Hudson Valley Mediterranean
by Laura Pensiero-Scappin

     We like to describe the menu at Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck as "Hudson Valley Mediterranean." In all honesty, we are more Italian than Mediterranean, but by broadening the description, we have reserved the right to cross borders to Spain, say, or even the Middle East when the mood is right. To us, the real definition of Hudson Valley Mediterranean is working with the local farmers and producers to create Valley versions of traditional regional dishes.
     My husband, Gianni Scappin, a native of the hilly Veneto region of Italy, found settling in the Hudson Valley to be a homecoming of sorts. Born in Cold Spring, New York, I am native, but after 12 years of living in Manhattan, I learned to appreciate the Valley through Gianni's Italian eyes. In 1998, after Gianni had been an Executive Chef in NYC for more than fifteen years, we moved to Italy to reopen his family's long-standing trattoria, which had been closed since his father's death. The business thrived, but the return turned out to be a true instance of not being able to go home again. After fifteen years as the executive chef in professional kitchens in New York, the daily regime of serving up the local specialty, bigoli all'Arna (a thick spaghetti pasta with duck ragu) just wasn't cutting it.
     When we decided to return to America we opted for a break from life in Manhattan. We chose instead to teach at The Culinary Institute of America for one year (Gianni as a chef instructor, me as a nutritionist/registered dietitian). During this time, we purchased a farmhouse in Red Hook and, although we did end up going back to the restaurant/food world of Manhattan, we could not part with the house or the beauty and culinary promise of this area.
     Searching out optimal ingredients is a mutual shared passion. I test and write recipes for cookbooks and Gianni, in his position as corporate chef for Toscorp (a collection of eight Italian restaurants including Le Madri, Coco Pazzo, Tuscan Square), was responsible for the food purchasing and training of chefs for the company's eight kitchens. Conveniently, we lived at Union Square, just steps from a Greenmarket abundant with Hudson Valley products. A Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday at the market would always draw a who's-who of Manhattan restaurant chefs and "foodies." During stays at our Red Hook house, we would visit the farms where these products originated. Over time, we saw the enormous potential of starting a restaurant in this area.
     By this time the opening of Gigi Trattoria made complete sense to us. During his almost two decades of professional cooking in the U.S. Gianni had remained true to Italian regional traditions, but inevitably he had adapted some dishes to the high quality ingredients available here. In Italy, the traditional Milanese dish of ossobuco over saffron risotto would never be served with braised baby turnips, but the sweet, young vegetables are too tempting to resist adding here. Here in the Valley, a fresh fettuccine might be topped with a sauce made with Stone Church guinea hen rather than a more traditional meat ragu. Every day now at Gigi Trattoria we refer to the food as Hudson Valley Mediterranean-and it is absolutely both.

Ossobuco con verdure
Gianni Scappin's Ossobuco
with Vegetables

Braised meats and stews are perfect winter fare. Ossobuco is among my favorites, as it perfumes the kitchen all day, and then at night can can be accompanied by some of Italy's best full-bodied red wines, such as Chianti Classico Riserva, Carmignano, Barbaresco or Barolo. This recipe is excellent prepared a day ahead, refrigerated overnight, and reheated in the oven the next day. Classically, it is served with risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto), but I like it with mashed potatoes or polenta as well.

Makes 6 servings

12 ounces baby turnips
1 cup all purpose flour
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 pieces center-cut veal shank (about 10 ounces each,
1 to 1 1/2-inches thick)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 celery stalks, peeled and finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Boil the turnips in lightly salted water until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel the turnips. Set aside.
Season 3/4 cup of the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces of veal shank in the flour, shaking off any excess.
In a large flameproof casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the veal on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Be sure not to crowd the pan (cook in batches if the fit seems tight), and transfer the browned pieces of veal to platter. Set aside.
Add the remaining oil and the butter to the pan. When the butter begins to foam, add the carrots, celery and the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Return the veal and any accumulated juices to the casserole. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, then add the wine. Cook to reduce by about half, then add the broth or water, tomatoes and their juices, and half of the herbs. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove from the heat, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, almost falling off the bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the baby turnips during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Just before serving, stir in the remaining herbs and lemon zest, and adjust seasoning to taste.