# Muscari comosum (cipollaccio)



## justplainbill (Apr 11, 2012)

I enjoyed Cipollaccio cured in red wine when I was in Italy.  It's not really an onion but tastes somewhat similar.  I've been considering trying to grow them, but need more info on the different ways they can be preserved and prepared.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you- Bill


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## Luca Lazzari (Apr 11, 2012)

Justplainbill, I had to google this "cipollaccio", then I understood why I couldn't recognize the term: we call it "lampascione". It's a common food in Puglia, the land of my ex-wife, so I tasted it a couple of times. I don't know anything about it, but I could take a look around in some Italian websites, to see what they say about how to prepare it or preserve it. Gimme some time.


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## justplainbill (Apr 11, 2012)

Mille grazie.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 11, 2012)

Bill,

Lampascione are similar to a Barcelona Calcot, or long spring onion, and roasted they are lovely with evoo and sea salt ... When we were at Condo, there were festivals celebrating the harvest. 

There are several You Tube Dvds in English and Italian versions, online.
Just put in lampscione ...

Regards,
Margaux.


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## Luca Lazzari (Apr 11, 2012)

Let's start.

Preserved lampascioni: *lampascioni in oil, Calabria style*

Ingredients
1 kg lampascioni
Wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
White pepper, grains
2 hot peppers
2 bay leaves
Dried peppermint
Some garlic cloves

Clean the lampascioni, peel them and cut a cross at the bottom after removing the root. Cover them with water in a bowl for a couple of hours; once in a while change the water.
Boil them in water with added salt and vinegar (2 parts vinegar, 1 part water), till they are tender.
Drain, dry and let them cool down.
Put the ingredients in the jars: at the bottom the bay leaves and the hot peppers, then the lampascioni with peppermint, white pepper and garlic cloves. Cover well with olive oil, without bubbles.
Sterilize the jars, keep in a fresh and dark corner. They will be ready after one month.


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## justplainbill (Apr 11, 2012)

Luca Lazzari said:


> Let's start.
> 
> Preserved lampascioni: *lampascioni in oil, Calabria style*
> 
> ...


Thanks Luca
Hope they come out looking like this-


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## Luca Lazzari (Apr 11, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> Thanks Luca
> Hope they come out looking like this-



 Looking for some frittata recipe now.


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## justplainbill (Apr 11, 2012)

Luca Lazzari said:


> Looking for some frittata recipe now.


And maybe some cardoon to help stretch the food budget.


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## GLC (Apr 11, 2012)

Okay. I'm interested. It seems I should be able to grow it here, and I see bulbs available in the cultivar 'Monstrosum' or 'Plumosum'. Now, that cultivar is not considered "invasive," meaning it doesn't divide as vigorously as the regular. I'm not yet seeing bulbs of the wild version being offered.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 12, 2012)

GLC,

There is also a stunner spring onion called C A L C O T S which are predominate in Spring in the Barcelona and Girona provinces of Catalonia ... They are lovely too ... 
Good luck with your farming ... 
Margi.


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## Luca Lazzari (Apr 12, 2012)

Here we go with the *frittata with lampascioni*.

Ingredients
300 kg lampascioni
4 eggs
70 g hot salami
2 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Wine vinegar
Salt
Black pepper, grounded

The preparation of the bulbs is the same as for the Lampascioni in oil:
Clean the lampascioni, peel them and cut a cross at the bottom after removing the root. Cover them with water in a bowl for a couple of hours; once in a while change the water. Boil them in water with added salt and vinegar (2 parts vinegar, 1 part water), till they are tender. Drain, dry and let them cool down.

For the frittata:
Sauté the lampascioni in a pan with the some olive oil on low fire, about 10 minutes, crushing them with a wooden spoon. Whisk your eggs with salt, pepper, pecorino and diced salami. Add lampascioni and cook the frittata on both sides in a pan with oil, on medium/high fire.

Here you find some beautiful photographs, which show you how to properly prepare lampascioni (cleaning, cutting etc.) for this frittata:

PomodoroRosso Ricette FRITTATA DI LAMPASCIONI


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## justplainbill (Apr 12, 2012)

Luca Lazzari said:


> Here we go with the *frittata with lampascioni*.
> 
> Ingredients
> 300 kg lampascioni
> ...



Many thanks again Luca.  Nice set of fotos.
¿'in water with added salt' = una padella dell'acqua *senza* sale?


