cover - Blue Liguria - Sagep

sauce added at the end. Ligurian
cooking uses lots of dried
mushrooms as the “secret
ingredient” for many fillers such as
stuffing for ravioli, in polpettone,
and in salty pies, especially those
made with onions or squash. Even
to the Ligurian fish soup, “buridda
di pesce”, made of squid, octopus,
cuttlefish, and other various
assorted types of fish, some dried
mushrooms are added in the final
cooking stage.
It is traditional in Liguria to go
hunting in the fall for mushrooms.
Gathering them has roots that date
from the Middle Ages, while
information on how to dry and
conserve them came to us from the
Agustinian monks of Varese Ligure.
So, still today, Ligurians delight in
tramping through the woods of
their Apennine hinterlands on the
traditional autumn mushroom
treasure hunt. In the province of La
Spezia, the valley, Val di Vara
around the towns of Sesta Godano
and Carrodano are particularly
popular. While in the Genoa area,
people search the valleys of the
Aveto and Fontanabuona. Many of
the towns here hold mushroom
festivals in September and October.
Among the most famous are
Calizzano’s “Funghinpiazza” (near
Savona), and Millesimo, one of the
twenty Ligurian towns selected for
the list of the “Most Beautiful
Towns of Italy”, dedicates a
weekend to truffles. The truffle of
the valley, Val Bormida, is so wellknown
that it is on the regional
atlas of traditional products,
Atlante Regionale dei Prodotti
Tradizionali, competing with its
Piedmont “cousins”.
If you like to go mushroom hunting,
to cook them right away or dry
them, or if you prefer to eat them
at home or at a festival, Liguria is
the place to be. Check out our
mushrooms even on Facebook, on
the page called A funghi in Liguria
which holds photos, comments, and
suggestions from mushroom fans.
La ricetta
Recipe
Funghi e patate
Mushrooms and Potatoes
gusto
blue
Ingredienti: 5 o 6 porcini di medio-grande dimensione, 4 patate grandi, 1/2 bicchiere di vino bianco,
prezzemolo, 3 spicchi d'aglio, sale e pepe.
Preparazione: pulire i funghi con l'apposito coltello e poi con una salvietta umida e tagliarli a fettine.
Sbucciare e tagliare a rondelle le patate. Preparare un trito con abbondante prezzemolo e aglio e
metterlo a soffriggere in una padella capiente. Aggiungere le patate a fettine, mescolare e fare
insaporire. Aggiungere un bicchiere d’acqua, coprire con un coperchio e lasciare cuocere per circa 20
minuti a fuoco medio (se necessario aggiungere altra acqua). Unire i funghi alle patate, aggiustare di
sale e pepe e insaporire con il vino bianco. Lasciare cuocere per altri 20 minuti circa, sempre a fuoco
medio e con il coperchio. Quando le patate saranno ammorbidite, cospargere di prezzemolo fresco
tritato, mescolare bene e servire molto caldo.
Ingredients: 5 or 6 porcini mushrooms of medium to big size, 4 big potatoes, 1/2 glass of white wine,
parsley, 3 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper.
Preparation: clean the mushrooms using a proper knife and then with a damp napkin, and cut into
pieces. Peel and cut the potatoes into round slices. Grind up an abundant amount of parsley and garlic,
and fry lightly in a pan big enough to hold the final product. Add the sliced potatoes, mix, and garnish.
Add a glass of water, cover the pan, and let simmer for another 20 minutes on medium heat (add water
if necessary). Add the mushrooms to the potatoes, along with salt and pepper and a bit of white wine.
Let cook another 20 minutes, at medium heat, with the cover on. When the potatoes are soft, sprinkle
freshly ground parsley on them, mix well, and serve hot.
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Photo Nociveglia