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Italian Garden Encyclopedia

Famous as Italian cuisine is for its meats and cheeses, it is based first and foremost on its fresh vegetables and fruits, offering tasty options for vegetarian and vegan meals and providing the lion’s share of nutrients and flavor to dishes containing meat. Listed below are some of the most popular Italian vegetables, along with recommended varieties. I give both the Italian and Latin names in case you want to select seeds from an Italian catalog. Fratelli Ingegnoli of Milan (www.ingegnoli.it) has an extensive catalog written in English as well as Italian. Pagano is a wholesale source of Italian seeds distributed by Lake Valley Seed (www.lakevalleyseed.com) in Italian markets throughout the country. I have included a few varieties of vegetables and herbs available only from Ingegnoli and Pagano; the vast majority, however, are available from the American seed companies listed in Resources (page 109). There is much overlap between the gardens and cooking of Italy and France. I have not covered in this book some of the vegetables that are enjoyed in Italy, since they are covered in great detail in my book The Edible French Garden, including mâche, asparagus, melons, sorrel, leeks, and carrots.

Italian cuisine is unadorned. Food is prepared with a minimum of sauces, soufflés and other multi-layered techniques. Its strengths lie in using the very best ingredients, especially fresh, succulent vegetables picked in their prime, presented in a simple manner. A layout (LEFT) of just-harvested zucchinis, complete with their still-open blossoms; ripe tomatoes; fresh ‘Piccolo Verde Fino’ basil; eggplants; and baby leeks could be the spectacular foundation of just such an Italian meal.

ARTICHOKES, GLOBE

(carciofi) Cynara scolymus

Probably no vegetable is more typically Italian than the arti-choke. There are dozens of varieties, and Italians cook these thistle buds in endless ways—far beyond serving them whole and dipping them in butter. Gardeners lucky enough to have many plants can let a few buds develop into massive blue-purple thistles that are extremely showy.

HOW TO GROW: Six plants should be ample for the average family. These large 4-foot-tall (1.2 m) dramatic plants prefer cool, moist summers and mild winters but grow in summer heat if the soil is kept continually moist. Below 28ºF/-2.2ºC they need winter protection, for example, an overturned basket filled with leaves or straw and placed above the roots. In coldest-winter areas artichokes are usually not successful unless the roots are brought inside during the winter and kept moist and cool. In hot, early summers the artichoke buds open too soon and are tough. Artichokes prefer full sun in cool-summer areas and partial shade in hot-summer climates.

Purple and green artichokes

Start plants when they are bare root when possible. Plants are sold in some nurseries when they are dormant, with their roots wrapped in plastic. They are sold in nurseries in mild-winter areas of the West and in mail-order catalogs in the spring. Artichokes can be started by seeds. Sow them indoors eight weeks before your last spring frost date, about ¼ inch (6 mm) deep and ¼ inch (6 mm) apart. The soil temperature should be between 70º and 80ºF/21.1º and 26.7ºC Transplant seedlings to 4-inch (10 cm) pots. Grow at cooler temperatures (60º–70ºF/15.5º–21.1ºC during the day, 50º–60ºF/10º–15.5ºC at night). Transplant them to the garden when they’re six to eight weeks old. (They need at least 250 hours of temperatures under 50ºF/10ºC to induce budding.) Protect them from frost.

Artichokes require rich, constantly moist but well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. They respond well to deep mulches, compost, and manure. Extra nitrogen should be added halfway through the growing season and after the harvest. The plants need to be dug up and thinned every three or four years.

Aphids, earwigs, and snails are sometimes a problem. In commercial artichoke-growing areas the plume moth is a problem treated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) applied to the center of the plants when they’re moist.

To harvest artichokes, cut off the young buds about 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) below the bud (the tops of the stems are edible if peeled) before they start to open. The younger the bud, the more tender it is and the more of it is edible. The small lateral buds are also edible and if harvested while young have no choke. An unseasonable frost can brown the outer leaves of artichokes but improves the flavor.

VARIETIES

Many regions of Italy seem to have their own varieties, but few are available to outsiders. The three described below are the only ones readily available in America.

