ROUSES_MarApr2019_Magazine-R

Italian Immigrants in Daphne, Alabama As the late 1800s gave way to the 20th century, the population of Italian- Americans in Daphne, Alabama swelled. It’s not the first place you think of as an Italian immigrant enclave, but land was cheap and the weather favorable for farming. If you were new to America with dreams of break- ing soil on a farm of your own, news of a far-off Italian agricultural colony sounded almost too good to be true — which turned out to be the case. Daphne wasn’t the slice of heaven then that it is today. Much of the land at the time — especially the affordable land — had yet to be cultivated and, before farms could be built, entire forests had to be leveled, tree stumps extirpated, soil nurtured. The immigrants, however, proved to be genuine pioneers with all the can-do spirit necessary to endure hardships and overcome these obstacles. When at last rows could be plowed and seeds planted, Alabama had another curveball to throw at them. The immigrants faced harsh weather early on that proved generally inhospitable to such typical Italian crops as grapes for winemaking. So these Italian-American farmers turned to pota- toes — a vegetable generally planted in spring. Because of the Gulf Coast’s temper- ate weather, it proved perfect for planting much earlier than in the rest of the country. And these industrious families then set up centers at rail yards, turning a local harvest into a national prod- uct that no one else could provide. Thus Daphne became a major supplier of produce to the northeastern United States. Meanwhile, the immigrants continued expanding their operations, not only plant- ing crops in larger quantities and devel- oping sophisticated distribution networks, but also expanding the services offered to include farm supplies, seeds, pesticides and fertilizer. Baldwin County grew from being a blank spot on the map to a major player in the feeding of the nation. Today, many of the same families who founded farms a hundred years ago are still running them. The products have changed a bit, but the same indefatigable work ethic prevails. These days when you think of Daphne, you probably think of peanuts and sweet potatoes — two of the area’s domi- nant crops. And those local yields find their way onto produce shelves and into shop- ping carts at Rouses Markets and across the land every day.

Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes Serves 6 WHAT YOU WILL NEED 2½ pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed 1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for serv- ing 1 egg, lightly beaten

Sprinkle 1¼ cups flour and 2 teaspoons salt over potatoes and, using your hands, make a well in the center. Pour egg into the well and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the flour is moistened and the dough starts to clump together. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead, dusting with more flour as needed, until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and a little sticky, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 24-inch long rope about ½-inch thick. Cut into ½-inch pieces, dust with flour, and arrange in a single layer on a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini mush- rooms, sundried tomatoes and garlic; sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and sauté until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add butter, Parmesan and basil. Toss to coat and transfer to a large bowl. Working in batches, cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted water until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently place gnocchi on top of mushroom mixture as you go. Once all gnocchi are cooked, add ½ cup cooking liquid and gently toss everything together, adding more cooking liquid as needed, until butter and cheese are melted and a creamy

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 cup sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms

½ cup sundried tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, minced 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese,

plus more for serving 24 fresh basil leaves Freshly ground black pepper HOW TO PREP

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water over medium-high heat until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 40-45 minutes; drain. As soon as potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and pass through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Let cool completely. sauce forms. Serve warm. !!!!!!!!! DAPHNE Your new Rouses Market in Daphne, Alabama, opens late Spring 2019!

28 MARCH•APRIL 2019