copyright 2013 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati
Who knows what a walk on a sunny Sunday afternoon will lead to? I needed some fresh ingredients for Sunday dinner and decided to go to the Market at Circus Maximus- known for local, organic and seasonal produce, dairy and freshly baked breads…but a trip to the market in Rome is never just a trip to the market it is an experience through ancient Rome…how could I get through it , do my shopping and be home in time to cook dinner?
First, I had to make it through the Roman Forum, on a sunny day up high on one of Rome’s seven hills, a breathtaking view, or a ‘belvedere’ (as we say in Italian), worthy of at least an hour stop..to pass through the back of Rome’s Campidoglio ( the official City Hall)..home of many things but also a piazza designed by Michelangelo..another hour…
Who knew we would pass the Arch of Janus-one of Rome’s ancient triumphal arches
There goes another hour.. finally the market.. Mercato di Campagna D’Amica di Circo Massimo..( imagine taking a trip through an art museum every day just to get to the market!)
All organic, local and seasonal, here’s where you can find locally made pecorino cheese, locally grown zucchini, agretti, farm fresh eggs and dairy, herbs , organic olive oil and wine, and freshly baked breads and sweets from organic ingredients..
Since it was already 3 PM and nothing on the table yet, we decided lunch would start with local bread and sliced pecorino produced in nearby Rieti
And then local organic zucchini, and some farm fresh eggs organic olive oil..a zucchini frittata.
Wash and slice 3-4 zucchini into small sticks
Saute in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil till tender.
Whisk 4 farm fresh eggs together in a bowl, add in pinch of salt. Pour onto zucchini sticks. When firm on all sides flip onto plate,turn over and cook on opposite side till firm. Serve with dry white wine..we had (nearby produced) Est!Est!Est!
Dessert was the infamous Fragole con Limone (strawberries with lemon) sounds simple but the trick is to use fresh, local and in season strawberries, and fresh, local, organic lemons…
Wash, hull and quarter 1 pound of strawberries. Place in ceramic bowl, squeeze one lemon on top, remove seeds. Sprinkle 2 tsps organic brown sugar or stevia on top, stir gently. Cover and let marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Listen to my radio interview about this Blog post on The Well Informed Traveler
See You this weekend April 27-28th in Reston Virginia at Great Grapes Festival
May 17th at Tastes of the World event at Pearl S.Buck Foundation in Perkasie, Pa.
For more recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition
