Cuccìa

Cuccìa
Prep Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Number of Servings
Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup wheat berries—traditionally, farro is used
  • 1 cup lentils or other legume, such as chickpeas or fava beans
  • Olive oil
  • 1 to 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • [q:1/2] to 1 tsp salt
  • [q:1/2] tsp pepper
  • Spices for seasoning:
    • fennel seed
    • rosemary
    • turmeric
    • cumin
    • nutmeg
    • cinnamon
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste or [q:1/4] cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • Splash of red wine
  • Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
  1. Cover wheat with about 1 inch of water.
  2. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for about an hour or until the grain opens and is soft. The cooking time will depend on the variety of wheat you have and whether you soaked it overnight.
  3. Cook the lentils separately by putting [q:1/2] cup of lentils and about 1 cup of water or vegetable broth in a saucepan. (You may want to add a little more water or broth depending on the consistency you want.) Bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer until soft.
  4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a separate medium pan, add chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and any other desired spices.
  5. Add in tomato paste or diced tomatoes, lemon juice, a splash of red wine, and the lentils and warm all together.
  6. Add lentil mixture to the wheat, stir together, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using, and enjoy.
Nutrition Info
Made with farro, lentils, and tomato paste: 364 Calories, 3 g Protein, 13 g Carbohydrates, 19 g Protein, 0 mg Cholesterol, 65 g Carbohydrates, 6 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 11 g Fiber, 5 g Total fat (1 g sat), 271 mg Sodium, [nut:5] Folate, [nut:4] Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Phosphorus, [nut:3] Vitamin B6, Iron, [nut:2] Vitamin B3 (niacin), Magnesium, Zinc, [nut:1] Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin E, Potassium

Whole Grain Traditions

Whole Grain Traditions
Celebratory Meals for Cold Seasons
Mark Wallace
a bowl of eastern European grain porridge

Excerpted with permission from Della Medicina by Lisa Fazio ($24.99, Healing Arts Press, 2024).

As a second-generation immigrant living in an Italian-American community, the traditions and practices of my Italian family were not even thought of as “traditions,” if thought of at all; they were just a part of daily life.

Consumption of whole legumes and grains, such as the traditional Calabrian dish cuccìa, as well as broad beans, chickpeas, and so on, occurred at midwinter and autumn celebrations when these foods were thought to be blessed and when the dead were nearest to the living.

Beans and grains are seeds, and seeds are believed to hold the regenerative and life-giving potential that when eaten revitalizes and reinvigorates the living and honors the deceased.

The History of Cuccìa

Cuccìa has many variations and is a traditional dish made to celebrate the feast of Santa Lucia in December.

It is also commonly cooked around Christmas, for good luck on New Year’s Day, and anytime during the winter for a warm bowl of deep nourishment.

Where Does The Name Come From?

The name comes from cucìa, meaning “cooked” and referring to a legend about the arrival of wheat during a famine whereby the food was cooked as quickly as possible, so the hungry people didn’t have to wait any longer.

Instead of taking the time to make bread, the wheat was boiled into a quick porridge. As soon as it was ready the cook shouted, “Cucìa, cucìa!,” “Cooked, cooked!”

Or it may stem from the Greek Ko (u) kkìa, which means “wheat.”

What is Cuccìa?

There are multiple versions of cuccìa with some being sweet and some being savory.

It’s basically boiled wheat berries with whatever else sounds good added to it.

In some recipes it’s more of a pudding and includes ricotta.

Sources

Della Medicina by Lisa Fazio ($24.99, Healing Arts Press, 2024)

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Contributor
Lisa Fazio
Tags
wheat berries
chickpeas / garbanzo beans
beans
seeds

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Prep Time
1 hour, 45 minutes
Number of Servings
6
Ingredients
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, divided
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 cup wheat berries, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with their juice
  • 8 cups coarsely chopped, trimmed kale (stems removed)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. In a food processor or high-speed blender, purée drained beans with 1 cup of the stock. Set aside.
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  4. Stir in kale. Cover and cook until kale and wheat berries are tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Info
394 Calories, 22 g Protein, 73 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 17 g Fiber, 4 g Total fat (1 g sat), 262 mg Sodium, [nutrition:5] Vitamin K, Folate, Iron, Phosphorus, [nutrition:4] Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin C, Magnesium, [nutrition:3] Vitamin B6, Potassium, Zinc, [nutrition:2] Calcium, [nutrition:1] Vitamin A, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin)

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Number of Servings
2
Ingredients
  • 1 can (5oz) Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna, undrained
  • 2 c cooked wheat berries, cooled to room temperature
  • [q:1/2] c shredded carrots
  • [q:1/2] c crumbled feta cheese
  • [q:1/2] c chopped parsley
  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Place tuna and natural juices from the can into a bowl.
  2. Flake tuna with a fork into bite size pieces and stir to incorporate the juices back into tuna.
  3. Add wheat berries, carrots, feta cheese and parsley and mix gently to combine all ingredients.
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Wheat Berry Salad with Spinach, Orange, and Almond

Wheat Berry Salad with Spinach, Orange, and Almond
Prep Time
10 minutes prep, 1 hour 15 minutes cook
Number of Servings
10 servings
Ingredients
  • [q:2 1/2] cups wheat berries
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • [q:1/2] cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 Tbsp grated orange zest
  • [q:1 1/2] Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp finely minced shallot
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • [q:1/2] cup slivered toasted almonds (or pine nuts)
  • [q:1/4] tsp black pepper
  • [q:1/4] cup low fat feta cheese
  • 3 cups organic baby spinach
  • [q:1 1/2] cups grape tomatoes, halved
Directions
  1. In a large pan, combine the wheat berries, salt, and 8 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium, and briskly simmer for about 1 hour, or until the wheat berries are chewy but not starchy in the middle. (The only way to know they’re done is to bite one.) When done, drain berries and rinse with cold water.
  2. For the dressing, combine the orange juice and zest, lemon juice, shallot, olive oil, and pepper in a small bowl, and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled wheat berries, almonds, feta, spinach, tomatoes, and the vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.
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