One of my favorite images in Italy is when I see a car parked on the side of the road,
often in the middle of nowhere.
I squint my eyes and start to search for the hidden car owners.
They know something I don’t; like where to get free food!
Laden down with plastic bags or hand woven baskets
the locals may not confide where they forage,
but I play I spy!
Just around my house I snapped a few foto’s of free food that is available.
on the nearby walls of the church of San Gaudenzio
caper blossom with the smaller caper buds, which can be salted or preserved in vinegar
and behind the larger seed pods, often served as appetizers.
on my own wall, Passion fruit!
lining the road everywhere here, wild blackberries.
Harder to find is the corbezzolo or strawberry tree, with it’s strange fruits, red when ripe.
There is one in the parking lot at Dario’s in Panzano and one down the road from me.
I adore corbezzolo honey, a rich full flavored honey great paired with cheese.
Right now the sambuca plants, elderberries are finally ready.
This plant does double duty providing us with edible blossoms to fry in spring and the dark berries to create jams or syrups with.
Sambuca is not used to make the Italian liquore called Sambuca.
Sambuca is also a village near me in Chianti.
It’s funny, because whenever we’re driving in the country and see a car (or more likely a small truck) pulled over, that usually means some woman is…um…working.
And I don’t mean picking blackberries!