Castagnaccio- Chestnut Love

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, brisk chilly mornings. Markets full with kale, cabbage and artichokes. Fall brings so much to the Italian table. It was unusually warm for a long time, then it exploded.We finally got fall here in Tuscany. Italy was hit with huge storms and flooding both in the north and the south, thank god, my area was saved. The seasons have lost track of time and more and more natural disasters occur. It affects crops as well of course. I was told in spring, that it looked like we would not have olive oil this season, but that turned out to be wrong.

We wait with baited breath for the change in seasons. We eat seasonally and regionally. Fall foods are some of my favorites, so I was waiting to be able to start cooking some recipes that I adore. Break out the clay pots, do some slow cooking. New oil is another blessing which comes with fall. When I first moved to Italy, the olive harvest was in November or December. I picked up new oil at the end of October this year. I always want to paint when I see the lovely colors of fall hit the hills around our house. Olive trees are a silvery green, the vineyards start to turn golden and red. Oak trees in the hills contrast with the cypress and the pine trees. Long shadows and the magic light make you realize why so many artists came to paint here.

One of the signs of cooler weather, are the roasted chestnut vendors around town. Chestnuts are fabulous eaten simply roasted or boiled, but we also have other treats made with chestnut flour.

One of the ingredients of the cucina povera, chestnut flour desserts has always been a simple snack in Tuscany. During the war, a simple tiny thimble of the pressed chestnut flour was given to children as a sweet. Necci, a pancake are probably the simplest snack, are often served with some fresh ricotta inside. Another classic which you find in bakeries in fall is called castagnaccio. The batter is chestnut flour and water or milk and it is garnished with raisins, pine nuts, walnuts and rosemary.

For years I hated castagnaccio. I think that comes from my first bite. I thought I was getting something rich and chocolatey, instead, it was a really strange flavor to me, almost too rich for me but not a familiar flavor. One of my first cooking jobs here in Florence was at a local vegetarian restaurant as a pastry chef. I could make almost anything I wanted to make, but there were a few required local recipes. castagnaccio was one of them. I chose to do a little richer version, using milk instead of water and everyone loved it. The milk rounds out the flavor of the chestnut flour.

It would be a few years before I learned to love it.

I adore  chestnut jam, marron glace, budino di castagno, boiled and roasted chestnuts but the castagnaccio eluded me.

I finally had a version that made me fall in love with it at a local truck stop. It was laden with toppings and also sprinkled with sugar, which glissened like little diamonds. The extra sugar and more of the toppings made me happy.

Over the years, I have tweaked my recipe and now also add a little finely chopped orange zest as well. I think the milk/water blend also makes the batter a little milder and a touch a sugar is also a nice addition.

I have found recipes adding some cocoa powder and although it does look like chocolate when cooked, I don’t think it adds anything.

I add some of the toppings in the batter as well as simply topping it. More is better! I also sprinkle sugar on top before cooking as well as a light drizzle of olive oil.

November 10th is San Martino, what we called Indian Summer in America. Like in France, we also celebrate the new wine, but personally I care more about the new oil!!!

Do you celebrate the seasons changing with special recipes? Traveling in Italy I always try to pair a trip with a food festival, called a Sagra. Food is what binds the world together.

With everything going on in the world today, I say build longer tables, not walls. Share something you celebrate this season below in the comments. Thanksgiving always seemed like the largest American eating holiday, closest to how Italians eat all the time.

Celebrate the seasons and share a meal with someone.