Posted by Keeper Collection
Buongiorno from the Keeper Team!
While planning our trip to Italy, one of the best decisions that Southern Visions, our awesome vacation guru, helped us make was to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel in Monopoli so that we had our own kitchen to cook in. Besides, even after two days, our clothes were starting to feel tighter (only an itsy bit) from the richness and quantity of food from eating out (not to mention the thinning of our wallets). With all of this in mind, the Keeper Team was excited to hit up the local market for fresh fish and vegetables.
Our goal was to use the freshest Italian ingredients to create a local variation of one of Chef David Bull’s recipes along with some food creations of our own.
So we spent the day in Monopoli meandering through the colorful market. We got up early and decided to let the ingredients be our inspiration for our menu. As we spent time in the marketplace, we had a hard time formulating which dishes to include on our menu because EVERYTHING looked so enticing. The choices of grains and rices and spices (oh my!) were abundant.
As we approached the vegetables, I swear, the squash blossoms whispered “eat me!” Although we tried to control ourselves, we ended up getting enough food to last us two days!!
Although I’m sure we didn’t look it, we felt like an authentic Italian family while whipping up our meal. Using our laptop in the kitchen, we were able to access one of our favorite recipes from Bull’s Eye on Food. We combined Fresh Baccalà that the local fisherman had caught that day, with Cucumber Mignonette and Charred Tomatoes, all from our laptop.
Not to toot our own horn, but we were more than satisfied with the outcome of our day’s work. The freshness of the ingredients really added something special to the dishes. Here’s our home made Italian dinner! Yummmm!
Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Fresh Ricotta
To start our homemade meal, we devoured the delicious squash blossoms from the the market. This was a simple dish that everyone loved! Here comes the second course…
Seared Bacala with Cucumber Mignonette & Charred Tomatoes
Orecchiette with Fresh Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Langoustines
i love Italian Food specially those juicy pastas. They are really delicious.’~`
How amazing that you can take centuries old cooking techniques from the locals, and add new zest via your laptop cookbook anywhere in the world, to get a recipe to re-create and CREATE your own version! voila’! (or is that French?, silly me) Gratzi for the delicious pictures!
Man, I love the flowers. I spent a summer when I was younger in Florence. I lived with my Grandfather and his two sisters. My Aunt Beeca would lighty coat them in an egg batter and fry them. I miss them all very much. I have been promising my half Polish son his whole life that we would go back. Gotta make that happen. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Also, I found this blog that I really enjoy, maybe you will too!
Over a Tuscan Stove
Thanks, so glad you enjoyed the post – the flowers, other fresh produce, and fish were so wonderful. Appreciate your blog referral and will take a peek!