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Ask Chef Walter: November in the kitchen – Walter Potenza
Reflections on One morning perusing a Rhode Island country stand.
Friends:
Ah, November. The air gets crisp, your breath puffs out as tiny clouds, and everyone forgets what daylight looks like after 4 p.m. But let me tell you, November is one sneaky little gem in the fruits and veggies world. It is nature’s last hurrah before snow steals all the glory.
Let’s start with apples.
November apples are holdouts, clinging to their trees like that one friend who refuses to leave the party, you know? Fuji, Gala, and the ever-urbane Granny Smith are still crunchy and sweet, begging you to see them up for a pie or slather them in peanut butter. The vendor attempted to tell me they were organic, as if I couldn’t see the wormholes myself. But if a worm wants a bite, that is a solid review.
Pears:
Next up were the pears. Let’s face it; they’re the introverts of the fruit world. They don’t clamor for your attention like apples do. They quietly brown on your counter until they become so soft you need a napkin to eat one. I picked up a few Bosc pears, their brown skins rough like an unshaven chin. They had that perfect balance of sweet and grainy, but they are the fruit that demands patience. Eat them too soon; they’re as crunchy as an apple. Wait too long, and you’ll need a spoon.
Squash:
And then there was the squash. The pumpkins always steal all the glory with their latte invasions, but I’m fascinated with their funky cousins. Butternut, acorn, spaghetti—these guys look like they just escaped a carnival. I reach for a butternut squash, which could honestly be used as a workout weight. I am carrying it through the grass, and just the thought of the creamy roasted soup I would make with it was like a workout. Really, what is better than that sense of accomplishment when you finally slice through it without losing a finger?
Brussels Sprouts:
Ah, Brussels sprouts, how the green of unpopularity from high school can show up at a reunion looking fabulous. These little guys had formed the subject of many a childhood nightmare, but now? I roast them with garlic and balsamic until they’re crispy flavor bombs. I saw one stalk of them, and it looked like tiny cabbages trying to prove a point. They went into my basket because today, I am a grown-up who appreciates a vegetable that can smell like feet but taste like heaven.
Kale:
It wouldn’t be Fall 2024 without Kale making a drama-llama appearance, right? Curly, Lacinato, Red Russian, this leafy green have more personalities? I picked up a bunch of it, knowing I’d massage it. Yes, you have to massage the Kale and toss it into a salad with cranberries and almonds because it’s 100% the type of vegetable that demands to be treated like royalty before you eat it.
Cranberries:
These sour little jewels practically scream “holiday.” I found a bag and fantasized about sauces, chutneys, and cocktails. The thing with cranberries is that they’re unapologetically tart—like that relative who tells you that you’ve put on weight at Thanksgiving. But they’re also essential, so you learn to love them anyway.
Leeks:
Leeks are the gangly, lanky cousin of onions. But their structure belies their sweetness and mildness-perfect for soups, stews, or just sautéed with butter. I picked up a few, feeling a bit fancy. Buying leeks is one of those things that makes me feel like I am about to whip something straight out of a French bistro.
Persimmons:
These are the wild cards that November produced. Most people didn’t know what to make of them, but they looked like an exciting version of a blind date. So I threw a few in my bag. If they are ripe, sweet honey, apricots-if not, you better buckle up ’cause that’s gonna suck the Sahara Desert into your mouth. I’m a gambler, is what it is-fruit-related gambling.
Sweet Potatoes:
Finally, I concluded my November buying frenzy with some sweet potatoes because they are crowd-pleasers. You could roast them, mash them up, make fries, and even make a pie. They’re the best friend who is always down for anything. And in November, they taste sweeter than ever. There I was, ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ over this cart of fruits and vegetables, thinking I’d just hit upon some secret November bounty. Sure, it is the end of the harvest season, but who says you can’t still happen upon a treasure trove of produce, just begging to be made into something delicious?
These are only a portion of the available items. Let’s not forget beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, fennel, and mushrooms. I am probably forgetting others.
Well, friends, I am done for the day, but I invite you to spend a morning in one of your country stores looking for food realities and, as always, purchasing and cooking, respecting nature’s calendar.
www.chefwalterscookingschool.com
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www.chefwalterscookingschool.com
www.flavorsandknowledgetours.com
Image attribution via Al Fuoco
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Meet Chef Walter!
There is a constant, recognizable thread in the career of Walter Potenza to elevate the level of Italian culinary culture in the United States. Besides his unquestionable culinary talent and winning business perspective, Chef Walter has been a relentless educator with passion and knowledge who defeats stereotypes. His life, career, and values are a model, an example to follow by any chef of Italian gastronomy working outside Italy.
Chef Walter appears regularly on National and International Networks such as Food Network, ABC, CBS, NBC, RAI, FOX, and Publications such as NY. Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Saveur, Gourmet, and several Italian media outlets. And now – RINewsToday!
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