Valerio's Fennel Fritters

On a trip to Sicily in 2016 I stayed a big chunk of my 6 weeks there with a farmer named Valerio ( I actually cancelled other plans to extend my stay with him). His farm was deep in the mountains and I fell in love. As a folk medicine person, all his plants were speaking to me. They were so vibrant and rooted and healing. His little rental spot high on a hill above his farm was a perfect spot for me to write (I started my book there —which is still not finished — perhaps it needs to be completed there?!!!). My days started slowly, I drank espresso, wrote, drank more espresso, sat with the plants, wrote some more, maybe took a little trip down the hill to the empty beach. Maybe ran into the local village for a gelato. Came back wrote some more. And then ate dinner with Valerio. It was one of the most profound and healing times of my life.

I can tell loads of stories about Valerio — he’s a character for sure— but will keep this to the point (you’ll have to come to Sicily with me in 2021 and meet him yourself). I will say this about him: he’s a very important person as he’s one of the very few frassinicoltori, the people who are tending to the specific ash trees that make Manna. Manna is a beautiful, sugary resin that comes from this tree and is medicine for almost everything. It is THE medicine. Sadly, it was over harvested at one point, factory produced, and exported— and most of the trees were destroyed. The handful of frassinicoltori that live now in this small part of the Madonie Mountains, are doing good work to cultivate trees with integrity and harvest sustainably with a deep connection to the work.

Valerio also happens to be an amazing chef, of course. And the first night I was there I asked him for the “most course dinner you can make me” and he smiled and winked and he was so happy I basically said “feed me as much as you want!” and then he walked into the kitchen where I could hear him playing Italian Jazz (Live in Volvo was in album that I will never get out of my head) and could smell his cigarette smoke along with the earthy oil frying. All of the food he cooks comes from either his land or within two miles of where he lives. Between the Manna and the way he cultivates food, he’s also an important person in the Italian Slow Food Italian Presidio Project. He’s such a treasure, a teacher, and person deeply connected to his land (which was passed on to him by his nonno).

If you have been to Sicily, you know the drill; first the olives, and cheese, and meat, and bread, and jams all come out. More wine. More cheese. More bread. More meats. More wine. And then the “real” courses start coming out…… I can remember the details of this meal like it was yesterday AND if he gave me the recipe of the fresh stuffed sardines, which were unlike anything I have ever eaten… and if I had been able to replicate them, which I have not, I would be sharing that recipe, too. But what I did seem to get out of him was the way he cooks fennel fritters. And that mi amici, is gold.

The fritters came out early on in the meal and they were so good I asked him for another round. I stuck my finger in my cheek and twisted and was filled with joy. They were freshly fried and full of those incredible greens, tender and flavorful. Very simple. The fritter part is just a carrier for the magical fennel — which are beginning to pop off everywhere. On the west coast, they grow wild, which is the best kind, and the Sicilian kind, to gather. But if you don’t have it wild, go to the store and make SURE you get the tops — some markets cut the greens off which makes no sense to me so make sure you ask them to go in back and give you ALL the greens they are going to toss. But if you are like me and not going to stores (all my produce comes from CSA now) get yourself some fennel starts and plant them—  grow them your own! Please! Start a garden!

The fritters quickly became one of my favorite, easy, and go-to foods. They are a perfect easy summertime meal So, without much more — here’s a photo of Valerio bringing me a plate of pasta.

And here is the simple “recipe” (trust me he just told me what to do in Italian and I had to figure it out) for Valerio’s Fennel Fritters

ingredients:

1 cup fennel greens chopped fine
1 cup white onion chopped fine
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking baking powder
salt + pepper to taste {season as you love}
1/4 cup or more water.
Olive oil

Instructions:

Mix the fennel and onion with the dry ingredients. Add eggs and mix together until all is mixed together and a thickness forms. Slowly add water until the consistency is a little thicker than pancake batter but not thick like dough. 

In a cast iron pan, heat up 1/2 inch olive oil until hot. Spoon fritter batter in. Cook each side about 3 minutes. 

If you make these please tell me how they come out! If you are on IG, please take a photo of your amazing fritters and tag us at @radicisiciliane xx

Bon appititu!!!!

PS if you are interested in working with me on all things ancestral healing and reclamation wise until we can go to Sicilia together, please check THIS OUT, and sign up to be on the waiting list for more info on our 9 month month ancestral reclaiming program Blood + Belonging!