On the Maltese Derby Potato

My definition of 'local' has significantly changed since I decided to live on an island that is roughly 316 km² (or 122 m² for the folks back home). While the country is a big importer for the various ethnic groups that reside here (the Brits with their tea, the Italians with their espresso, and the plethora of processed goods from all over), the average market holds more local goods than I have ever seen indoors. They sell fresh spinach by the bags, looking freshly picked with soil in the roots and a chance of a snail or two.

At certain times of the day throughout the week, trucks will park with a wide selection of produce to sell. You see potatoes, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, greens, local and imported fruits, cactus pears, eggs, and so much more. As I continue learning about the agriculture in Malta through my internship, I’m starting to understand what goes on behind the scenes, and that the island (much like local farms in the United States) struggles with the competitiveness of cheaply imported goods. It’s surprising, really, because the quality and price of the local foods are much more affordable, easily traceable, and in my opinion, more delectable. 

Since locality is more prominent in the supermarkets, sometimes products will be out of stock until the next shipment. Take rabbit, for example. It took me a number of weeks before I was in a butcher’s shop at the right place and time. On the other hand, local potatoes are always in demand and in supply.

The simple fact of the matter is that the Maltese Derby Potato is an amazing potato. Maybe it's an Irish thing to like potatoes as much as I do, and I definitely have gotten on board with eating the MDP at least twice a week.  It reminds me of the yellow potatoes back in the States, but not as waxy and significantly butterier in taste. It isn’t particularly floury like the Russet/Idaho potato, but it seems like the MDP would be best prepared by roasting, pan-frying, and mashing, and holds its shape in stews. It’s a very good potato species, a close second to my preference for sweet potatoes when I don’t want rice, quinoa, or corn.

Maltese Inspired Home Fries

25 g Butter, salted (easily substituted for a non-animal based fat like olive oil or coconut oil)
2 Onions, finely diced
1 Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
7 medium/ 1000 g Maltese Derby potatoes, cubed
1 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Sage
1 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. Rosemary
75 g fresh spinach leaves, cut into thick slivers

Toppings (optional):
Parmesan cheese
Fresh Basil and/or dill

Poached eggs

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter on medium heat.
Toss in the onion and garlic cloves and cook until slightly transparent.
Add the potatoes and cover with the lid, checking and stirring intermittently to avoid burning on the bottom.
When the potatoes have softened, add in the remaining ingredients and turn off the heat.
Cover the lid to allow the spinach to wilt.
Serve warm with your choice of toppings.

Makes 4 servings.

An Introduction to Maltese Cuisine: Minestra Tal-Haxix

Besides saving the world as an intern at the NGO I’m working for, one of my goals during my stay in Malta is to cook traditional Maltese foods. And, if the need came up, make them gluten free. It’s a way to further integrate into the culture I’ve thrown myself into, and also a motivation to be more active on Meals with Morri.

It is very apparent that Malta’s cuisine is directly affected by its history and geography, particularly showing strong English and Sicilian influence, as well as representations of Mediterranean (also including Spanish and French) and Arabic (North African, mostly) influence based on the residents on the island. The majority of the country’s foodstuffs has been and is imported, but since it is positioned along important trade routes between Europe and Africa, it had opened Maltese cuisine to outside influences very early on. The food is also heavily season-based and faith-based, two things I look forward to learning about during my yearlong stay.

Since awakening the foodie aspect of myself, I have developed a philosophy about culture: you know a people by the bread they eat. Think about it. It’s absolutely fascinating to observe what sort of bread a culture eats and why, and what flours were used in place of wheat due to geography and access. The bakeries here give off intoxicating aromas of yeast, rising dough, and sweet treats that are said to be wonderful accompaniments to any meal. The Maltese are famous for their baked goods, and sometimes I wish I could say “food sensitivities and health issues be d*mned” and take a bite of their amazing breads. There are days I feel cheated somehow, not being able to know this vibrant culture more because of this minor detail. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to worry about it.

But that’s a post for some other time. This post is about soup, and a recipe that almost overflowed onto the stovetop.

For inspiration in what I wanted to make, I went onto a community website for Maltese recipes. The beauty of this national cuisine is how family-oriented it is and its incorporation of the many ethnicities and cultures that helped make Malta the vivacious country it is today. In other words, it is hard to find a recipe for two, but you can definitely find a meal for eight… or days of leftovers for a Morri living on her own for the first time ever.

The soup I chose was Ministra Tal-Haxix, which literally translates to ‘minestrone with vegetables’. It is the Maltese version similar to the famous Italian Minestrone, a vegetable soup with noodles, a wide variety of veggies, and in this case, favetta. It’s extremely nourishing and filling, and I could imagine families warming themselves up on a rainy winter day (and believe me, it does get rainy) with a hearty bowl as a starter to the main meal.

