Recipe: Squash Vines aka Grattaculi (butt scratchers)

This post was inspired by Claus who tweets as @augustlights. He sent out the pic above with the question: “Do you have any idea what this is? Picked up on whim at HFM Sunday”. I recognized the ultimate veg for the frugal. They are Squash Vines, or as I learned in Basilicata, Italy, grattaculi which translates as Butt Scratchers. The vines are very fibrous and prickly, ergo the Italian reference. That’s enough to make me try them. New zucchini vines are the most tender of the squash vines. I suspect those above are a bit more fibrous. Anyone who grows summer squashes knows the benefits to curbing their growth by trimming the vines.

Several years ago I was exploring the region of Basilicata which is the arch of the boot of Italy. I was lucky enough to be introduced to the most gifted natural cook I’ve ever met, Angela Scutari. She and her family operate a very rustic B&B in the hills above Senise called L’Acacia.

Here is what I said about how she used the squash vines:

Then there was the simplest of soups made from the tender tops of zucchini vines Angela lopped off then simmered in water with zucchini flowers, a diced potato, a couple of green beans, basil and a bit of salt.

The Method:

1/4 cup good oil in pan

Add sliced garlic and onion if you wish and briefly saute

Add cut up vines, leaves, squash blossoms and stew a minute in the oil

Add cherry tomatoes if you want

Add 1 peeled and diced potato

Add a small handful trimmed green beans

Barely cover with enough water.

Add salt and simmer until vines soften.

My explorations resulted in an article I wrote for Gourmet on the region, that featured her cooking. If you want to see Angela at work take a look at this segment of Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie: Italian Home Cooking. She doesn’t make the Grattaculi here but you still can enjoy her (and my buddy Elizabeth Minchilli who hosted this episode).