When I first started teaching classes for Syracuse University here in Florence in 1988, one of my first teachers at the San Lorenzo market was Roberta. She had the largest fruit stand upstairs with her oldest son. Roberta would always give me huge bags of ripe fruit for 5,000 lira to make huge bowls of Macedonia for my classes once a month. To this day when I make Macedonia I think of Roberta. Since the days of my classes for students, Roberta’s son died and she had to abandon her stand as alone it was impossible to take care of it on her own. Macedonia is a fruit salad, of many mixed fruits, probably getting it’s name from the region of Macedonia, above Greece where they are a mixed population! Usually at the end of a meal, one would cut strawberries into a small water tumbler, sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar or two on top and cover with red wine.Talking while waiting for the sugar to dissolve. then eating the fruit and drinking the infused wine. Mangi e Bevi, Eat and Drink!Peaches are usually done in white wine… sound familar.. the Bellini cocktail, peaches in prosecco, Italy’s sparkling white wine. Today I buy my fruit downstairs at the more expensive stands, often using wild strawberries, raspberries and other more elegant fruits instead of the family style pears, apples, bananas,peaches, apricots and plums that Roberta gave me. Non the less, fabulous. Join me in this tribute to Roberta, with whatever ripe fruit you have!
Macedonia alla Roberta
2 to 3 pieces of really ripe fruit per person Apples,peaches, bananas,kiwi, peaches,pears….
Cut the fruit up into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
Add sugar. It is important not to skimp on the sugar.
In a big bowl add about 1 cup of sugar.
If you were making jam it would be a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit!
We are not making jam, but the sugar brings out the juices in the fruit, which will blend with the wine to give you a great liquid that you can drink when you finish the fruit salad!
Add white wine to cover.
Stir and let sit.
Taste and if you tastes like too much wine, add more sugar!
Each family has its own formula for macedonia. My maternal grandmother add a few slices of lemon, to add its flavor and juice to the mixture;she also uses dry white wine and stays quite light on the sugar because she likes the tangy flavor of dry wine and lemon. My paternal grandmother adds a little Marsala wine to make the mixture even more perfumed. My MIL adds raisins and cuts the fruit in very small peices, so that with each spoonful one picks up bits of different fruits. I borrow something from many, making mine in smaller pieces than usual and adding some flavorful wine, Marsala, Port or also Vinsanto, to add kick. But I also like to be heavy on one fruit alone: half of the whole stuff will be peaches or apples, or something else. Than I add unusual of strongly-flavored fruits.
Judy: You must stop all these posts about your market in Florence. I’m getting so jealous! Gotta run, I think there’s a midnight train that should get me into Florence just in time for a ristretto and cornetto with you…
It has been a long time since I was in france with a fabulous cafe au lait and a basket of croissants!
Tasty blog! Please check out my iron wine blog.