If you are Sicilian and live in the Acese hinterland, you will know the turnip cabbage of Aci, a turnip cabbage grown along the entire promontory of Timpa, near the locality of Acireale and surrounding areas. The reserve is characterized by volcanic soils, giving rise to many indigenous vegetables like this one, rich in minerals and vitamins. Thanks to these qualities, it has now become a Slow Food presidium, involving a small group of producers who follow sustainable farming rules. So, if you happen to spot it at any fruit and vegetable stand, I invite you to purchase it and use it in the kitchen for many preparations. Its versatility is indeed maximum, as every part is edible, including the leaves, and you can also enjoy it raw as in this old peasant recipe that I gladly share with you! A salad that my grandmother often made with turnip cabbage sliced julienne and simply seasoned with oil, salt, and vinegar, or, as a substitute for the latter, with lemon juice. It can be consumed as a side dish or as a rich main course, by adding in my version hard-boiled eggs, Bronte pistachios, cedar zest, and slices of avocado! I want to emphasize that this is a modern twist that adapts to new combinations, but I think you’ll appreciate it! The result is sublime!
CURIOSITY: Did you know that the name “turnip cabbage”, was once the humorous nickname with which the inhabitants of Catania teased those of Acireale? Since ‘trunzu’ was a way of calling the people of Acireale with the expression ‘turnip heads’ or ‘turnip cabbage heads’! “Aci babbana civitas tronzorum cavolorumque magna mater est” meaning “Acireale foolish city is the great mother of turnip cabbages”, a recurring refrain in local disputes where trunzo, derived from Spanish, means the core, stands for stubborn, hard-headed! And even today this kind of Etnean and urban superiority over the rural province seems to linger, though less prominently than it used to!
If you love traditional Sicilian recipes based on typical local products, here are some other ideas to inspire you:
- PASTA CHI MASCULINI E FINOCCHIETTU RIZZO (PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES AND WILD FENNEL – Traditional Catanese Recipe)
- CATANESE SCACCIATA WITH CAULIFLOWERS AND ANCHOVIES
- SICILIAN STYLE BRAISED BROCCOLI
- PASTA WITH TENERUMI, POTATOES, AND CHICKPEAS (Sicilian Revised Recipe)
- PASTA WITH LONG ZUCCHINI AND POTATOES (Sicilian Recipe)
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog supports me and my work, at no extra cost to you!
- 1 turnip cabbage
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 avocado
- 1 oz pistachios
- to taste cedar zest (or lemon)
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Salad bowl
- 1 Lemon squeezer
- 1 Strainer
- 2 Ladles
Steps
Begin by cleaning the turnip cabbage, detaching the outer leaves and removing any tough or yellowed ones. Wash everything under running water, then with the aid of a knife, peel the turnip at the base and julienne the leaves.
Cut the turnip into quarters and each quarter into very thin slices.
At this point, you are ready to compose your salad: transfer the sliced turnip and julienned leaves into a large salad bowl and add a handful of whole pistachios.
Wash and cut the avocados in half, removing the inner pit with the help of a knife.
Remove the outer skin, slice the flesh thinly and add it to the salad.
Remove the shell from the hard-boiled eggs, cut them into wedges, and further enrich your salad.
Finally, draw thin zest strips from half a cedar untreated and halve them in length.
Enhance the salad with the zest strips.
Dress with two generous rounds of oil, the squeezed and filtered juice of half a lemon, apple cider vinegar, two pinches of salt, and mix well.
Serve immediately!
And voilà… the revisited Aci turnip cabbage salad is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy your meal from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉The Aci turnip cabbage salad can be stored in the fridge without being dressed in a suitable refrigeration container with an airtight lid for 1-2 days. You can add the dressing only at the moment of serving.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What can I substitute turnip cabbage with?
The yellow turnip, Swedish turnip, and white turnip work well as substitutes. While the cabbage, always julienned, can replace the leaves of the turnip cabbage.
