At this time of year, you can count on produce fresh from the garden at the Italian Village (71 W. Monroe St.). That’s because the owners, the Capitanini family, grow tomatoes and zucchini and herbs such as basil and sage in a River Forest garden first planted as a Victory Garden in 1943 by the family patriarch, Alfredo.
“My first job–at age 11–was to fertilize and care for 300 tomato plants,” recalls Frank Capitanini Sr., who has tended to the entire garden since his father’s death in 1988.
There are fewer tomato plants today in the 100-by-50-foot garden, but several Italian specialties have been added, including arugula, green radicchio, leaf lettuce grown from seeds imported from Pescia in Tuscany, and nepitella, a form of wild mint.
The Italian Village chefs enjoy working with this produce. This month, the star of the garden is the tomato. To showcase it and its importance in the Italian kitchen, the Capitaninis present an annual tomato festival in the three restaurants at the Italian Village. This year it began Aug. 1.
Here’s a trio of Italian Village recipes using tomatoes and other garden products.
FUSILLI WITH CALAMARI AND TOMATO SAUCE
Four to six servings
1 medium onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 sweet bell peppers, preferably one red and one yellow, cored, seeded and sliced thin
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 3/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2/3 pound dried fusilli pasta
3/4 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into
3/4-inch-wide rings
1. In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil with the onion over medium heat. When the onion softens, about 4 minutes, add the garlic and bell peppers. Cook until the peppers are soft, another 4 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, oregano and chili pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften and begin to “melt.” Do not cook them to a puree. Season with salt and pepper. (The sauce may be prepared ahead. Cool, cover and store in the refrigerator.)
2. When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the fusilli. Return to a boil and simmer until pasta has reached the al dente stage, 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While the fusilli is cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Pat the squid rings dry and add to the pan. Saute over medium high heat until firm but not hard, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer.
4. Drain the pasta, transfer to a bowl and pour in calamari and sauce. Stir and portion into 4 to 6 bowls or flat soup plates. Serve at once with rich red or white wine such as Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio.
GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH FRESH GREEN TOMATO RELISH
Four servings
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 6 to 8 ounces each
1/4 cup pure olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 green tomatoes, halved, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
3 green onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1. At least 2 hours before serving, place the chicken breasts in a bowl or baking dish. In a small dish or measuring cup, combine the pure olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken, cover the bowl and refrigerate.
2. In a small bowl, combine the diced green tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, extra-virgin oil and salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Heat a grill or oven broiler. Remove the breasts from the marinade; pat dry. Grill or broil for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, or until chicken is cooked through but still moist.
4. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 warm plates. Spoon the chilled relish over each breast and serve at once with roast potatoes and a chardonnay from Alois Lageder or another producer in the Alto Adige region.
RISOTTO WITH BASIL
Four to six servings
6 cups chicken broth
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin preferred
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups Italian risotto rice such as Arborio
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounces fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, plus 4 to 6 leaves to use as garnish.
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to pass at the table
1. Heat the chicken broth to a simmer, then turn the heat to very low. Heat the onion in 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed, medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium heat until onion is soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the rice to the onion and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook until it has been absorbed by the rice. Add 1 cup of hot broth and stir gently until it is absorbed. Continue to add broth and stir, being careful not to “drown” the rice or allow rice to become dry. It should take about 18 to 20 minutes for the rice to reach the al dente stage (tender but still firm in the center).
3. Off the heat, stir in the remaining tablespoon of oil, 2 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper, basil and Parmesan. The risotto should be creamy. Portion onto plates or into bowls, garnish each portion with a basil leaf and serve with sauvignon blanc from Silvio Jermann or another producer in Friuli. Pass extra cheese at the table.
