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Reflections: What Grows in Silence - I Sepolcri di Grano

Today, as I prepare i sepolcri di grano - those tender shoots of wheat grown in darkness for Holy Week, I’m struck by how much of our heritage is cultivated in shadow. These small grains of wheat will in time sprout into humble and symbolic tender shoots; grown quietly in cupboards and cellars, much like the family stories carried in silence. They belong to rituals that travelled across oceans with our families, reappearing each year in kitchens and parish halls far from Basilicata. I remember my maternal grandmother, nonna Carmela preparing them for Good Friday. I watched her soak the grains, spread them into shallow dishes, and hide them away in darkness. She had carried this tradition from her village to Australia, recreating it in a suburban kitchen that bore little resemblance to the world she left behind. For her, it wasn’t nostalgia; it was devotion and continuity; a quiet way of keeping the rhythm of faith and the old world alive in a new one. I didn’t fully understand the sy...
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Orange & Olive Oil Cake

 




I hope everyone is keeping safe and in good spirits as best as one can.  Lock down in Melbourne and working from home has been hard but presented many positives for me (and lets just focus on those positives!), one of which is having a cake baked to be enjoyed with an afternoon cup of tea.  The winter citruses have been shared around and kept us connected as much as possible.  There hasn't been time to preserve the harvest, so many have been enjoyed fresh or in cakes like this one.

I won't take the credit for this creation though, as it was baked by my daughter from one of mamma's simple cake recipes using only a few pantry ingredients and an orange from their garden. 

This dairy free cake is moist and full of flavour and you can substitute the orange for lemons if you so desire.  Ideally organically homegrown oranges are preferred however, if you use store bought citruses, I do recommend that you give them a good scrub before using the zest.

Mamma's recipes read very simply with no exact measurements except the use of a tea cup.  So quantities and measurements below have been converted to more conventional ones. Enough flour is added to reach the desired cake batter consistency. It is a simple one bowl and whisk type of cake making it quick and hassle free.

Orange & Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 orange (juice & zest)
150 ml olive oil
1 cup sugar
self raising flour (enough to reach cake batter consistency)


Preheat oven 180 C and grease a bunt tin with a light spray of oil. 

In a bowl whisk 3 eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the olive oil, zest and juice of an orange and continue to whisk.  As mentioned above, enough flour is added with a spoon, whisking in between until you reach the desired cake batter consistency. 

Pour batter in tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or check with a skewer and it will be ready when it comes out clean.

It also makes a lovely breakfast cake enjoyed with coffee.  

Keep safe and positive X

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