PINZIMONIO WITH HUMMUS
A FRESH, HEALTHY, VERY PLEASANT TUSCAN-MIDDLE EASTERN MIX FULL OF MULTI-ETHNIC SUGGESTIONS: THE VEGETABLE GARDEN AND TUSCAN PEASANT BREAKFASTS WITH ARAB SNACKS
By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino
A fresh, healthy, pleasant Tuscan-Middle Eastern mix full of multi-ethnic suggestions: the vegetable garden and Tuscan peasant breakfasts with the flavour of Arab snacks
To be honest, the idea is not mine, I tasted this delicious appetizer in Campiglia d’Orcia during “Bianco di sera” an event organized by Elena Salviucci, president of the Strada del Vino Orcia, in one of the most panoramic and beautiful spots in Tuscany.
This is a pinzimonio, a typical peasant snack made with celery, fennel, cucumber, carrot, to be eaten after having dipped them in extra virgin olive oil. The novelty is the addition of chickpea hummus that is placed in the pinzimonio cups together with the oil.
The result is amazing. A new appetizer with a long history behind it in two different areas of the Mediterranean.
Ingredients pinzimonio with Hummus – Fattoria del Colle, Trequanda, Toscana
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PINZIMONIO WITH HUMMUS
Dried chickpeas 200g
Lemon juice 90g
Tahini paste 70g
Garlic (optional) 1 clove
Extra virgin olive oil 50g
Water
Salt to taste
4 carrots
1 celery
2 fennels
2 peppers
2 cucumbers
PREPARATION OF THE PINZIMONIO WITH HUMMUS
The preparation is long and requires at least 3 and a half hours but is very very easy
The day before, soak the chickpeas in warm water. Drain them and cook them in lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and continue cooking slowly for about 3 hours until the chickpeas are tender. Blend the chickpeas with a little water, lemon juice, tahini and extra virgin olive oil, salt and a crushed garlic clove with the core removed.
To simplify the recipe, use ready-made tahini available in all supermarkets. If you decide to prepare it at home, you need to blend the toasted sesame seeds with the oil in a non-stick pan, stirring often. Place the toasted seeds in the mortar with part of the oil and salt. Reduce the seeds to a paste using circular movements and adding oil and water if necessary.
At that point the sesame cream is ready to be added to the chickpeas in the blender.
If the mixer is used for a few minutes the chickpea cream will be rustic and grainy, if instead the action is prolonged it will be smoother and creamier. For the dip the second solution is preferable.
Store in the fridge for 3-4 days but do not freeze.
Wash and cut carrots, celery, fennel, pepper and cucumber into sticks. Serve the hummus at room temperature in cups in which the vegetables are inserted.
The most pleasant combination seems to me with the white IGT Toscana “Sanchimento” from Fattoria del Colle which combines flavour and freshness with a notable aromatic finesse.