Green Globe: most common variety grown in the United States, large conical shape, hardy throughout most of the coastal West, most available variety sold as bare root plants

Imperial Star: 90–100 days from transplants, thornless, sweet flavor, meaty hearts and almost chokeless, easiest to grow from seed and harvest the first season

Violetto: produces purple medium-size artichokes, cooking more than two minutes turns them green

HOW TO PREPARE: Artichokes are rich and sweet flavored, with a meaty texture, and the flavors stimulate salivation. Elsewhere, the bud is usually served whole, but in Italy young buds are often cut into pieces or pureed.

Most mature and commercial artichokes must have the choke (fuzzy, inedible center) removed. Homegrown ones, however, similar to those available in Italy, can be harvested while still young and be eaten without removing the choke.

To prepare an artichoke, cut the top inch or so off to remove any thorns and the inedible top part of the “leaves.” You can leave 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) of the stem and peel it to remove the tough outer skin. Then with your fingers peel back the outside layer of leaves to where they break readily, revealing yellowish flesh at the base. Open the artichoke; if there is a fuzzy choke at the bottom, scrape it out with a sharp spoon. Immediately rub all cut edges with lemon juice (or soak them in acidulated water until you are ready to serve or cook the artichoke).

Whole artichokes can be stuffed and baked, steamed, or boiled in water with the juice of two lemons. In Rome they are sometimes braised in olive oil, garlic, and mint and served upside down with 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) of stem sticking up in the air. In all cases artichokes are cooked until a knife inserted into the bottom of the choke comes out clean. They can be presented whole, and can be accompanied with plain or flavored olive oil for dipping. To eat a whole artichoke, pull off the outside leaves and use your teeth to scrape out the flesh. Cut the remaining heart, or bottom, into bite-size pieces and relish it.

Artichokes

In Italy artichokes are also incorporated into many cooked dishes. Very young and tender buds are lightly trimmed and used whole or cut up. If the bud is more mature, the outside leaves and tough outer material is removed, the meaty center is quartered, and the choke is removed. Cut-up pieces are then cooked with other vegetables such as asparagus, fava beans, or peas and served as a side dish (as they do in Sicily) or combined with tomatoes and served over pasta (as is popular in many parts of southern Italy). Morsels of artichokes are added to pizza; combined with marjoram, parsley, and garlic in frittatas; incorporated into risotto and pasta sauces; and included in a creamy tart of puff pastry (as they serve it in Genoa); or pureed and made into a spread for bread or folded into soufflés. When fried whole, artichokes can be flattened out to look like a star and then fried again, as is done in the Jewish Quarter of Rome.

Young, tender artichokes are a treat when eaten raw. Pieces are dipped in olive oil as part of an antipasto; in pinzimonio, raw artichokes are sliced paper thin and served in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

ARUGULA

(rucola) Eruca vesicaria

RUSTIC ARUGULA

(rucola selvatica, wild arugula)

E. selvatica

(Diplotaxis tenuifolia)

Arugula leaves are lobed, pungent, and nutty and taste a bit like horseradish. The most common arugula is the domesticated milder one; however, there is another, usually called rustic arugula, that is perennial and has a more intense flavor.

HOW TO GROW: The standard arugula is grown in cool weather in early spring and again in the fall. The plants are short-lived; they get quite spicy and will go to seed in hot weather. Rustic arugula is a tender perennial, that, if started in spring and kept cut back, grows throughout the summer and fall and even winters over in mild-winter areas. Common arugula is planted in the fall for a winter harvest in these same mild climates. For both types, broadcast seeds over rich soil in a sunny area of the garden and lightly cover them with soil, or plant them in flats for transplanting into the garden. In cold climates, in the fall, plant common arugula in a cold frame or green house for winter salads. For succulent growth keep arugula well watered and fertilize lightly. Both arugulas have few pest and disease problems. Harvest individual leaves or cut back the plant and leave a few inches of growth for a cut-and-come-again crop. Common arugula comes back more quickly than the rustic one. Arugula flowers attract beneficial insects, so I keep them blooming for much of the spring. If allowed to go to seed, both arugulas reseed readily in your garden and behave as “wild greens.”

