Entree: Straccoto with mushroom barlotto and roasted cabbage

Ingredients

• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled • 1 (3-pound) rump or boneless chuck roast • 4 tablespoons olive oil • 1 pound onions, peeled and chopped • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped • 2 ribs celery, chopped • ½ cup robust dry red wine • 1 cup seeded, chopped plum tomatoes or well-drained canned plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Cut the garlic into thin slivers. Pierce the meat in many places with the point of a knife and insert the garlic slivers into the holes. • Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart heatproof casserole. Add the meat and brown it well over medium heat. Remove it from the casserole. Add the remaining oil and the onions, carrots and celery. Saute them until moderately brown. • Stir in the wine and cook for a few minutes, scraping the casserole. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and basil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and return the meat to the casserole. • Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for at least three hours, until the meat is very tender. Turn the meat a few times during cooking. • Remove the meat from the casserole. To serve immediately, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, then puree the sauce in a food processor and reheat. Otherwise, refrigerate the meat and sauce overnight. Remove any congealed fat from the sauce and puree the sauce in a food processor.

Reheat the meat in the sauce before serving.

Pair with a Chianti Classico, Primativo or Zinfandel.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil • 6 oz. pearl barley • 1 small onion, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 1 pint vegetble stock • 1 oz. butter • 8 oz. closed cup mushrooms,sliced • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley • Another 1 oz. butter

Method

• In a large frying pan, heat the oil. • Add the barley and stir until it begins to turn a little golden - about 5 minutes. • Add the onion and the garlic and continue to fry for about 5-10 minutes, until the barley starts to brown. (Don’t let it get too dark or burn). • Add the stock and salt nd pepper to taste. • Bring to the boil, then simmer gently until nearly all the liquid is gone - about 45 minutes, possibly a little more. • Meanwhile, heat 1 oz. butter in a frying pan. • Add the mushrooms and fry for about 5 minutes. Season. • When the barley is about done, add the mushrooms and mix well together.

Ingredients

• 1 pound red or green cabbage* (about 1 small cabbage or ½ medium) • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • ¼ teaspoon fine salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. • Slice the head of cabbage in half. Carefully cut out the white core, then place the cabbage with the flat side(s) face-down on the cutting board. Slice the cabbage into 1-inch wide columns and rows. Transfer the cabbage to the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil on top and sprinkle the salt all over. Gently stir to combine, until all of the cabbage is lightly coated. Spread the cabbage into an even layer across the pan. • Roast the cabbage in the preheated oven, tossing halfway, until tender and charred brown in spots, about 18 to 20 minutes.