I decided to divide this interesting topic into two parts - one about the farmer's market of fruits and vegetables, the second is about the fish market.
Today I invite you to go with me to buy some fresh vegetables :)
South Italian market bustling and noisy, every seller screams that his product is the best and cheapest, talks up its in verses and prose. I even had a desire to make record on Dictaphone of all this cacophony of sounds. Every seller rains compliments to pretty girls. I Can say for sure after I wakled with the camera on the market, now all sellers remember me :) They think I made them famous all over the world :)
What vegetables you can buy on the market? Any of the current season. Part of the market is occupied by the so-called "zero kilometer" market where local manufacturers bring their products. On the rest of the market there are products from more distant places - such as oranges from Sicily, apples from Aosta. And if in the supermarket you can find off-season fruits and vegetables, instead on the local market is likely to be sold only seasonal greens. And,of course, you can haggle. Often after you have weighed and paid, the seller throw a couple of extra zucchini or beans in your bag. Trifle , but nice!
In southern Italy, wild greens are very popular. This is a wild spinach and greens called chikureddi ( I askes at people, but I realized that no one knows the name of these plants in Italian, only in the local dialect) . There is another popular green called paparina, but when I was in the market , I didn’t find it.
These bulbs are called "pampachuni" and it is something like a wild onion. They must be boiled sooooo long, about 2 hours.
Another local greens - "sponzali" is something between a leek, usual onion and chives, you can find it with bulbs or only greens.
Now there is the midst of artichokes season, you can find them from 10 to 20 pieces for 1 euro.
Also begins the season of fresh beans and peas.
Fennel and celery are ate only raw, great in a fresh salad with olive oil.
Certainly there are eggplants and zucchini – very traditional in local cousine. I always buy eggplants only on the farmer’s market! One time my husband bought them at the supermarket - they were beautiful, but just stuck to the grill and turned into something mashed and completely tasteless.
Cimi di rapa is a relative of normal radishes, but only buds and small leaves are edible. A very popular recipe here - orekkette (hand-made pasta in the form of ears) with Cimi di rapa.
Chicory is ate fresh or cooked - you can just boil it, or you can put out some tomatoes and garlic.
Some sellers cut minestrone from of fresh vegetables and greens.
There are fruits, of course. Now season of oranges – you can find a lot of both local and Sicilian oranges at very reasonable price. I love red ones.
On the market there are also several sellers of cereals, beans, lentils and various marinated olives. Choice is a large and quality is better than pre-packaged ones in the supermarket.
Also on the local market you can buy eggs, either normal or special, which can be eaten raw.
And of course, I can’t finish without the local delicacies - snails like small escargot, which were collected after the rain in fields. There are other type snails, very small.
In fact, it is impossible to write about everything in one article. Difficult to describe colors and sounds of the South Italian market, so come here :)
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