VARIETIES

Arugula: 40 days, lobed green leaves, plants grow to 1 foot (0.3 m) tall, white flowers

Wild Rustic Arugula (Italian wild arugula, Sylvetta): 55 days, finely cut leaves, plants grow to 8 inches (20 cm), yellow flowers

HOW TO PREPARE: When only 2 or 3 inches (5 or 8 cm) tall, and still very mild, arugula leaves can be used in fairly large amounts to add a peppery and nutty flavor to a mixed green salad, misticanza, or a bread salad. Combine them with other assertive greens, especially the fall and winter ones, like chicories and mustards, and complement them with strong cheeses, capers, prosciutto, anchovies, olives, and fruit. Sprinkle young leaves of arugula over a plate of carpaccio or sliced tomatoes and serve with paper-thin fennel drizzled with olive oil, or put them in a sandwich instead of lettuce. Boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil and garlic and sprinkled with arugula and other herbs make a wonderful dish.

Arugula

Parboiled arugula can be sautéed with anchovies, garlic, and olive oil or combined with cooked white beans and served over pasta. Arugula leaves can be added to pizzas, frittatas, and soups. When the leaves become more pungent, use arugula sparingly as an herb in a mixed salad, sauce, or dressing. Long after the leaves have become too strong to use, the flowers are great in salads or as a garnish.

Sweet basil

BASIL

(basilico) Ocimum basilicum

Basil is an annual herb that glories in hot weather and withers after a light frost.

HOW TO GROW: Plant basil in a sunny site in fertile, well-drained soil with a high amount of organic matter. Start basil seeds inside a month before your weather warms up in spring or use transplants from the nursery. Keep the plants fairly moist during the growing season. If your soil is not very fertile, feed every six weeks. Harvest the leaves by hand or with scissors. Keep the flower heads continually cut back, or the plant will go to seed and give you few leaves.

VARIETIES

Fine Green (Piccolo Verde Fino): dwarf plants to 1 foot (0.3 m), small leaves, compact shape great for edging beds, flavor great for pesto

Genovese: tall, slow to bolt, large dark green leaves, intense spicy basil fragrance; ‘Genovese Compact’ is about half as tall and good for small gardens or containers

Lettuce Leaf (O. basilicum var. crispum): 85 days, very productive, large crinkled leaves

Mammoth (Mostruoso): very large leaves, sweet and spicy, similar to lettuce-leafed basil but not as crinkly and has larger leaves

HOW TO PREPARE: The aromatic leaves of basil are used fresh in soups, salads (including panzanella, a rustic salad made with slightly stale bread and vegetables), bruschetta, and pesto. It is sometimes tucked in sandwiches instead of lettuce. In Italy basil flavors minestrone, sandwiches, marinara, zucchini frittata, and fresh and marinated mozzarella.

BEANS

(fagioli rampicanti: pole beans; fagioli nani: bush beans; fagiolini: snap beans) Phaseolus vulgaris

FAVA BEANS

(fave) Vicia faba

Beans are beloved in Italy. Italians use the standard cylindrical green beans, but they also favor broad, flat green and yellow beans called romano beans and the coiled ones called anellino beans. These beans seem to have a richer flavor than most green-bean varieties and are worth seeking out. Shelled beans are also widely grown in Italy, particularly the white kidney-shaped cannellini and the lovely red-speckled borlotto. Use them fresh or dried.

Ancient Romans relied on the broad fava beans as one of their staples. In Italy the special sweetness of these beans is prized, particularly when they are harvested very young. Favas are still very flavorful when fully mature, but their skins must be peeled off before preparation—and this is a real labor of love.

Fava beans

HOW TO GROW: Beans are grown as annuals and do well in most climates. Plant snap and shelling beans after all danger of frost is past; the purple and wax varieties can tolerate colder soil than the green snap bean. All beans need full sun and a good, loose garden loam with plenty of added humus. Sow seeds of bush beans 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep in rows 18 inches (46 cm) apart. Thin seedlings to 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Pole beans need a fairly strong trellis to climb on. Plant the seeds 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep, 6 inches (15 cm) apart. If the plants look pale midseason, fertilize them with fish emulsion. They are best watered deeply and infrequently; water at the base of the plants to prevent mildew.

