Snow Time

Bella Baita all in white

At long last winter has arrived with a blast of cold that has set our teeth chattering and running to stoke our wood fired stoves with as much wood as we possibly can. This winter has been so mild that it seemed we would just bypass it all together. My geraniums and lavender have put out new growth while lounging in their winter storage spot. We had a variety of strange weather these past few months, dry and warm like September, leaving the forest so dry that it didn't take much for a wildfire to spring up and take hold, just a few kilometers behind us. It was clearly visible and we watched it warily spread out and become unmanageable due to the ferocious winds that fanned the flames for a couple of days. Alas, the fire was contained, thanks to the effort of many volunteers, and then snow arrived. Peace reigns in the kingdom again. Hurrah!  We received about 1/2 meter or a foot and ad a half or so and now we're still waiting for the promised blue skies, but the sparkly white down comforter is a welcome change, not only for it's beauty, but also with the knowledge that our water supplies will be sufficiently replenished. That bodes well for a bounteous porcino season come spring. That alone makes even the haters of shoveling and cold temperatures warm up to our latest weather.

Now you see why the shoveling isn't so much fun

A walk in the neighborhood

Home again, home again, jiggity jog...

Almost 6 Feet Under and Marmelatta di Zucca

They say it was over 1.6 meters in 24 hours, that's 5 ft or a bit more.
It cleared briefly last night but there is more snow on the way.

Our entrance to our flat.


In the neighborhood

Digging his way to to get the chickens

Disappearing chicken coop

The road beyond us toward the garden.

Another Val Chisone extreme weather event.
2 years ago we didn't have any snow or winter and the spring arrived almost a month early. This year we had a fairly normal winter and then we had a very soggy late spring and everything has been arriving very late this year. Now we have a very early winter with record snow.
Latest update. Now it's raining on top of our 6 ft of snow. The rivers are overflowing and they are watching the Po in Torino and all the way down to Rome, where it has been raining non stop whilst we were getting snow. Strange days indeed

So nothing left to do make Pumpkin Jam or Marmellata di Zucca.
Once done, slather some on your favorite tea biscuit or do like Fabrizio's grandmother, and make a sandwich of Pavesini biscotti and dunk them in for tea, or for a more grown up addition, vin santo, marsala or something along those lines.
I actually double this recipe as we have quite a bit of pumpkin and the moment and it made a delicious crostata filling.

Marmellata di Zucca

• 500 g (1+pound) pumpkin or butternut type of solid squash, cut up in medium pieces

• 200 g(1 cup) sugar
  

• zest of one lemon

Other optional additions

• 50 g (1/2 c) toasted walnuts or pecans

• 100 g sultanas or dry cranberries softened in a splash of warm cognac,
  
• Vecchia Romagna, comes to mind

Combine the sugar, lemon zest and pumpkin in a large heavy bottom sauce pan. Gently simmer until soft. I usually smash the mixture after it starts to soften to encourage to break down and cook a little faster. Stir occasionally. Add additional ingredients just before the mixture is done.
Cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
I never bother to jar it as it usually gets used up rather quickly.