We Continue on our holiday theme, and bring you our Buone Feste! set of products. Add a Mediterranean touch to some of your favorite recipes, and let them inspire you to create new dishes and new traditions!

Le Ferre Autentico Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 250 ml
Acetorium Fig Vinegar – 250 ml
Casina Rossa Fiori & Salt
Marino Farm Salted Capers
Patagonia Provisions Wild Sockeye Salmon
Peccatti di Ciacco ‘Spiritosi’ Amarena Cherries in Barolo Chinato
Le dolcezze di Nanni Torta Floriana

Products Imported from Italy; and products of the USA.

Le Ferre Autentico Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This bold finishing oil is made from hand-harvested Coratina and Frantoio olives. Warm and expansive on the palate with a pleasing peppery finish. Drizzle over pasta dishes, soups and stews.

Region: Castellaneta, Puglia. Estate produced.
Varietals: Coratina, Frantoio
Color: Rich golden green
Aroma: Fresh cut grass, herbal notes

Acetorium Fig Vinegar

The luscious flavor of this vinegar comes from pure fig wine, with no infusions or additives, and is recommended for marinating seafood or seasoning salads. Try it for marinating seafood or chicken, or as a salad seasoning.

Acetorium vinegars are hand-crafted by esteemed winemaker Joseph Reiterer of Alto Adige and German master vinegar maker Robert Bauer. Instead of using flavor infusions they judiciously select the basic ingredients for each vinegar and then vinify them before beginning the vinegarization process. All Acetorium vinegars are made from fine wines. The vinegars are precision-aged in stainless steel tanks or wooden barrels.

Casina Rossa Fiori & Salt

An aesthetically appealing mix of sea salt, wild orange peel and ten types of edible flowers. Fiori & Salt presents beautifully when sprinkled on fresh ricotta or burrata cheeses, green salads and puréed soups. It adds a light zest to grilled or roasted vegetables and fish.

Marino Farm Salted Capers

In 2018 the Marino family began harvesting local fresh capers and salting them with Trapani Sicilian sea salt. The result is a salted caper that has a flavor and freshness well beyond the norm. It will inspire home cooks and chefs to add capers to every meal: from salads and antipasti to roasted or smoked fish and pastas.

Patagonia Provisions Wild Sockeye Salmon

This delicious, lightly smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon is made with fish harvested from the Situk River, near Yakutat, Alaska. This is a small, community-based fishery, using short-soak set nets with a low by-catch rate. Because the fishing takes place in the river itself – as opposed to the open ocean where many salmon stocks mingle – the fishermen are able to target a specific, sustainable salmon population. This is the kind of fishery we’re proud to support.

Brined and lightly smoked to highlight the fine flavor and firm texture for which Sockeye are prized, this is salmon you can enjoy on every level.

Peccatti di Ciacco Spiritosi Amarena Cherries

Whole Amarena cherries preserved in fine, Barolo Chinato wine. An elegant garnish for your favorite cocktails with a flavorful syrup for bitters, mixers and toppings. Adds a pleasing finish to roasted duck breast, venison, or pork. All natural with no preservatives.

Le dolcezze di Nanni Torta Floriana

Native to Siena, this classic, hand wrapped Tuscan confection was invented by Floriana Nanni. Handcrafted today by the bakers of the Nanni family, this wonderful fig and walnut cake is wrapped in brightly colored paper and makes for a unique, tasty, and festive dessert or holiday gift.

RECIPES

Cream of Mushroom Soup
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 pounds sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 10 cups milk
• 10 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg, or to taste

For the garnish:

• Fiori and Salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream, or as needed

Method

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and mushrooms in the hot butter until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Stir flour, pepper, and salt into the onion/mushroom mixture. Gradually stream milk and chicken broth into mixture while stirring to incorporate.

Bring the liquid to a boil; cook at a boil until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir parsley and nutmeg into the soup and let simmer.

Ladle soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream and a light sparkling of Fiori & Salt.

Kale and Smoked Salmon Frittata
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/8 pound Kale  – about 2 cups
• 3 tablespoons water or broth
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers (rinsed and chopped)
• 10 eggs, beaten
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Method

Heat butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat; cook and stir kale, about 2 minutes. Add water and cover skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook, stirring frequently, until water is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix potatoes, salmon, and capers into kale; cook and stir until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler.

Pour eggs over kale-salmon mixture; cook, stirring gently and scraping the bottom of the skillet to prevent sticking, until barely set, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle feta cheese over egg mixture.

Broil in the preheated oven until top is browned and eggs are set and puffed, about 5 minutes. Allow frittata to sit in skillet for a few minutes before serving.

Panna Cotta
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons plain gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 cups cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 (1 1/2-inch-long) vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Method

In a small bowl, soften gelatin in cold water and set aside. Place cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla bean in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the vanilla bean.

Add gelatin and water to the hot cream mixture. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Pour into 6 lightly oiled 1/2-cup dariole molds (or other small cylindrical molds) and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Unmold the panna cottas and serve topped with Spiritosi Amarena Cherries.

Yes, vinegar is an essential ingredient in homemade dressings, but it has a similar effect on any kind of vegetable or meat. Few ingredients have the versatility, range, and potency of vinegar when it comes to finishing and cooking foods. Fine, wine-based vinegars bring a mid-level acidity and subtle sweetness to everything from salads to soups to salsa and beyond!

Simple Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette can be used to dress greens, and whole raw, or grilled vegetables. The fig vinegar lends a subtle fruit note, which compliments lighter meats, and would make a lovely sauce drizzled over lean, white fish or chicken.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fig vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons whole grain or Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoons minced tarragon or any fresh herb (optional)

Method

Combine the vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper, and mustard in a small mixing bowl. Give it a stir with a whisk or fork to soften the shallots, then drizzle in the oil in while whisking. Stir in the fresh herbs just before serving. This vinaigrette can be made ahead of time, and can be stored in the refrigerator for at least one week.

Chicken With Vinegar

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 3-pound chicken, cut up for sautéing
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced shallots or scallions
• 1 cup fig vinegar
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• 2 tablespoon creme fraiche (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Set a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; when it is hot, place chicken in the skillet, skin side down. Cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is nicely browned. Turn and cook 3 minutes on the other side. Season with salt and pepper.

Place skillet in the oven. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until almost done (juices will run clear, and there will be just a trace of pink near the bone). Remove chicken to an ovenproof platter. Place it in the oven; turn off the heat, and leave the door slightly ajar.

Place the skillet with cooking juices over medium-high heat, and add shallots; sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar, and raise the heat to high. Cook a minute or two, or until the vinegar smell has subsided somewhat. Add 1/4 cup water, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is slightly reduced and somewhat thickened. Reduce heat and stir in the butter and creme fraiche (this is optional, but highly recommended).

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet, and turn the chicken in the sauce to coat. Serve immediately.