Fava beans need a long, cool growing period of about 90 days and can even take repeated frost. In areas where winters don’t dip below the low teens, plant favas in the fall. In very cold winter areas, plant favas at the same time as peas if you have long springs. Plant the seeds 2 inches (5 cm) deep, about 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) apart, in rows about 1½ feet (0.46 m) apart. Support the tall varieties with stakes and strings surrounding the outside of the beds.

In some areas bean beetles can be a serious problem. Other pests include beanloopers, whiteflies, aphids, and cucumber beetles. To help prevent diseases like anthracnose and leaf spots, plant resistant varieties, use drip irrigation rather than overhead watering, and do not work with the plants when they are wet. Black aphids are about the only pest of fava beans, and can be readily controlled by sprays of water.

Harvest snap beans when the seeds inside are still very small and the pods are tender. Harvest fresh shelling beans when the pods fill out noticeably but before they get dry. If the pods get too mature, allow them to dry for winter use. Young fava bean foliage can be harvested and cooked as you would other greens. The pods of the fava bean can be cooked when they’re 3–4 inches (8–10 cm) long. Harvest young, tender fava beans that do not need their skins removed when they first start to fill out the pods. Or let the fava beans mature and use them fresh or dried.

Yellow Anellino, Borlotto and Romano beans

VARIETIES

Anellino Beans (cornetti)

Green Anellino (Gancetto Verde): 85 days, pole, green Italian heirloom snap bean, stringless, crescent-shaped pod with rich bean flavor

Yellow Anellino (Gancetto Burro): 80 days, pole, yellow Italian heirloom snap bean, small, crescent-shaped pod, rich bean flavor

Fava Beans

Sweet Lorane: 240 days if sown in fall; small-seeded fava, good flavor, cold-hardy

Windsor: 75–80 days, bush, grows on an erect 2- to 4-foot (0.6–1.2 m) stalk, long green pods (up to 10 inches/25 cm), large, broad, light green beans

Purple Snap Beans

Trionfo Violetto: 60 days, pole, stringless, purple Italian heirloom, vigorous and attractive vines with deep lavender flowers

Romano Beans

Burro d’Ingegnoli (A cornetto largo giallo Burro d’Ingegnoli): 78 days, pole, stringless, very broad, deep yellow with large round seeds; very tender and almost buttery in flavor

Garafal Oro: 67 days, pole, large (up to 1 foot/0.3 m) beans with good flavor and delicate texture, very fast growing, vigorous vines, disease-resistant

Roma II: 50 days, bush, stringless, green, wide, thick pods with rich flavor, productive, resistant to bean mosaic virus

Wax Romano: 58 days, bush, light yellow, flavorful pods with meaty texture; vigorous plants

Cannellini

CAUTION Some males of Mediterranean descent are allergic to favas and should be wary when trying them for the first time.

Shelling Beans

Cannellini: 75–80 days (for shelling, longer to dry), white, kidney-shaped, classic for Italian minestrone soup, also great for baking

Borlotto: 73 days, bush, Italian heirloom, colorful rose and cream pods, delicious creamy white beans with rosy speckles, sometimes referred to as cranberry beans

HOW TO PREPARE: In Italy standard green snap beans are usually boiled in a large pot or steamed until just tender. For salads they are left to cool; but most often they are cooked again, usually warmed in a sauté pan with olive oil (occasionally butter). Sometimes Parmesan cheese, anchovies, or garlic is added. Snap beans are served with pasta, sometimes combined with new potatoes or tomatoes. My favorite is snap beans with a pesto sauce served over penne pasta. The romano beans, particularly the yellow ones, must be watched carefully during cooking, as they turn to mush very quickly.

Fresh shelling beans like the borlotto types are usually boiled until just tender, then served with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic or used cold in a bean salad. They also are combined with leafy cutting types of chicory or broccoli raab and served in a sauce over pasta.

Fava beans in Italy are eaten at different stages. Young pods under 4 inches (10 cm) are boiled whole in salted water and seasoned with olive oil and garlic. When pods start to fill out, the small beans inside are sometimes served raw with salt or pecorino cheese at the end of a meal. Fava beans are most often cooked like lima beans, served with olive oil or butter and Parmesan cheese or cooked with pancetta. Simmer the young ones and add them to chopped tomatoes for a pasta sauce; use the older beans peeled or dried in hearty soups or with meats.

