A Love Letter to the Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino

Dear Cosimo,

You are nothing more than weird, scary, utterly fantastic, unruly, wild and delightful. How did you hunt in, sow crops from, and traverse carob, fig, pear, and plum trees in Ombrasa, Italy? Your contemporary, Rosseau, thought you were a little crazy, too.

Your work says a lot about today, as we entertain planting trees and foraging, at the highest levels, but maybe not as high as you did when you lived in the trees. Foraging and scavenging are hot and thoughtfully quiet work that bears fruit regardless of the season.

No matter where you might be, check out wildcrafting classes with Eat the Planet offer to deepen such knowledge.

Umm, so, Cosimo, may I ask you:

Why you were so upset at lunch that one day in early summer?

"It was the fifteenth of June 1767, that Cosimo Piovasco di Rondo, my brother, sat among us for the very last time. And it might have been today, I remember it so clearly. We were in the dining room of our house in Ombrosa, the windows framing the thick branches of the great holm oak in the park. It was midday, the traditional dinner hour followed by our family, though by then most nobles had taken to the fashion set by the sluggard Court of France of dining halfway through the afternoon. A breeze was blowing from the sea, I remember rustling the leaves. Cosimo said, 'I told you I didn't want any, and I don't!' and pushed away his plateful of snails. Never had we seen such disobedience."

So after this you climbed into the trees and sort of became a tree?

"On a fig tree, though, as long as he saw to it that a branch could bear his weight, he could move about forever; Cosimo would stand under the pavilion of leaves, watching the sun appear through the network of twigs and branches, the gradual swell of the green fruit, smelling the scent of flowers budding in the stalks. The fig tree seemed to absorb him, permeate him with its gummy texture and the buzz of hornets; after a little while Cosimo would begin to feel he was becoming a fig tree himself, and move away, uneasy."

How did you survive in the trees?

"In fact he did everything in the trees. He had found a way to roast the game he caught on spit; without ever coming down. This is what he did; he would light a pine cone with a flint and throw it to the ground on a spot already arranged for fire (I had set this up, with some smooth stones); then he would drop twigs and dried branches on it regulating the flame with a poker tied on a long stick in such a way that it reached the spit, which was hanging from two branches. All this called for great care, as it is easy to start a fire in the trees."

And what if you got thirsty?

"He made friends with a goat, which would climb up the fork of an olive tree a foot or two from the ground; but it did not really climb up, it just put its two rear hoofs up, so that he could come down into the fork with a pail and milk it. He had made a similar arrangement with a chicken, a red Paduan, a very good layer. He had made a secret nest in the hole of a trunk, and on alternate days he would find an egg, which he drank after making two holes in it with a pin."

I wouldn't want to get old in a tree.

"Cosimo climbs higher and higher in the trees, until one day, barely still alive, he grabs hold of a balloon's anchor rope and escapes into the sky!"

Read on for a menu I created with you in mind.

One Tree Planted, an organization that supports tree planting worldwide.

Oyster Mushroom Straciatella

made in one pot, this soup is a wonderful way to warm up to the meal and impending conversations. both while making it in the kitchen and eating it at the table.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

6 dried mushrooms, reconstituted and coarsely chopped

3 cups oyster mushrooms, or your choice, coarsely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 sweet bell peppers, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup each fresh parsley and basil

1 cup white wine

2 quarts chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 eggs

garnish:

2 tablespoons fresh grated romano cheese

1 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed soup kettle over medium heat. add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, peppers, and fresh mushrooms.

Saute these, stirring and tossing, for 7-8 minutes, or until softened. pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits of vegetables.

Add the dried mushrooms, their liquid and stock or water and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 40-50 minutes. stir in the cream. in a separate bowl beat the three eggs and add to the simmering soup, continue to heat over medium for a minute or two, till the eggs cook. remove from heat, transfer to a tureen or serve right from the stove. Top each bowl with some of the grated cheese and the fresh chopped parsley.

Frittata of Fall Greens with Goat Cheese

This is a perfect dish because it can be so very flexible. And comes on quickly. Like fall? Warm one dang minute, and icy the next. Love spinach? No problem. Kale? Swiss Chard? Cheese, too? Put it all in there. The finished frittata is pretty, but rustic, and ready for your fork. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 8 as a first course, or 4 as an entree

6 chicken eggs or 3 duck eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped (save a bit for garnish)

½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper

a glug of olive oil

1 large bunch or a mix of spinach, chard, kale, mustard greens, and tat soi, washed and chiffonaded

2 green garlic or scallions, sliced thin

½ cup, soft fresh goat cheese, local if you can get it, near us is the fabulous Celebrity Dairy

Break the eggs in a bowl and add salt and pepper, using a whisk or a simple kitchen fork and mix well with the fresh herbs.

Prepare the greens as per chef’s instructions.

Heat a large heavy skillet such as a cast iron pan, over medium, till hot. Add olive oil and when hot add green garlic, sauté for one minute, and then add the greens. Sauté till just bright green.

Raise heat to medium high.

Add egg mixture to the very hot pan. Using a fork stir the eggs in a circular motion towards the center, eggs will cook very quickly. Push down any ingredients with a fork, and reduce heat. Cover with a lid, keeping heat on medium.

When completely cooked, add the cheese, and slide off onto a pretty round plate.

Serve warm and garnish with a few chopped herbs and, a fork.

Fig and Walnut Biscotti

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup walnut halves

2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried figs

1 stick butter, melted

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg for egg wash

Heat the oven to 375°f.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, walnuts and figs. stir until blended.

Add the melted butter. then the 2 eggs and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon. turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. knead until dough is blended.

Divide dough in half. roll into two loaves, about 12 inches long. place the loaves on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with a fork. using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on top of the fig and walnut loaves.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven. Carefully remove hot fig and walnut loaves from the cookie sheet and place on a cutting board. While warm, slice the loaves diagonally into ½-inch-wide slices.

Place slices in a single layer on the cookie sheet. return to oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. remove the cookie sheet from the oven. cool fig and walnut toasted biscotti on wire cooling rack. store in an airtight container.