've made it three times already. There are so many things to like about this particular dish. It tastes delicious. It uses an heretil underused vegetable. It's two meals in one - you get a warm oven bake to serve on the first day, and it cuts into neat tiny squares when cold, so you can serve it as a tasty nibble. And there's no need to separate the stalks/ribs from the leaves, which is unusual for swiss chard (granted, I've picked the leaves when they're about the size of my hand and stalks the thickness of my fingers.)

If you don't like - or you cannot get hold of - Swiss chard, then don't despair. Good grown-up spinach leaves work just as well (blanch them first, then rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly before sautéing). 

Swiss chard and ricotta bake
(Lehtpeedi ja ricotta ahjuvorm)
Serves six to many*



400 to 450 g (a little under 1 lb) Swiss chard
1 Tbsp butter
1 to 2 garlic gloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
250 g ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
100 g grated cheese
2-3 ripe tomatoes or a handful of cherry or small plum tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220 C/450 F.
Rinse the chard, drain thoroughly and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Chop the leaves and stalks coarsly (see photo above).
Heat butter on a large frying pan, add the chard and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the chard is wilted and tender.
Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Season generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Drain any excess liquid, if necessary. The chard mixture should be on the dry side.
Mix ricotta and eggs until combined, then stir in the cheese. Season, then fold in the sautéed chard mixture.
Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart oven dish.
Cut tomatoes into half or slice them thickly. Scatter on top of the ricotta-chard-egg mixture, then drizzle with some olive oil.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the dish is set and golden brown on top.

* Serve hot with a green salad or cold, cut into small pieces.



Here are some more Swiss chard recipes from some of my favourite foodbloggers:
Simply Recipes (Elise)
A Veggie Venture (Alanna)
Kalyn's Kitchen (Kalyn)
Smitten Kitchen (Deb)
David Lebovitz (David)
Farmgirl Fare (Susan)