During our isolation stay in the Werdenberg nursing home, we were given the booklets „Alpine Speisen“ and „Heilkräuter, Wurzeln und Wildfrüchte der Alpen“ – both by Augustin Condrau. Lovely collection of recipes with roots in the mountain home of the canton of Graubünden. The time will come when we will not have the opportunity to try out the recipes
Masterwort in polenta slices
300 g polenta, 8 dl water, 50 g butter, 1 large onion, 250 g masterwort leaves finely chopped, salt and olive oil
- Make a dry polenta paste with water and salt.
- Finely chop the onion and sauté in a frying pan with oil.
- Add the masterwort with 1/2 teaspoon sugar and mix with polenta while it is still warm.
- Spread 2 cm thick on a wet wooden board and cut into 4 squares.
- Fry on both sides with oil.
Master root ravioli
500 g flour, 2 eggs, 1 pinch of salt, 1 large spoonful of olive oil, separate the egg whites, 150 g breadcrumbs
- Make the dough and let it rest for 1/2 hour.
- Roll out the dough very finely, 2 parts.
- 150 g breadcrumbs, 200 g masterwort finely chopped, 15 pieces of chives finely chopped (also wild), 2 eggs well beaten, 1 clove of garlic finely chopped.
- Fry lightly in a frying pan with a little oil and stir for 10 minutes
- sprinkle 50 g Parmesan cheese on top.
- Place half of the dough on the oven tray, spread the mixture on it in the size of a soup spoon with 2 cm intervals between each. Brush the egg white into the gaps.
- Place the second pastry on top and press down lightly. Cut the ravioli into shapes.
- Cook in a pan of boiling water for about 7 minutes until the ravioli float on top.
- Strain in warmed bowl and serve.
Deadnettle lasagne
250 g flour, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 pinch salt, 500 g fresh deadnettle, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 100 g grated cheese
For the tomato sauce
1 onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons thyme or oregano, salt, pepper, sugar
- Pasta dough Knead all the ingredients into a smooth dough. Roll out the dough as thinly as possible and cut into four pieces the size of the baking dish.
- Cut the deadnettle leaves into strips and steam them in the olive oil, stirring constantly.
- For the tomato sauce, chop the onions and sauté in the oil, add the pressed garlic, chopped tomatoes, thyme and simmer on a low heat for at least 1/2 hour.
Season the sauce to taste. - Place a sheet of pasta in the oiled casserole dish. Cover with a thin layer of tomato sauce, 1/3 deadnettle on top, sprinkle with cheese. Repeat until everything is used up.
- Finish with a thin layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle with deadnettle flowers.
Bake in a medium oven at 180 degrees for 1/2 hour.
Everything must be done with love and reverence for the plant. Speak unabashedly to the plant.
From the introduction „Hints for plant collectors
„Alpine food, Augustin Condrau, March 2000
During our stay in isolation in the Werdenberg nursing home we received the booklets „Alpine Speisen“ and „Heilkräuter, Wurzeln und Wildfrüchte der Alpen“ – both by Augustin Condrau. Lovely collection of recipes with roots in the mountain home of the canton of Graubünden.