Dried beans are most popular in Italy, both the cannellini and the borlotto. Particularly in Tuscany and Florence there are numerous local dishes. White beans baked with olive oil, garlic, and sage is a favorite, as is the “twice boiled” soup ribollita. In ribollita the beans are simmered with aromatic vegetables until the soup is fairly thick; half the beans are then pureed and added back to the soup, which is eaten the next day. The soup is warmed, seasoned, and served over toasted bread. Tuscan black kale (lacinato) is the traditional vegetable added to this soup. Fresh or dried borlotto beans are integral to a mussel soup flavored with basil. Dried beans are important in the soup pasta e fagioli; they are also served with tuna over pasta or combined with rice and vegetables.

BORAGE

(borragine) Borago officinalis

This potherb is native to Europe and Africa and has a slight cucumber flavor. It’s one of many spring greens gathered from the fields and hillsides of Italy to be used for salads and as a cooked green.

HOW TO GROW: Borage is an easily grown summer annual that sometimes acts like a biennial. Borage plants grow to about 2 feet (0.6 m) and have hairy gray leaves and deep blue, ½-inch (13 mm) star-shaped flowers. Plants are easily started from seeds. Sow the seeds in spring after all threat of frost is over, in average soil and full sun. You can harvest young leaves once the plants are established, and flowers anytime they appear. Borage often reseeds itself and winters over in mild climates.

HOW TO PREPARE: In Italy very young leaves are added to salads and soups. The 1-inch (2.5 cm) borage flowers can be used in salads or to garnish drinks. The more mature leaves are hairy and are best consumed cooked, since cooking removes the hairy texture. Combine the leaves with other greens, both domestic and wild, in calzone and ravioli, in risotto, and on pizzas, or make them into nests that can be filled with eggs or cheese.

Borage

CAUTION Pregnant and lactating women should avoid borage flowers, as eating more than eight to ten flowers can cause milk to flow!

BROCCOLI, HEADING

(cavoli broccoli) Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

BROCCOLI, SPROUTING

(cavoli broccoli) B. oleracea var. italica

BROCCOLI RAAB

(cime di rapa, broccoletto di rapa, sparachetti)

B. rapa (B. campestris)

CAULIFLOWER

(cavolfiore) B. oleracea var. botrytis

In addition to the familiar green heading broccolis, Italians grow sprouting broccolis that produce numerous small heads over a long season. Purple and white varieties of both the heading and sprouting broccolis, and the chartreuse, sculptured romanesco are also popular. While Americans categorize romanesco as broccoli, Italians consider it cauliflower. There are two more Italian “broccolis” to discuss—broccoli raab and broccolo spigariello. Broccoli raab is actually the flower shoot of a type of turnip and has slightly bitter green leaves. Broccolo spigariello is most probably a primitive cabbage and has dark green leaves with a grayish cast and grows as a very open broccoli plant with narrow heads. A broccoli relative, cauliflower, is very popular in Italy, and both white and purple types are grown.

HOW TO GROW: Standard broccoli is an annual, while cauliflower is actually a biennial. Both prefer cool weather and bolt (go to flower) in extremely hot weather. They are planted in very early spring for summer bearing, or in summer or fall for winter bearing. In mild climates overwintering varieties can be planted. Both need full sun, with light shade in hot climates. Start broccoli seeds indoors six weeks before your last average frost date. Plant cauliflower a little earlier, as it grows more slowly. Plant seeds ½ inch (13 mm) deep. Or buy transplants and place them in rich soil about two weeks before the last average frost date. Plants should be spaced 1½ feet (0.46 m) apart, or 2½ feet (0.76 m) for the romanesco varieties. Broccoli and cauliflower are heavy feeders and need a consistent supply of water and nutrients, especially nitrogen. Work compost and blood meal or a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil before planting and again three or four weeks after planting. Mulching helps retain the necessary moisture.

‘Romanesco’ broccoli; Broccoli raab; Broccoli Calabrese; Purple sprouting broccoli