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## Luca Lazzari (Apr 12, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> Many thanks again Luca.  Nice set of fotos.
> ¿'in water with added salt' = una padella dell'acqua *senza* sale?



This post of mine wasn't checked by Gabriella... 

I just mean that you need to add some salt to the water/vinegar mixture, in the pot in which you boil your lampascioni.

WARNING: This post, too, has not been checked by Gabriella


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## justplainbill (Apr 12, 2012)

GLC said:


> Okay. I'm interested. It seems I should be able to grow it here, and I see bulbs available in the cultivar 'Monstrosum' or 'Plumosum'. Now, that cultivar is not considered "invasive," meaning it doesn't divide as vigorously as the regular. I'm not yet seeing bulbs of the wild version being offered.


For my purposes, the more invasive the better .
They can be planted from seed in the spring and from bulbs in the fall but do not seem to be commonly available.  
I'm a fan of edible perennials and would like to establish a stable of perennials that can be harvested throughout as much of the year as possible


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## GLC (Apr 12, 2012)

Margi Cintrano said:


> GLC,
> 
> There is also a stunner spring onion called C A L C O T S which are predominate in Spring in the Barcelona and Girona provinces of Catalonia ... They are lovely too ...
> Good luck with your farming ...
> Margi.



This year, I planted these:







Red torpedo onions here. I suppose Cipolla rossa di Tropea there. I'll be interested to see how they do, but they're growing vigorously already. 

Next fall, I also want some fat spring onions of the calcot type. It sounds like they need the same sort of treatment as leeks, adding earth as they grow to get them large and fat. And a sweet red pepper of the dulce de Espana or dulce mediterraneo type.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 12, 2012)

@ GLC,

Gorgeous " magenta " onion variety ... Thanks so much for posting photo !

I believe that we are having a bit of a confusion ...

There are 2 types of Onion Varieties ...

1st: is the Italian variety that Luca had given a recipe for and this onion is a violet lavendar variety ... Though, there is a Puglian ( Apulian GREEN variety which looks like a thick long green stem, with 1 round ball ) ! 

2nd: CATALONIA on the Iberian Peninsula, has a gorgeous Green Onion variety that is called CALCOT ( pronounced CAL SOT ) and the description is same as above --- a 1 oval ball shaped onion on a thick stem. 

I am uncertain if the LATIN genre is same or not --- over wkend, when I have more time, perhaps I can check ...

Thanks so much for posting photo !

How do you prepare these GLC ? Roast, Evoo and sea salt ... 

Margi.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 12, 2012)

@ Luca, Ciao,

What a lovely way to make a Frittata ... Thanks for posting ... 
Have nice wkend, 
Margi.


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## GLC (Apr 12, 2012)

I understand. The lampascione is made from wild hyacinth bulbs. 

I gather that the calcot isn't so much a separate variety of spring onion but is created by special handling by replanting developed white onion in a trench and keeping soil mounded up on them, much like leeks, for the same purpose of creating more white leaves. 

I which the photo was of mine. Mine are still in the ground. They are something of an experiment to see if they will do well here and in this soil, but so far, they seem healthy. 

Edible bulbs are interesting, especially those that aren't alliums (onions, leeks, garlic).  Here, there's one called Camassia quamash that I haven't tasted. 










Cooking converts its starch to sugar, and it's said to be like sweet chestnuts. I have a source for bulbs and may try them. They were a Native American staple.


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## Luca Lazzari (Apr 12, 2012)

Margi Cintrano said:


> @ Luca, Ciao,
> 
> What a lovely way to make a Frittata ... Thanks for posting ...
> Have nice wkend,
> Margi.



Thanks Margi. Today I strictly followed the frittata guidelines of chef Walter Pedrazzi, on april issue of La Cucina Italiana to make my first proper and beautiful frittata! I've never been a frittata lover, but this new technique could open a new egg age for me.

Ciao


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## justplainbill (Apr 12, 2012)

Consider giving it a try with fresh duck (Pekin) eggs .


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## Luca Lazzari (Apr 13, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> Consider giving it a try with fresh duck (Pekin) eggs .



Don't know where to find them, but I'll take a look around


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 13, 2012)

*@ GLC:  NY Times Article on Calcots*

@ GLC,

Good Morning,

There is a wonderful photo with article on the NY Times Website, SPRING HARVEST IN BARCELONA - CALCOTS ...

Thought this to interest you !

Have great wkend.
Margi.


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