When you love food and those who produce it- you life is filled with many lovely special moments.
caper blossom with capers at bottom left- they are where the blossoms come from
Such as stopping to smell the flowers or in this case, point out a beautiful caper blossom and explain what it is. The capers we eat at the flower buds, which then bloom into this lovely flower. You can see the tiny green seed pod in the middle of the flower which will then become the appetizer size of the caper berry. WOW nature is just amazing isn’t it.
Sharing my food friends with my students is a joy. Each day is a learning experience while shopping and sharing knowledge. We have weekly markets in various villages where the local farmers sell their products, still warm from the ground. There are markets where the town fills up with trucks with fabric, farm tools, clothing and food trucks as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
leonardo is my porchetta guy at the weekly market– so I get treats!
This week at the market Leonardo had us try a summer dish, Crostini di Poppa. ( you probably don’t want to know, but it was a boiled cow’s udder, sliced thinly and served on bread with mayo, salt and fresh lemon juice then topped with sweet red onion from Tropea, Calabria) It was fabulous!
It is like a treasure hunt daily to find the best butcher in town, the best bread or cheese produced nearby.
the most crowded food truck is the roast chicken and fried food truck always packed!
With my job, I can move around a lot, doing research for articles or for trip planning. I meet a lot of people and get to taste some great food and wine but mostly I love simple things which are available to everyone.
Simple foods shine on their own and fresh farm to table food is the perfect example of flavor at its peak.
“Everything tastes better in Italy” is something I always hear.
We are blessed with eating fresh, local, seasonal foods.
That may mean nothing but zucchini for ages, but it inspires one to be creative.
Check out this lovely garden inspired simple “salad” we had at the fabulous La Petraia Farm in Radda.
simple free-form salad- milk mayo with raw vegetables and flowers- Pinzimonio
I am truly blessed to be able to live here and to be able to share it with you all!
At the market today Francesca gave me a new recipe
Eggplant Bruschetta
Simply grill eggplant slices and top with seeded chopped tomatoes, marinated with garlic, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Lightly salt and serve with oregano on top.
My husband adored this.
Grazie Francesca!
I is good to finally see a caper plant. I love capers and didn’t realize they came from such a beautiful (and by the looks of it relatively small) plant. Looks a little like a water lily.
erina- the plants get to be huge– they grow on the stone walls here in Tuscany and in the volcanic soil in Sicily
The visit was useful. Content was really very informative. visit giftwithlove dot com(Online Florists).
That Eggplant Bruschetta is incredible please post more recipes like this one