Lucca Sample Recipes

Lucca Recipes

Garmugia
Lucchese Springtime Soup

This soup is served in Lucca for just those few weeks in Springtime when all of these vegetable first appear on the market. You need to have young tender vegetables: this is the whole idea of the dish. It can be prepared in advance BUT stop once you have added the broth. Do not bring to a boil until just before you are ready to serve. Above all, do not re-boil the soup; it will lose all of its delicate qualities.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups light Poultry or Vegetable Stock
2 small mild white Onions
12 thin Asparagus spears
3 medium Artichokes
1 cup shelled fresh Peas
1/2 cup shelled fresh Fava Beans
2 ounces minced Pancetta
6 ounces minced Veal or Beef
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Prepare the vegetables: Cut the asparagus stalks into 1/4 inch pieces. Clean the artichokes and cut up coarsely, placing the pieces in lemon water to keep them from discoloring. Chop the onion. Shell the peas and fava beans.

In a medium saucepan, sauté the pancetta with the onion in the olive oil just until the onion is softened. Add the minced veal and the prepared vegetables. 20 minutes before you are ready to serve, pour in the stock and bring slowly to a boil. Let simmer 15 minutes and server immediately.