Spiedini alla Romagnola

To continue along the course of the rosemary & Italian yumminess commenced last night with the schiacciata, tonight I will be making Mario Batali's Spiedini alla Romagnola, or Rosemary Shrimp. Romagnola refers to Romagna, the eastern part of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. As you may be able to see on this map, E-R abuts Toscana, from which schiacciata hails. During a recent Whole Foods one day sale, we bought multiple pounds of huge, gorgeous shrimp, and this recipe sounds like a fabulous way to highlight them. My cousin, Jill, brought this recipe to my attention; many thanks NOLA cous.

In essence, you toss shrimp in a blend of basil, parsley, bread crumbs, salt/pepper, and olive oil, thread them onto large rosemary sprigs that have soaked in water for a while, and pop them on the grill. It doesn't seem possible that you could go wrong here.

Off to enjoy my compost salad lunch and post the recipe for the grape focaccia/schiacciata from last night.

Info/tips of the week

If you're sadly watching the summer produce season slip away, this link offers some very helpful, simple (read: does not involve canning, dehydrating or the like) tips for preserving all sorts of fruits/veggies: Gardener's Supply Company. You can buy more than you think you'll need or use immediately and in many cases, preserve it for the depths of winter. This Friday's Whole Foods One Day Deal is New York Strip Steak, hormone- and antibiotic-free, for $11.99/pound; it's usually $16.99. This offer is valid in DC, Maryland, VA, OH, PA, KY, Marlton and Princeton, NJ.

Also for D.C.-area folks, this Saturday and Sunday, American Plant -all locations- is welcoming fall by offering 20% of your entire, storewide purchase. The Bethesda location will be opening its Haunted Castle, and there will be other festivities and treats. If you want to fall'ify your yard and gardens, head over!

Lastly, if you have old/expired/no longer needed prescription drugs, don't flush them! They can contaminate our water systems, including those that supply are drinking water. So, bring yours to the National Take Back Initiative, a nationwide program that will be held on October 29. Here's a link for more state-specific info.

Looks and smells amazing!

I just love Melissa Clark and her recipes. Why I bought David Tanis' book instead of hers, I'll never know but bygones. I'll just have to get MC's too! Just look at this, my rendition of her Italian schiacciata con l'uva, a Tuscan flatbread baked in the oven with olive oil and salt and, in this case, grapes. The grape version emerges around harvest time when wine grapes are abundant. When I took Jack to Italy when he was 15 months old, schiacciata (pron: ski-ah-chata) was all over Florence as it was late September. My sister (who lives in Florence) has a real fondness for it, so we tasted around at various panificcios. So, I'm toasting you tonight, my dear sister. Cheers!