A TASTE OF ITALY

Lazy languid days of solitude in Italy  - a patchwork of unspoiled countryside  as far as the eye can see.   Picture postcard pastel villages crying out to be immortalised  by the painter's palette.   Food to send the senses reeling - how can anyone not come back invigorated with ideas for new innovations and just fuelled with a desire  to create, to cook and just to provide for those at home?



 Kindling that passion was an umbrian feast of innumerable culinary concoctions served up  in a traditional stone structure nestled amongst the olive groves near Trevi, where seasonality is key and where the cooking  style of days gone by remains unchanged.  Bruschetta saturated in olive oil adorned with salami, frittata, ricotta, olives, ham, ravioli, tagliatelli, mozzarella, smoked cheese with walnuts, lamb and beef dishes, salted jacketed potatoes cooked in the ashes, stuffed peppers and tomatoes, the indulgent richness of shaved truffle, pannacotta and cheesecake two of three desserts.  The sheer amount of food and the speed at which it came beat all of us into submission and the belly swelled with gratitude. 

 

 It was here that  a desire  to pickle more began to grow too.  I'm pretty partial to a gherkin or two, but I've never been that fussed by pickled onions, but a slice of mortadella accompanied by the most divine specimen I had ever tasted sent me down to the greengrocer by the shores of Lago Trasimeno in search of  miniature treasures to douse in balsamic or combine with fiery chillis. 

Although I soaked the onions in boiling water, peeling them was still a labour of love!  I can see why someone recommended putting on some music.    Jigging around the kitchen to a few disco tunes might make the process more fun although perhaps a gentle melody from Ludovico Einaudi might be a sight more relaxing!

For another twist try adding mustard seeds to courgettes to add a spike of flavour.  The good food guide also recommends trying radishes, cauliflower, and carrots.
 

 

Now where do I find a deli that sells mortadella?!