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In July 2015 , a few Seed Savers Exchange preservation faculty members drove about an minute - and - a - half from Decorah , Iowa , to Genoa , Wisconsin . Their mission ? To encounter Marilyn Leum , longtime steward of the‘Lorenzo Trussoni Heirloom ’ false saffron , at an annual breeze hold in on the Fourth of July at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church .
The roadtrip did not disappoint . Not only did Marilyn give those stave members some of her wanted false saffron seeds to add to the SSE aggregation — seeds she saved from her garden in Westby , Wisconsin — but she also recounted the “ root ” of the miscellany ( traced all the means back to the tardy 1800s in Italy ) and passed along a delicious Italian rice formula that features it .
Lorenzo Trussoni, safflower steward
It was Marilyn ’s grandfather , Lorenzo Trussoni , who fetch seeds of the flower with him when he emigrated in November 1889 from Fraciscio , Italy—“about five miles from the Campodolcino realm as the goats walked ” near the Italian / Swiss mete , according to family lore . Marilyn observe that Lorenzo left Italy at age 20 because there was “ no work and no money to be on . ”
Lorenzo came to the United States through New York on his way to northerly Wisconsin , where he did logging oeuvre to earn money to buy a farm near Genoa , a small township in which other Italians from the Campodolcino region of Italy had antecedently settled . Lorenzo and his family lived on that farm until about 1932 , when Annie , Marilyn ’s mother and the immature of his kid , was 16 . The safflower was a mainstay of first Lorenzo ’s Wisconsin gardens and then Annie ’s .
Marilyn still recalls peck the Carthamus tinctorius as a shaver . It was , she says , “ a nasty line as far as I was worry , since the interior leaves surrounding the flowers had hard barbs that really hurt . ” That did n’t , however , halt Marilyn from enjoy it as an adult — after receiving seeds from her female parent , she hasgrown it for about 35 year near Westby .
Lorenzo Trussoni, safflower steward
“ It has always been a part of our lives , ” says Marilyn , who notes the variety is pop among member of her immediate and extended category . “ People in the Genoa realm hold it very dear , as it ’s a link to Italy and relatives there ; it ’s part of our heritage that we do n’t want to recede . ”
Recipe
The mother of Marilyn Leum , seed bestower , made this risotto recipe for major holidays like Easter , Thanksgiving , and Christmas as well as particular occasions throughout the yr . She used foresighted - grain Elmer Rice because the distinctive short - grain rice used in risottos was unavailable in Wisconsin in the other twentieth century . Long - caryopsis Sir Tim Rice does n’t release starch as it cook , so cheddar high mallow was added to the formula to give it the creamy richness and body of a typical risotto .
‘Lorenzo Trussoni Heirloom’ Saffron/Safflower Rice
Ingredients:1 large can chicken broth2 cups farseeing - food grain rice¾ pound cheddar high mallow , diced ( three - year - old American cheese is ideal)5 cups water1 small can chicken broth1 tablespoon saffron / false saffron threads
direction : rinse off the rice in the water before make . In a small saucepan , heat the small can of chicken broth on the stove . ( You will utilize this broth to bleed the saffron / safflower into the Elmer Leopold Rice as it prepare . )
stir up the declamatory can of chicken broth in a bounteous great deal and add rice , cooking slowly . Do not moil ; just simmer — it takes a long metre — anddon’tleave the stove , as you have to stir it very frequently so that it does n’t burn down . Stir rice with a with child wooden spoonful .
Shop ‘Lorenzo Trussoni Safflower’ seeds
Put the saffron / safflower threads in a small brand - mesh strainer and put the strainer into the declamatory pot of broth and rice . You may have to bend the strainer handgrip so that the threads sit in the broth without losing them in the liquid .
pullulate the lowly heated can of broth a minute at a sentence over the threads . This “ bleeds ” the saffron / safflower . apply a lowly wooden utensil to push the threads against the sides of the strainer to let out the flavor and yellow coloration . Continue to do this until there is fiddling to no more yellow color coming from the thread . This takes a while.(There is no part of this recipe that can be hurried — everyone who use up it knows that make it is a material act of love , just because it takes so long in the kitchen to do it.)Continue to arouse frequently throughout this mental process as the Elmer Leopold Rice cook .
When the rice is almost done ( you really do have to try out little samples to ensure that the rice is cooked well ) , put the cube Malva sylvestris into the rice / broth mixture . Let the cheese melt as the rice assortment rests ( 10 - 15 minutes , but watch the heating plant and turn it down if it seems to be too hot ) . shake up the cheese very softly into the rice and then swear out .
About the ‘Lorenzo Trussoni Heirloom’ safflower
This safflower is promiscuous to grow , a garden standout , and in truth various . flora typically uprise 2.5 to 3 feet tall and bring forth about eight bloom per stalk . The blossom threads range in color from yellow-bellied to sensationalistic - red and can be picked as soon as they appear for about 10 days .
Safflower can be directly seeded and produce quickly . Thanks to its deep taproot , plant do not mind dryness in summer . Sowing the seed in a dustup about six inches wide help the plants support one another if there is strong fart .
flush flower petal are surrounded by very astute “ leaves ” so take concern when picking threads . Each flower bring on legion threads , which are picked , dried , and used much like saffron in Italian rice and other recipes .
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Threads are harvested from ‘Lorenzo Trussoni Heirloom’ safflower plants grown at SSE’s Heritage Farm.
Seed Savers Exchange is a revenue enhancement - exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit governing body commit to the preservation of heirloom seeds .
