Market Days, Market Ways in Florence, Italy

The fast pace of the modern world has caught up with Italy, home of the Slow-Food movement, and created the need for convenience and supermarkets. The traditional way to food shop is still the norm here.  In Florence, the two main markets are Mercato Centrale and Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio (both open daily, except Sundays).  Both markets supply the daily goods to most of the local restaurants and the majority of homes. Those restaurants and households that do not buy from either of these two markets buy from the neighborhood fruttivendolo (greengrocer).  And then, from pure convenience, we all sometimes end up at the modern-day grocery market.

I ventured to Sant'Ambrogio this morning to see what we have to look forward to in the way of local fruits and vegetables as we move into the autumn season.  I found a feast of colors -- rich, vibrant, and abundant -- which means plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and prana.  

Walk with me through the market...  

 Love these peppers

 Have you tasted fried zucchini flowers? Mmmm...

 Root veggies (above and below)

At Sant'Ambrogio, outdoors is where you will find the fresh fruits and veggies... 

 When you order a "pepperoni" pizza in Italy, you will end up 

with a pizza full of "peperoni" instead of spicy sausage.

 The last days of summer fruits

 Happy to have broccoli and cauliflower back in season

Indoors is where you buy meat, fish, chicken, grains, and baked goods.  You can even take a break for a caffé or have lunch.

 "Schiacciata dell'uva" is a Florentine specialty this time of year.  The tiny grapes used are in season only a few weeks.

 Many fresh homemade pastas to choose from

 Grains and legumes are bought at the "civaio"

Gianfranco's honey

In our fast-paced world, convenience counts for something.  But look again at my photos (click to enlarge) and ask yourself, "Which would I choose to buy today?"  And perhaps the more important question: "Where would I choose to buy -- the local farmers market / greengrocer or the supermarket?"

FAGIOLI SERPENTI / TUSCAN SNAKE BEANS

Beans of all kinds are a staple of the Italian diet.  Today I was in the mood to experiment with a different vegetable.  At Mercato Centrale, I asked my fruttivendolo (greengrocer) the difference between the string beans and the serpenti beans, which look like a skinnier, longer (~18 inches long) version of string beans. He explained that the serpenti beans are much more flavorful and a Tuscan specialty this time of year. Sounded precisely what I was looking for.

He then taught me how to prepare them, and now I will share with you the simple instructions for these delicious beans.

Ingredients:

one bunch of serpenti beans or green beans
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
onion
an abundance of ripe cherry tomatoes
sea salt

Preparation:

Break off and discard the tips of the beans.  Then break into semi equal size in thirds.  Wash the beans
Boil a pot of water with sea salt.  Throw the beans in the boiling water for about 20 mins.

In another pot, with a little olive oil, place the tomatoes cut in half into the pan.  Add sea salt.  Add garlic.  In this case, crush the garlic with your hands and break the cloves into four or five pieces instead of mincing or chopping it. Add chopped onion.  Simmer.  To allow the tomatoes to reduce, I let it simmer while the beans were boiling.

Drain the beans but reserve some of the water to add to the sauce as the liquid evaporates.

Add the beans.  Simmer five minutes with another clove of garlic if you, like me, can't get enough garlic.  Add some of the reserved water, if necessary.

Enjoy.  I just did.  Yummy.

I would also steam brown rice or add a protein of my choice if I wanted to make this into a healthful and complete meal. A friend from San Francisco visits Firenze, and we will eat out tonight, which made this small meal a fun experiment in my kitchen. Now I have another yummy vegetable dish for the winter months.

A Delightful Episode of Sensory Overload: Istanbul

One week in Istanbul was not enough time to visit all that my friend and I wanted to see and do. Relaxation time was not in our schedule, nor our vocabulary.  Despite our racing about, I remember well the genuine and kind-hearted people we met.


I remember also sitting on the rooftop terrace at our guesthouse for one or two hours one afternoon under a grapevine canopy overlooking the Sea of Marmara with the sea breeze on my face while sipping Turkish tea, resting my weary feet ... finally absorbing all that touched my senses.  What a wonderful people, culture, city, and holiday.  I must return.


I hope my photos below capture the wonder I felt and help re-create, for you, the magic that is Istanbul, Turkey...

View of Galata Tower from the Golden Horn of the      Bosphorus Strait

Hagia Sophia (first a church, then a mosque, now a museum)

Making bread and Turkish pancakes

How many different kinds of baklava are there?

Another Turkish yummy.  Looks like birds' nests to me.

Selling melon

Passing the church/mosque mosaic

Mohammed and Omed, two new and young friends

Pistachio baklava

A "shish" lunch.

Spice bazaar

Turkish Pinocchio

A young friend anxious to grow into her shoes

Marble Halvah straight from the source!

Fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice in abundance in Istanbul

Corn on the cob

Smoking the nargile

On the Bosphorus looking at Asia heading towards the      Black Sea

Nuts, I just like the foto

Selling Simit, which is like a sesame bagel that ran into a pretzel

"Yaya yolu" is a funny way to say "pathway"

Sugar cubes, a necessity for Turkish coffee and tea

Skyline of minarets

Bitter melon reappears even more colorful than before    (See my earlier post)

I know it seems I ate my way through Istanbul, but I really did go to many monuments.

Turkish rugs and kilims

Among my many amazing experiences this holiday was shopping for a rug. I went to Turkey with the intention to buy one, and yet, I just might be one of the few tourists to return home without a rug.  

Ortobello Farmers Market and Fuori di Taste

We went to the farmer's market that is part of a weekend event in Florence known as Fuori di Taste.  

In the rain and with my arms full of farm fresh milk and vegetables, I captured a few photographs of the food I love to eat, in season and locally grown.