Dear Barb

Today, I bought the ingredients to practice making a healthy dish during your stay with me in Rome.

It is very simple, needing only spelt*, onion, pumpkin and stock. And, a few herbs. 

I hope you’ll like it, I licked my dish clean. But then, I was very hungry!

Have you ever seen such a brilliant orange pumpkin? I surely haven’t, back in Australia.

• To quote this site cereals  “Spelt is a variety of grain or cereal that is closely related to wheat. In fact, spelt likely developed from a hybridization of emmer wheat and wild goat-grass. It is closely related to normal “bread” wheat, but the popularity of bread wheat soon made spelt obsolete, which is why it is considered a “relic” crop“. It seems to be making a comeback in many parts of the world.

At the request of John, here is the recipe:

Spelt with pumpkin (Thanks to Francesca crudoecotto.blog)

300 gr of spelt

200 gr of pumpkin

1 shallot

1/2 teaspoon of dried sage

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

vegetable broth to taste

Salt to taste

In a saucepan boil the spelt in abundant salted water for about 30 minutes.

Peel the pumpkin and cut it into cubes.

Chop the shallot.

In a large pan heat the oil and add the shallot and the pumpkin.

Brown for 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Drain the spellt and add it to the pan.

Cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes adding the vegetable stock a little at a time.

Add sage, pepper and salt to taste.

Serve warm.