The chickpea is the seed of a leguminous plant (Cicer arietinum) known only in its cultivated form. The fruit is a small legume covered in a fine down, containing 2 or 3 round seeds, hard, and a creamy yellow colour. The seed, which is picked between June and October, is used dry in the kitchen and it is also possible to make it into flour.
History
The ancient Romans knew them well, in fact back in the Republican Rome era, the citizens bought roasted chickpeas from stalls in the streets of Urbe and chewed the crisp grains. In the taverns or at home they ate them in a broth, in pies with cheese or fried in oil.
In the kitchen
Chickpeas are never eaten fresh, that is freshly-picked, but always after a long drying process. The dry chickpeas have to soak in water for about 8 hours. Cooking times are long: from 3 to 4 hours or more, according to the recipe and, naturally, the resistance of the chickpeas: both during the soaking and cooking phases, it is not recommended to add any bicarbonate to the water. Chickpeas have to be boiled before preparing them for soups, minestrone, side dishes or purée. The traditional herb used for chickpea soup is rosemary; the most simple dressing is crude olive oil, the classical dish is with stockfish.
Basic boiling method
Once the chickpeas have soaked sufficiently, they have to be slow boiled over a low flame, in water which covers them completely plus an extra two fingers. To make the surface of the chickpeas more velvety, it is possible to add a little oil or a piece of bacon to the water. The boiled chickpeas can be eaten in a salad, seasoned with oil and pepper: in this case some oil can be added to the cooking water.
As for all legumes, it is preferable not to use the water they were soaked for cooking.
STAIGHT FURROW CHICKPEAS
This legume owes its name to a traditional countryside event held in Alta Tuscia “the Drawing of the straight furrow” that takes place on August 14th every year.
According to whether the furrow is more or less straight, predictions are made for the following year's crop. This legume has been present in the area in question for an extremely long time, dating back to the era of the Etruscans and is confirmed by medieval documents. In the XIII - XIV century in the Val di Lago, some statutes dedicated special rubrication to "de penas colligentium cicera et alia legumina" . There is also documented proof of its use in bread making and excise and taxes were put on their production which were the same or slightly lower than those on wheat. In traditional Tuscia cooking, this legume was primarily used for the dinner on Christmas Eve.
The straight furrow chickpea has smooth yellowy seeds and range in weight from 250 to 350 mg. . All of the land involved, with a high content of potassium and with a very low level of calcium, situated at 300 to 400 metres above sea level, in a hilly area and with a mild climate due to the presence of the Bolsena Lake, provides the Straight Furrow Chickpeas with extremely high organoleptic characteristics, with special reference to quick cooking times.
Chickpeas are grown in this area using traditional agricultural techniques, without the use of any chemical products and various farms carry out biological cultivation.
La lenticchia, tra le piante ad uso alimentare, è sicuramente quella di più antica utilizzazione da parte dell'uomo. Nella Bibbia troviamo la famosa citazione della lenticchia: Esaù infatti vendette la primogenitura a Giacobbe per un piatto di lenticchie. Sempre nel passato si raccontava che le lenticchie aiutavano a prevenire gli eccessi di furore.. Per la cottura si possono usare pentole di acciaio inox, di ferro smaltato, o di terracotta, come si usava un tempo; da evitare, invece, l’uso delle pentole di l'alluminio, poiché annerisce.
ONANO LENTILS
Small, round, extremely tasty and unique: its colour varies from dark grey to a rosy ash and it is characterised by a soft skin, resistant to cooking, with a high level of tastiness and softness.
It has extremely ancient origins, with evidence dating back to 1561.
The Onano lentil is unique because it is still cultivated in areas in which nature is loved and respected: it is precious because it grows in a land of volcanic origin, providing it with exceptional organoleptic characteristics, it is easy to cook and does not require pre-soaking.
Its contents in terms of proteins may reach 30% and it also has a high content of vitamins, especially group B ones: the presence of iron also reaches a high level, with consequent therapeutic advantages for those suffering from anaemia.
