Grow Italian vegetables
In Italy, growing and cooking go hand in hand. Vegetables bathed in the sun make the food something very special – many Italian vegetables can also be grown in Norway. Here are tips for a more Mediterranean-inspired vegetable growing.
Have you ever come home from vacation and discovered that your tomatoes don't taste the same as they did at the restaurant down by the Mediterranean? To some extent, it depends on the sun, but Italians also grow other varieties of the plants. Fortunately, many of them can also be grown here.
Italy – Europe's first garden
Italy has long been one of the world's leading countries when it comes to organic farming, and today around one million hectares are cultivated in this way. It was also here, in the Italian monasteries, that the first herb gardens were created. Italy is therefore often called Europe's leading garden. Not only herbs and vegetables are grown here, but also fruits such as apples, pears, cherries, apricots, citrus fruits, figs and even a lot of nuts and almonds.
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Italian vegetables that can be grown in Norway
Piennolo tomatoes – also called eternity tomatoes
Piennolo is originally the name of five types of thick-skinned tomatoes that can be stored. They grow on the slopes of the Veuvio volcano near Naples and have a bittersweet taste that is especially good after cooking. The beauty of piennolo tomatoes is that they can be stored hanging in a bunch over the winter, and they actually get better when they start to shrink. The tomatoes are best stored in a cool place of 11–15 degrees, but it is also possible to hang them at room temperature. It is the thick skin, high sugar content and low water content that make the tomatoes so easy to store. Of course, there are also a number of other types of tomatoes that add an extra taste of Italy to your food.
Arugula
Arugula is widely used in Italian cuisine, and it is often the type called wild arugula that is used the most. These have narrower leaves than other arugula, and a slightly peppery taste. Wild arugula is essentially the same as sand mustard, while "regular" arugula has wider leaves and a milder taste. In Italy, both varieties are used in pies, salads and carpaccio. You get a super simple, delicious salad if you toss the arugula leaves with a few drops of lemon and a good olive oil. Arugula is very easy to grow, and you can grow it both outdoors and indoors, for example on a windowsill.
Squash (zucchini)
Squash is originally from America, but most new varieties have been developed in northern Italy. Today, squash is a staple in Italian cuisine, and is usually served in Mediterranean-inspired stews, soups, and pasta sauces. It is also good roasted with garlic. Squash requires a little care with nutrition and water, but is otherwise easy to grow.
Like most Italian vegetables, squash thrives in a sunny location. The flowers on the plants can also be eaten, for example by stuffing them with good cheese and frying them. Other vegetables that are often included in Italian cuisine include pumpkins, artichokes, celery, peppers, and radishes – all well worth growing for a more Italian twist on cooking.
Bon Apetit!
Swedish garden inspirer, journalist and author of books about nature, cultivation and animals, such as "Soil", "Grow for insects" and "Chickens as a hobby".
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