Saint Nicholases Visit Coltura

Christmas is around the corner and many children are eagerly anticipating Saint Nick’s arrival tonight. In Bregaglia, the St. Nicks have already arrived. Every 6 December, many Bregaglia villages setup a venue where the Saint Nicholases meet with the town’s children. When my Mom was a child, the St. Nicks made housecalls, traveling from home to home to make sure all the children had a well-behaved year. Misbehaved children might end up with a lump of coal instead of the annual delivery of mandarins and peanuts.

Way back when, the arrival of Santa was a serious matter. My Mom remembers already being afraid of Santa’s visit in the summer. Word had it that misbehaved children were stuffed into Santa’s sack and taken away. My Mom remembers one wintery 6th of December when Santa told the tale of a child who had recently escaped from one of his sacks. There were even stories of children pocketing knives, so they could cut themselves out of the bag, if necessary. However, a well-behaved child was always rewarded with a generous supply of mandarins and peanuts, which Santa spilled out of sack. This was the only time of the year these delicious treats were available.

Santa is based on the real Saint Nicholas, who, in addition to being the patron saint of mariners and children, was also the bishop of Myra (a part of present-day Turkey) during the 4th century. He was revered for his generosity and standing up for his beliefs. Western Europeans celebrate Saint Nicholas day on the 6th of December because it is said that medieval nuns used to go around leaving gifts on people’s doorsteps every 6th December. It is also said that on this same day mariners would sail into harbor and attend church to pay homage to their patron saint, who died on 6 December 346 A.D.

This last  chilly, snowy 6th of December afternoon, three Santas showed up with their donkeys in the small Bregaglia village of Coltura with treats for the village children. Parents served homemade cookies, hot chocolate and coffee for all the Santas, children and guests. Nowadays, the children are no longer as fearful of Santa. Everyone enjoys seeing the children collect their mandarins, peanuts and chocolates.

Delicious Chestnut Stuffing

The other day a friend asked if I truly realized how healthy chestnuts are and that they are extremely low in fat. Chestnuts are nutritious and one of the healthiest nuts around. She asked me to send her a few recipes, so I will share them with everyone and post new ones as I try them. The chestnut stuffing, based on a November 1993 Gourmet Magazine recipe, is one of my all-time favorites.

If you like chestnuts, it is handy to have them available in the dried form. Dried chestnuts last longer and are the next best thing to freshly roasted chestnuts. Sometimes it is a challenge to find good quality fresh chestnuts, so it can be disappointing going to the trouble of roasting and peeling a large quantity only to find that many are rotten inside. I have not seen dried chestnuts available in stores in the States, but they can be ordered from Allen Creek Farms in Ridgefield, WA. I have never ordered chestnuts from there myself, but they appear to be a  reputable chestnut supplier. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, Chestnut Season, my grandmother used to send us dried Bregaglia chestnuts and, now, living in Bregaglia, I buy them locally.

My Favorite Chestnut Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups day old homemade-style crusty bread (I use homemade-style wheat)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 ribs of celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• ~3 cups whole chestnuts (2 jars from Whole Foods/Williams-Sonoma or 2 cups dried chestnuts, cooked in water for 1 hour, then drained), chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Place bread pieces in one layer in a shallow baking or broiling pan. Bake them in oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they are a golden color, remove from oven and transfer to bowl. In large pan cook onions, celery, sage, thyme and rosemary in butter over moderate heat until vegetables are softened, then add chopped chestnuts and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add bread pieces to pan and mix with chestnut and vegetables. Add 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (generally, 1 cube for 2 cups) and continue stirring. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stuffing may be prepared a day ahead of time and kept covered and refrigerated. I always serve the stuffing separately, as opposed to stuffing the turkey with it.

Makes approximately 10 cups. Once I have set aside what I need for the next day or two, I freeze the rest in small containers to serve as accompaniments later. I enjoy eating stuffing throughout the winter.