Due to its prerogative of being extremely long lasting and its capability to regain vitality and freshness when soaked in water, beans were also considered by many populations as a symbol of immortality and a useful talisman and lucky charm against malignant powers.
In the kitchen
On the contrary to the other plants, the common bean was immediately used in recipes in ancient Italy. Beans are still today one of the most common and appreciated legume in Italian cuisine: it can be said that there are no regions in Italy that don't have at least one use for beans in their traditional dishes. Dried beans must be soaked for about 12 hours in water: it is best to use lukewarm water at the beginning to soften the skins. Although the cooking times vary considerably, it is possible to give some indications: for fresh beans, from 40 minutes, for borlotti from 1 hour and 1/2 hour for broad beans; for dry beans from 2 to the 3 hours. It is recommended to keep a "reserve” time of around ½ hour extra, because beans can not be eaten "al dente", whilst in most dishes it is acceptable that some of them disintegrate.
Advice
How it is possible to reduce the disagreeable meteoric effects ? Here is the secret. Soak the beans before cooking them, as always, in cold water, for at least twelve hours. Then wash them, dry them, and put them in pot with just a little water (here is the secret!), bring them to boil for about ten minutes; then drain them well and in the same strainer leave them under cold running water.
Legumes have to be planted during the last ten days of June, after harvesting the wheat, so that they mature around the end of August. This is where the name “Phaseolus bean ” comes from, as it is grown as a second crop.
THE PURGATORY BEAN
This is a local variety sewn from time immemorial, as proved by the lunch held in 1600 on Ash Wednesday, called the Purgatory Lunch, organised by the confraternity of the same name, with beans representing the main dish. The typical characteristics of this product depend on traditional cooking techniques, that do not include the use of chemical products, as well as the type of earth. The earth is of a volcanic origin, it is smooth, with little limestone and is located in a hilly area characterised by a mild and moderate climate. Due to its limited size, pre-soaking is optional and cooking time is reduced to the advantage of its flavour that maintains the organoleptic characteristics of the product and enhances the flavours of the condiment.
THE PHASEOLUS BEAN (or second bean)
This rather unusual name comes from the custom of planting the legumes after the wheat harvest and therefore as a second crop on the wheat stubbles.
The Phaseolus bean is a yellow colour, oval shaped and has a well defined eye. The rather small size means that cooking times are very short and therefore all the nutritional values and the sweet taste remain intact.
This vegetable has always accompanied the food of populations living in the Northern area of the Bolsena Lake as it represented the main source of vegetable proteins. The volcanic origin of the land has allowed it to create a quality product with special characteristics in terms of easy cooking and favourable organoleptic properties (a sweet flavour).
THE GRASS PEA
Chickling is a vegetable that has been forgotten. It only used to be cultivated in some areas of Central Italy in limited quantities. It is an annual plant and its pods contain seeds that are just a little larger than peas but flatter.
Grass-peas are only found dried, and have to be soaked extensively before cooking.
Chickling is a very difficult vegetable: it requires long soaking (it is best to get rid of the water used for soaking before cooking) and then boiled for at least two hours on a low flame. They then need to be rinsed thoroughly. They always remain al dente.
They are similar to chickpeas, but with a taste that veers towards the sweetness of peas, they are a poor legume that for centuries were used in traditional dishes in central-southern Italy. Its origins are said to be in the Middle East, perhaps in Egypt. Both Greeks and Romans ate them. For centuries grass-peas were also used in Italy. The farmers ate them when there was little to place on the table: they also made them into a purée after they had been boiled and tossed in the frying pan with garlic and chilli. It was accompanied by small pieces of hard bread.
THE GOAD SPELT
This food product is very similar to wheat but it is characterised due to its special grain that remains covered even after threshing. Traditionally, spelt is perfect for a minestrone soup with lentils.
It is currently cultivated in a limited area of approximately 3 to 4 hectares by very few farms in the area. A local variety sown from time immemorial is cultivated. Ancient Mediterranean populations used spelt as a primary ingredient for soups and focaccia, integrated with meat, milk and derivatives. During the Roman Empire it was rewarded to heroes as a symbol of honour and glory: it was also used in propitiation rituals, especially by the Vestals.