Promoting the consumption of legumes is one of the simplest and most powerful actions we can take to combat climate change and promote a more just, healthy and environmentally friendly diet. With the aim of a livable planet in which - through the protection and consumption of traditional and local varieties, combined with the promotion of a small-scale production model, short supply chains with low environmental impact and local markets - we can give the right value to food and to those who produce and transform it in a virtuous and sustainable way
From these premises a very useful initiative by Slow Food was born, a recipe book “Add a legume to the table” conceived as a journey, page after page, recipe after recipe, inside the great world of legumes, a mosaic of knowledge that draws the possible harmonious unity between human beings and nature, between work and self-awareness, between communities and territories because adding a legume to the table is not just a culinary gesture, but an act of responsibility towards our planet and future generations. From the “Add a legume to the table” recipe book we have chosen an interesting if tasty Cassano Murge black chickpea mousse with oranges, ginger, marigold flowers and Toritto almonds, a recipe that has the merit, among other things, in addition to being easy to make, of bringing a lot of health to the table while promoting knowledge of two Slow Food presidia that are an expression of the territory of origin, the Toritto almond and the Murgia Carsica black chickpea.
This dish is proposed by Emilia D'Urso, a lawyer, a specialization in planning at the Faculty of Economics of Bari, a specialization course in Ecology at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Uniba, owner of the Masseria Storica Pilapalucci where the courtyard of the horses, the keep, the tower for carrier pigeons, the high stone walls hark back to ancient times of defense and resistance then inhabited by the noblewoman Maria Amalia D'Urso, the charitable and very rich lady of the "marriage", who three centuries ago ensured the dowry to hundreds of poor girls. And around it extends a large organic farm, dedicated to ecological management practices respectful of the strict specifications of Slow Food, focused on the management of the ancient stone Masseria and the cultivation of almond groves and olive groves. Founder and contact person for the Slow Food Presidium “Mandorla di Toritto”, she is inspired by the agricultural philosophy of Carlin Petrini, applying sustainable production processes to her lands and promoting, within the Terra Madre project, international relations, particularly with some countries in Central Asia, the place of origin of Prunus dulcis.
Toritto Almond comes from a robust and rustic plant that does not need chemical fertilizers or phytosanitary treatments and grows well even on poor, shallow and arid soils. For this reason it represents an irreplaceable resource for some areas of Italy. And not only for the precious seeds, oily and rich in vitamins and proteins: the leaves are an excellent feed, especially appreciated by sheep; Husks and shells are suitable for the traditional production of charcoal while the ashes of the shells, rich in potassium, are an excellent natural fertilizer.
While chickpeas are one of the most widely grown legumes in Italy worldwide, the quantities produced each year are negligible and almost all concentrated in Central and Southern Italy. The black chickpea from Murgia Carsica is different in shape and color from the common sultan chickpea: this local ecotype has a corn kernel shape, much smaller, with a wrinkled and irregular skin, a hook-shaped tip, very tasty and very rich in fiber (three times the amount found in a common chickpea) and iron. Thanks to its high concentration of iron, in the past it was recommended for pregnant women. It has never had a thriving market, also because its thick skin requires a soaking time of 12 hours and cooking of about two hours. The flavor is very good, vaguely herbaceous: its natural flavor means that it can be consumed with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, without salt. Local cuisine offers it in soup with a generous sauté of onions or as a first course with tagliolini, tomato and a drizzle of oil.
The recipe for Cassano Murge black chickpea mousse with oranges, ginger, marigold flowers and Toritto almonds
Ingredients (for four people)
200 g of black chickpeas from Murgia Carsica Slow Food Presidium
40 g of spelt washed well and soaked for 24 hours
100 g of mixed chopped mixture consisting of celery, carrots, parsley and garlic
1 bay leaf
2 sage leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Sale
Ginger root
2 table oranges with wrinkled peel
2 tablespoons of Toritto almonds Slow Food Presidium
Method
Soak the chickpeas and spelt for 24 hours in cold water. Bring the chickpeas and spelt to the boil in plenty of water (covering them by about 6-7 fingers) together with the chopped vegetables and aromatic herbs. Lower the heat, cover and cook slowly until they are cooked. Remove the bay leaf and recover the excess cooking liquid. Then, blend until creamy with extra virgin olive oil (until you can taste the flavour of the oil). Add salt, cover and keep warm. Separately, grate the orange peel and extract their juice. Grate about half a teaspoon of ginger pulp and blend with the orange juice, peel and a little cooking water. Season with salt and try to incorporate as much air as possible which, added to the lecithin present in the chickpeas, will give foaminess and elegance to this dish. The result when tasted should be acidic, spicy and with a slightly herbaceous aftertaste. Garnish with peeled, toasted and chopped almonds.
Pilapalucci Historic Farmhouse
Contrada Pilapalucci
Toritto (Ba)