When I examined the recipe I found online, I also looked at a comment someone posted and included their suggestions into the final product. Instead of turnips, I incorporated the kohlrabi and favetta (split fava beans). And instead of using one pot, I ended up using three. Why? Because vegetables such as pumpkin, cauliflower, cabbage, and kohlrabi add up in bulk, and my soup pot was completely filled to the top with vegetable goodness. That, and I thought the pot I had would be adequate, considering it’s only me in the apartment. But alas, it wasn’t tall enough. So the favetta and noodles were boiled separately to insure a balanced serving for each bowl, and the cabbage was put through the pressure cooker and mixed in when the other vegetables had cooked down. And for the love of soup, people, do not add more water than instructed. I did to cover the vegetables (i.e., perhaps half an inch or a little over a centimeter from the top), and I am still amazed I didn’t make more of a mess than I had.

Regardless, it turned out deliciously, and it freezes well as individual servings. (It’s also great for those wonderful vegetarian partners currently residing in Rome and who is visiting in a couple of weeks [*hint hint*].) You may need to add more water when reheating, because the beans and noodles may absorb more water after the initial cooking process. Warm it up and top it with cracked black pepper, fresh garlic (finely chopped or crushed), and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Minestra Tal-Haxix (Maltese Minestrone Soup)

200 g Gluten free rotini pasta (or a small pasta type equivalent)
250 g Dried favetta*
2 Zucchini, finely diced
4 Medium potatoes, finely diced**
2 Onions, finely diced***
475 g Pumpkin, finely diced****
1 Small cabbage, finely chopped
1 Small cauliflower, finely chopped
2 Celery stalks, finely diced
2 Tomatoes, finely diced
2 Carrots, finely diced
1 Kohlrabi bulb, finely diced
1 tsp. Tomato puree
750 ml Water
2 tsp. Sea salt
Olive oil

Parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
Garlic cloves, finely chopped (optional)

Soak the favetta over night and cook in the pressure cooker before putting the soup together.
Boil the noodles as instructed on the package al dente and also set aside.
Chop all the vegetables and place them in a tall pot.
Add the water, tomato puree and salt.
Bring to boil and let simmer until vegetables are tender, and add a spoonful of olive oil. Add the pasta and favetta and keep simmering until the pasta is fully cooked.
Serve hot with the grated Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic. 

Makes 6 - 8 servings

* As I said, favetta are split fava beans. You can soak them the night before and add them with the veggies, or do as I have instructed for the recipe.
** Along with their amazing bread, the Maltese Derby Potato is famous for it’s silky texture, buttery overtones, and usage over a variety of dishes in Maltese cuisine.
*** Preferably red onions (I don’t know the species of the Maltese red onion, only that they are strong and sold locally)
**** Fresh pumpkin is sold by the slice here, which I’m sure will further encourage my pumpkin addiction and put it in everything I eat.

Reflections on Being Abroad

I’ve noticed that I’m comparing my time in Sweden with Malta. I remember being rather sad that I wasn’t going home for the holidays, but I had a couple of months prior to prepare and get used to it. I didn’t have time to prepare in Malta. The holidays were just around the corner.

I have felt extremely fortunate to celebrate Yule/Christmas, our first anniversary, and New Years with CK. We used Skype to talk with our families, cooked fabulous meals (without an oven), explored Msida, Gżira, and Valletta, and have taken the time to just relax. For the first time in years, I’m consistently sleeping eight hours or more and do not feel obligated to be ‘on’ all the time. I feel more present, more real. 

In Sweden, it was easier to cope because I was in an environment I was used to; that is, a university setting. I lived on campus, surrounded by international and Swedish students alike, my boyfriend at the time living in the apartment across the hall from me. It was like George Mason University, only snowier and with more fikas. But my time in Malta is different: while I initially came here for college credit toward my Masters, and I do have another class or two to take, this is for 'real life' experience. This is for a job. I had to figure out where I was going to be living, how to manage a budget for food, rent, and utilities. After CK left for Rome, I immediately had to start learning how to live with myself. After tomorrow, I will be doing what I came here to do.

Vegetarian & Dairy-free Panna Cotta / Stovetop Eggplant Parmesan / Valletta

That scares the hell out of me.

And the hardest part is trying to get out of this Meals with Morri rut and actually coming up with recipes that work. (I cannot wait to have a working oven.)

On the plus side, it has been a nice break. I know the where the closest supermarkets are and what the fastest route to work is (with kitties everywhere). I’d been helping CK grade exams before he went back to school in Rome and am currently thinking of what I could write on Meals with Morri. Photography and writing look to be my artistic outlets of choice, and I hope to improve both while I’m here, maybe with some sewing and painting in between.