My weekends are on Wednesday and Thursday. It might seem a little odd, and perhaps you think I miss out on all those weekend gatherings and events. And I do, but having Wednesday off when everyone else is working allows me the freedom to enjoy those places that are swamped on weekends. Case in point, Death Valley during the Superbloom.
I expect the weekends at Death Valley have been crowded and busy lately, but an early-morning midweek? We enjoyed the park with those lucky enough to already be retired and vacationing.
We were headed out to see the Superbloom! It sounds spectacular, doesn’t it? It is when you look at it intellectually, but visually, it’s subtle. Fields of yellow flowers are not vivid like the field of poppies in The Wizard of Oz. As you look at the expansive vistas, they are more as if you had lightly brushed a watercolor yellow over the valley. In some places, there are shadows of purple. It does not jump out at you; you have to look closely.
I would imagine that for those who work here, it is spectacular. So much different than the valley in the summer.
But when you think about it. This is one of the hottest places in the country; it is a desert, a mosaic of soils that can look barren. And here in the midst of this, there are thousands of flowers in bloom! It’s pretty amazing how a little rain can cause this explosion of life in this place called Death Valley.
Beyond the flowers, you must be careful as you step out of your car. The White-lined Sphinx moth caterpillars are everywhere! We first saw them as we walked through the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. We saw these odd squiggly trails in the sand, and then came upon the very determined caterpillar that was making one of them. They are abundant and scrambling, looking for food to carry them through their cocoon stage, after which they will emerge in a couple of weeks as moths.
We spent the day enjoying the bloom and the sights, from the Sand Dunes to Ubehebe crater to the north, down to Badwater Basin, where there was water standing, and a man lounging in a chair under an umbrella on the salty shore.
We finished the day taking in the views from Dante’s View above the valley.
And then we still had a day of the weekend left! What to do?
I had come across a bottle of Susumaniello at Trader Joe’s. This is a red grape from Apulia in South-East Italy. It’s not a variety that you will see often. In fact, this bottle at Trader Joe’s was the first I had ever come across, so of course I grabbed it (it was just $9.99) and decided to pair it.
Two of the most recognizable dishes from this region are Orecchiette cime di Rapa and Bombette.
Broccoli Rabe is grown in this region, and Orecchiette (little ears) is a famous handmade pasta of the region. Put together, this is a delicious and simple regional dish.
Bombette, (Little bombs) are a delicious snack that originally was sold and served at butcher shops, while people were waiting to have their meat cut. Typically, it is a pounded out fillet of pork shoulder wrapped around a bit of pancetta and local caciocavallo cheese with a bit of garlic and parsley. This is wrapped up into a little package, sealed with a toothpick, and cooked on the stove, in the oven, or on the grill.
I put together both of these dishes and paired them with the Susumaniello.
The grape – Susumaniello
Susumaniello is a native grape variety from Puglia in southeastern Italy. Some suggest that the name is based on the word “somarello,” which means “donkey”. The idea being that this grape could bear a heavy load, as donkeys do.
Another possibility is that it was brought in from the Dalmatian coast and is named for Sumanus, the Roman God of evening rains.
“Wine Grapes” reports that DNA research identifies this grape as a cross between Garganega and Uva Sogra.
It has long been blended with Primitivo and Negroamaro in this part of Italy, but now it’s having a resurgence as a grape made into wine on its own.
It is primarily grown in the Brindisi area in northern Salento. This is the heel of the boot and Brindisi is halfway down the heel of the eastern side. The soils here are sandy, and as it is near the coast, the breezes off the Adriatic Sea moderate the otherwise high heat of the region, allowing the grapes to preserve their acidity.
The wine – Susmaniello from Puglia producer Ruggero di Bardo
Susmaniello Ruggero di Bardo
This wine from small wine shops will set you back about $23, but Trader Joe’s carry’s it for $9.99
The wine is deep in color and opaque in the glass. The nose is rich with notes of fresh black cherry, blackberry, and cranberry, with notes of dried berries and dried herbs
It has good acid, making it beautiful with food pairings and just right soft tannins.
It is dry, although the fruit-forward notes might have you thinking of a little sweetness. It is full-bodied with pronounced flavors.
Personality-wise? This wine is gregarious, not subtle at all. Joyful and a bit loud it will have a smile on your face in no time.
14.5% abv
What to pair?
Without knowing first hand what the wine tasted like, I looked to local flavors from Puglia to pair. I found 2 dishes famous in the region that seemed likely to pair well with this wine.
Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa & Bombette Pugliesi
Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa
(Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe)
Orecchiette is a traditional handmade pasta from Puglia. The name means “Little ears,” which is apparent by its shape. It is perfect for holding sauces. You can find women in Bari, making this pasta by hand on little tables on the street outside their homes. They roll the dough into a snake, and cut it into small pieces, which they stretch thin with the knife, pulling them into the shape of little ears.
Broccoli Rabe, known as Rapini or cimi di rapa in Puglia, is a traditional vegetable in this region. It is leafier than broccoli or broccoli rabe and a bit more bitter. Sadly, it can also be hard to find, so I substituted Broccolini, which is less bitter, but will work fine for the dish.
Orecchiette alle cime di rapa is traditionally made simply with broccoli rabe, orecchiette, olive oil, garlic, onion, chili, salt, and pepper. Some recipe variations include anchovies or anchovy paste and/or sausage.
I did not have anchovies, but the next time I make this dish, I plan on adding them.
The recipe itself is pretty simple. Boil the Orecchiette, add the broccoli rabe, and cook until done.
At the same time, heat olive oil over low heat, add grated garlic, and thinly slice red onions. When the onions have softened, add a bit of chili flakes. (I used Aleppo pepper flakes to keep it mild). Add a bit of the pasta water to the pan and mix, turning off the heat.
Drain the pasta and broccoli rabe, reserving the pasta water.
Add the pasta and broccoli rabe to the onion mixture and ladle in some of the pasta water to make a sauce.
In a small pan, add a bit of olive oil, panko bread crumbs, and grated garlic, and mix over medium heat until golden.
Plate the pasta in a bowl and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top.
Bombette Pugliesi
Bombette means “little bombs,” and these are little flavor bombs. Originating in Puglia, these bite-sized meat rolls were originally made by butchers to serve with wine while customers waited for their meat to be cut.
Classically, this is pork shoulder pounded thin, then filled with pancetta and caciocavallo, the local cheese, and parsley. Often, they are served as street food in paper cones.
For our recipe, we used pounded-thin pork chops, several slices of prosciutto, a bit of aged provolone, and a mixture of garlic and parsley, chopped in a food processor. These were rolled and secured with toothpicks, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roasted at 400 degrees F, then put under the broiler to brown for a minute or two.
The pairings with the Susumaniello
Both of these pairings were lovely with the wine. The fruit with just a touch of tannins, and the bright but not overpowering acidity made the pairing easy to love.
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe
This dish, originating in Puglia on the heel of Italy's boot, makes a delicious pasta dish to pair with a Susumaniello wine from the region!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of dried orecchiette
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 cloves of fresh garlic peeled and grated
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- Pinch of dried Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1 bunch of broccoli rabe (or if you can’t find that, broccolini or baby broccoli)
- Salt
- Pepper
- ¼ cup of panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water (salty like the sea). Add the broccoli rabe. When the water returns to a boil, add the Orecchiette. Boil for 15 minutes.
- While that is cooking, put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the sliced onion. When it is
slightly softened, add 2 cloves of the grated garlic. Cook gently until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. - Add the dried Aleppo pepper, and stir. Turn off the heat and add a ladle of the pasta water. Let sit.
- When the pasta and broccoli rabe are done, drain them, retaining the pasta water.
- Add the pasta and broccoli rabe to the skillet with the onion mixture, and toss. Add more pasta water if needed.
- In a small skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the last clove of grated garlic and the panko bread crumbs and cook to toast until golden brown. Use this to top your pasta.
Notes
Variations on the recipe include adding anchovies to the skillet after the garlic and cooking until they have melted into the sauce. This packs in some umami notes.
Or you might brown some sausage to add to the final dish!
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 69Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gSodium 119mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Bombette Pugliese
Little bombs is the translation of this recipe from Puglia. Originally these stuffed pork bits were made to serve with wine for customers at butcher shops. Today they are often served as street food. This is simply thinly pounded porch filled with pancetta, cheese, parsley and garlic. They pair beautifully with a Susumaniello wine from the region.
Ingredients
- 8 thin slices of pork. (you can use pork butt/shoulder called copocollo in Italy or 4 pork chops as I did)
- 8 slices of pancetta or prosciutto
- 3 -4 oz of caciocavallo cheese (or aged provolone)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 small bunch of Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Pound out your pork between sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. I used 4 chops and then cut them in half after
pounding. - Season with salt and pepper.
- Lay a slice of pancetta or prosciutto in the center.
- Dice the cheese finely and place some in the center.
- In a food processor, blend the garlic and parsley and place a dab in the center.
- Roll this up and secure with a toothpick or two.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the bombette on a foil-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then raise the temp to broil and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes to brown them.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 281Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 88mgSodium 213mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 26g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
More wines of Puglia!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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