What a gastronomic
adventure strolling around the street markets is. The vegetable and fruit
stalls define the regional cuisines, outline the change of the seasons and
inspire new recipes.
Last week I was in the
South of France where I enjoyed the explosion of the asparagus and strawberries
season.
However, it was the ‘endiviette’ - a tiny yellow chicory
salad – that attracted my attention in Valbonne’s market. For the first time in
my life, I tasted the sweetness and tenderness of the young endive, which
becomes slightly bitter and crunchy when it grows. A true delicacy.
In Via Tabacchi,
Milan, I enjoyed the abundance of the Mediterranean produce: from the last
Sardinian spine artichokes, still delicate and tender,
to the first
Ligurian trombetta courgettes, so
sweet and firm. Finely sliced, they are the perfect ingredients either
for a frittata or for a last-minute pasta sauce.
But for me the
new entry was ‘sivoni’ , a wild herb from Apulia, similar
to the dandelion, on the market for only one month. It is both the seasonal and
local produce which make spring cooking unique. Chatting away with a farmer, I
discovered that Sivoni e fave
bianche (sivoni and dried broad
beans) is a traditional spring dish from Apulia. It sounds delicious.
Back in London, today in the local farm market I found the wild garlic leaves, which add a special flavour and body to any ordinary salad.
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