Posts Tagged ‘Local Food’
Something holy (Fritelle di Zucchine)
She is angry and she has every right to be. On her lap a bowl with a lousy few rice kernels, the little girl with matchstick arms and legs is crying her huge eyes out. Her gripping portrait is on all the trams and some buses in Rome, and next to it in black bold letters it says: “I’m mad as hell and I can’t take this anymore.”
The visual is a not-so-subtle reminder that there are currently 1.02 billion people in the world going hungry and it is maddening indeed. FAO estimates that this number has never been greater at any time since 1970, when these statistics became available. The problem is especially hard to stomach since there is enough food to nourish the entire planet.
In a city where food is so omnipresent, and truly lies at the core of its identity, the portrait for the 1billionhungry campaign troubled me. Food is almost holy here, but at the same time, as Gandhi phrased it, “there are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”
For those who are feeling equally uncomfortable I can suggest watching the TED talk of agricultural scientist and thinker Dr. Louise Fresco. She is not one of the romantic, yet naïve advocators of ‘slow’, small-scale organic production, because she claims that if we want to feed the world we’ll need mass-production, albeit with environmentally sound methods. But we should still honour smaller producers and traditional practices. Although we hardly ever have an idea where our food comes from, we should never take it for granted, she says. “Food in the end is something holy. It’s not about nutrients and calories, it’s about sharing, it’s about honesty, it’s about identity.”
And that’s what it is. Even if we have more than enough of it, food should never be taken for granted. I thought about this as I bought these beautiful zucchine romane, Roman zucchini. I got them from Fausto at the Esquilino market, a knowledgeable vendor and producer who owns a farm not far from Rome. It gave me a sense of connectedness knowing where these vegetables came from. And in the form of fritters, they were a feast. Almost holy. So make some, take a bite, chew, swallow and count your blessings.
Fritelle di Zucchine (Zucchini Fritters)
For 12-15 fritters
- 5 small or 3 large zucchini
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus oil for frying
- ½ cup sultana raisins
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ tbsp dried sage
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- salt and black pepper
Coarsely grate the zucchini and transfer to a sieve or colander. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt, toss and set aside for about 30 minutes.
In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the onion over medium heat until soft and lightly browned. Set aside. Soak the raisins in 1 cup of water for 10-15 minutes and let them drain. In a small skillet, lightly toast the pine nuts, shaking the skillet frequently. Place them on a plate to cool.
Squeeze the zucchini firmly to remove any excess liquid (push down using your fist) and pat dry with a paper towel.
In a bowl, mix the zucchini, onion, raisins, pine nuts, Parmesan, eggs and sage. Sift the flour into it and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a film of oil in a large skillet until it sizzles when you drop a small amount of batter in. Working in batches, make a few fritters by pouring in the batter, about 2 tablespoons per fritter. Flatten them with the back of a spatula. Gently turn them over once they start firming up in the middle. Cook for another 4-5 minutes over medium heat. They should be golden on both sides.
Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature.
