wisdom of the seasons

Christmas in Sicily is like a parade of sweets. Sicilians LOVE THEIR TREATS. We ate Cassata, cannoli, 7 veils chocolate mousse/cake, panettone, pistachio nutella, regular nutella, and so much of everything else.

Then January comes and Mother Nature's merciful wisdom, springs forth the remedy. Wild Greens. All sorts of chicoria, chards, bitter greens. This is the way to love your liver.

I think back to Whole Foods and how thrilled I was to pay 2.99 a pound for cultivated dandelion, if and when I could get it.

Just the other day I purchased off the back of a one of those aluminum foil putt putt truckettes, 5 euro worth of greens. It weighed 5 kilos. 11 pounds of greens!!! So I have blanched and shocked some, juiced some and had some in salads and sauteed the rest for pasta (gluten free, really this O blood type girl needs a break from the wheat!)

And this week Carnevale has started. It can be a roller coaster here participating in all the food rituals. But if you look really closely and pay attention to the land, you find what you want.

I am determined to make my own olive leaf tincture one day soon. There is a fornaio just down the block from us that burns huge branches of olive trees and all their leaves for the daily bake. It bugs me every time. Gotta get the leaves.


I am though, happily brewing my latest batch of kombucha and this is definitely adding to my quality of life. Thank you fermentation and culinary wisdom from around the world.

So amongst the temptations of Bar Ester (making amazing gelato and other too beautiful to resist pastries) and all kinds of seasonal desserts, I am perservering in eating in sync with the real seasons, not just the festivals.






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