From seed to plate...Buon Appetito!

23 March 2010

The AGM was followed by a very interesting talk by Paolo Arrigo from Seeds of Italy (the company that supplies Franchi Seeds) www.seedsofitaly.com. We have used Franchi Seeds with much success: we had (and are continuing to have) a fabulous crop of cavalo nero and we managed to grow some long red onions from seed last year (see below). Paolo spoke enthusiastically about how many of the Italian seed varieties are (contrary to popular belief) so well suited to the British climate and he recounted some wonderful anecdotes about life in Italy, the types of produce that are grown, the regionality of such produce and of course, how the Italians like to use the produce. We could have listened to him ALL night and were all rather peckish at the end! Seeds and books were for sale afterwards so we came home armed with the following:


Basil Foglia di Lattuga - Lettuce Leaf Basil - this should produce leaves the size of your hand so ideal for wrapping around mozzarella balls and drizzled with olive oil or around slices of parma ham and shave with parmesan


Tomato Principe Borghese (da Appendere or Eternal tomatoes) - you put the whole plant upside down at the end of the season and hang it (in a shed for example) so you can harvest the tomatoes for months


Courgette Romanesco - Paolo highly recommended these saying that they had a nutty flavour and were a restaurant quality courgette] check variety]


Tomato Cuor di Bue (Coeur de Boeuf) - as recommended by Raymond Blanc - 'Ox Heart' beef tomato, so called because of its size and shape. A lovely slicing tomato due to its meaty flesh, and few seeds. Unbeatable in salads or with slices of fresh mozzarella and basil


Red onion - Rossa Lunga di Firenze - we grew these very successfully last year so have chosen them again. Regional red onion variety from Florence in Tuscany. Nice and sweet so good to use raw in salads.


Yellow dwarf beans - (Romax Meraviglia di Venezia). Paolo suggested that the best method of preserving these beans is to freeze them so you just pick the beans when ripe and put them straight in the freezer. They are great hot as a vegetable, but equally as nice as a cold bean salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. When you need to use them there is no need to soak them for hours, you can simply add them to dishes, cooking them for 30-40 minutes or so. The same goes for borlotti beans that we will also be sowing this year.

Multi-coloured carrots White, purple, orange and yellow carrot! Should be interesting!

We also have some Franchi seeds left over from last year:



Giant leeks
Tomatoes - Rio Grande
Spaghetti Squash
Romaine lettuce
Courgette -Zucchera Rugosa Friulana - the ugly one! This has a slightly nutty taste and tends to keep its shape well.

We also came home with a copy of Paolo's book "From Seed to Plate"(signed by the man himself) so are already planning what to cook with our produce!

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable evening that has spurred us into action!