Livorno is a port city in Tuscany and like many port cities in Europe it has a proportionately larger Jewish population than many inland communities. The Jewish community in Livorno dates back to the 1500s and is special since the Jews were allowed to live wherever they chose, free (not confined to a ghetto).
Livornese cuisine is typically seafood, which is clearly not kosher. But there is a noticeable presence of chickpeas, broad beans and couscous - all of which are staples of North African and Jewish North African food.
For a special birthday party I made several Jewish dishes from Italy - from Lecce to Milano. This recipe is my take on a Tunisian/Algerian/Libyan vegetable dish (Thursi) , now part of the Jewish Livornese repertoire.
BT's Take On Zucca Livornese
Ingredients:
2 kilos winter squash (pumpkin, kabocha, butternut, hubbard)
2 medium sweet potatoes (not yams)
1 head garlic
1 clove fresh garlic
1 small leek
1 red chili
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 cup (60 ml) fruity olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lemon - juice and zest
kosher salt
ground black pepper
Directions:
Thoroughly wash outer shell of squash
Prick with sharp knife and place in oven dish
Remove stem top of garlic head and place in dish alongside squash
Thoroughly wash sweet potatoes and add to dish
Add red chili to dish
Sprinkle tiny amount of olive oil over the vegetables
Sprinkle with kosher salt
Place in oven at 400 F. (200 C.) and bake until tender - about 40 minutes
Remove from oven and let cool
Through wash leek and chop finely
Add tablespoon of olive oil to frying pan
Add leeks and sauté until leeks are translucent
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Reserve
Peel and deseed squash and sweet potatoes
Remove stem from chil
Add vegetable pulp and chili to a bowl
Squeeze baked garlic cloves out of skins and add to bowl
Add leeks and butter
Peel raw garlic and add to bowl
Place small frying pan on high heat
When pan is hot add caraway seeds
Toast for approximately 30 seconds
Pour seeds into a pestle and crush with mortar
Add crushed caraway seeds to squash mix
Purée squash mix
Add lemon juice and zest
Taste for salt and pepper
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
#squash #wintersquash #sides #sides #vegetables #zucca #italian #savory #caraway #jewishfood #vegetable #vegetarian #pumpkin #spicy
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