Is a Green Easter possible?

Have you already decided where to spend Easter? Will it be at home or at the restaurant? Why not try to do something against the tide and choose dishes that are as green as possible, and easier on the planet too?

I asked a few chefs what they would offer for Easter in their restaurants and most of all if they would include a vegetarian main course as an alternative to the classic lamb. Cristina Bowerman (Glass Hostaria, Rome) will present a vegetarian tasting with 6 dishes and among the main courses there will be Seitan steak, chicory and leek. Eugenio Boer (Essenza, Milan), will also have a totally vegetarian Easter menu: Asparagus, asparagus, asparagus, Artichokes, Cynar and Liquorish, Tavolozza Primaverile (a cream of broccoli with sautéed vegetables), and a dessert made with Peas, Strawberries and Rhubarb.

Chef Norbert Niederkofler (St. Hubertus, Rosa Alpina, San Cassiano) on the occasion of Easter will host various chefs, and among his own dishes there will be: Beetroot gnocchi, Terre di Birra, Daikon cream and White asparagus al cartoccio, Low-temperature cooked organic eggs and cream of spinach. In Naples you will find some green dishes presented by Mimmo Alba (Cantina San Teodoro) in particular his Caponata with Monzù vegetables.

Antonia Klugmann (L’Argine a Vencò, Gorizia) will also present two new vegetarian dishes: Soup of fake nettles, wild chicory and savoury meringue and Chargrilled white asparagus and ground ivy, as an alternative main course there will be Fennel, almond primo sale cheese from Zoff and bergamot. If, instead, you want to dine at home, try Alice Delcourt’s (Erba Brusca, Milan) Tarte tatin with withered tomatoes and baked aubergines

Ingredients for 6 people: 300g flour, 35g parmesan, 170g cold diced butter, 2 small eggs, 9 perino tomatoes, 2 large aubergines, thyme, basil, oil, salt, sugar, 2 cloves of garlic.
For the caramel: 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of water and lemon juice.

For the preparation, mix the flour and parmesan with the diced butter; add the eggs and continue do knead. Roll out the dough inside a casserole dish and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cut the tomatoes into halves, on the long side, and season with thyme, two cloves of garlic, salt, oil and 2 teaspoons of sugar; place them in a baking tin with the cut side facing the bottom and cook in the oven at 100°C for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, clean the aubergines and cut them into 2 cm thick slices, cover them with salt and leave to drain for about 2 hours. Place the aubergines in a non-stick baking tin with a drop of oil and the herbs; bake at 170°C for 20 minutes.

For the caramel, put 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of water and a few drops of lemon juice in a saucepan and cook until the colour is dark. Remove from the fire, add 10 g of butter and mix well.

Divide the caramel into buttered non-stick baking cups. Form a first layer with the tomato halves, the cut part facing the bottom; for the second layer, add the sliced aubergine; for the third layer prepare a disk of dough (having removed the dough 30 minutes earlier). Put the cups in the oven for 15’ at 170°C. Turn the cups upside down on the plate when they are still hot and season with thyme and basil and serve with the fresh cheese on the side.

Happy green Easter to all of you.