Page 64 - Almanacco_ENG_2014

Family FarmingstoRyoF a beanitalya small and humble legume leads the revival oF its local region64 almanaCFRancesca baldeReschiBeans for grapes. That was the ex- change that at the start of the last century linked the inhabitants of the Basso Canavese with those of Mon- ferrato in Italy’s Piedmont region. Old- er residents still remember how all the local families used to grow beans in the middle of the cornfields.in the field and in the kitchenThe bean plants grew up the corn stalks, and before the corn was har- vested, the beans would be patiently picked by hand. Large, flat and white, the local Piattella Canavesana variety has a compact, delicate texture and a very thin skin. It was a valuable crop, because as well as reaching a yield of around 150 kilos per “giornata pi- emontese,” an ancient unit of measure equal to 3,810 square meters, it could be sold or used for barter and waseaten by the local farmers. The beans were so nutritious that they were the staple of the local diet until the 1960s, but they were also highly prized: each family had their own regular custom- ers who would return often to buy the beans, not only from surrounding vil- lages but the whole Canavese area and nearby provinces.Also known as Piattella di San Giorgio Canavese or fasol at Cutres (Cortereg- gio bean), it was traditionally eaten cooked in an earthenware dish called a pignatta with pork rind, lard and other seasonings. Almost every week, on Sat- urdays, the pignatte were taken to the communal oven and the beans were left to cook slowly after the bread had been baked. The beans would then be eaten for the rest of the week, hot or cold in salads. When the communal ovens fell out of use, the locals used their home ovens to prepare the beans.