Photography student Molli A. Browne shares her farm to table experience cooking like a local.
Spring has sprung in Florence and people from all over the world are coming to visit. The streets are crowded and the markets are filled with tourists, locals, and fresh seasonal vegetables. During my first couple of weeks here, I noticed that almost every dish I ordered had zucchini in it. I did my research and quickly realized zucchini is in season from late March to early September. I decided that I should go out on my own and cook a meal like a local. Of course, I had to use zucchini.
As I was walking home from class, I discovered a small fruit and vegetable stand at the end of Borgo Pinti. They had ample amounts of farm fresh zucchini for an incredible price. They also had fresh garlic, lemon and cheese. I used all of these ingredients to make my pasta dish. This dish is spaghetti in a lemon garlic white wine sauce topped with baked zucchini flowers.
Italy isn’t all about the carbs; fruits and vegetables play a huge role in Italian cuisine. Here’s everything you need to know this fall about the best fruits and veggies in Florence. Check out the best markets, what produce is in-season, and vegetarian-friendly restaurants and recipes!
The high-carbohydrate diet many associate with Italian cuisine is a falsehood: Italians may eat carbs, but their lifestyle, portions, and eating habits are much healthier. That’s why when the New York Times reports on Italian eating habits, the focus is not on how to eat a low-carb diet while traveling, but rather why Italians are some of the healthiest people in the world. Fruits and vegetables, though filled with those ‘nasty’ carbs, are absolutely essential not only to a healthy diet, but also to Italian cuisine. That’s why including some apples, asparagus or zucchini in your basket while on your daily market trip is important to the Italian experience.
If you haven’t been to an Italian local market yet, give yourself an afternoon to go and explore one of the best parts of living in Florence. There are more than four big Florentine markets, not including the San Lorenzo Market, that you should visit to get the best, and freshest, produce (and even some clothing, music, plants and pastry too!)
However, before going to the market, know what fruits and vegetables are in season. Check out this chart to see that apples, blueberries, grapes, tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers are just some of the fruits and vegetables that are at their best in September.
Want to visit some renowned vegetarian restaurants in Florence? Try Le Fate on Via S. Zanobi, for it’s fully vegan and vegetarian menu inspired by the signs of the zodiac and recommended by Travel + Leisure Magazine. Dolce Vegan and Il Vegetariano both have extensive vegetarian and vegan options as well, both a less than 10 minute walk from one another in the center of Florence. Still want more options? Silvana Vegan is an additional option, on Via dei Neri near the Galileo Museum.
If you don’t want to eat out, FUA Professor Cecilia Ricci, who often teaches food and culture courses, swears by this traditional Italian recipe for fruits and vegetables:
Cold Barley Salad, with Shrimp, Anchovy Fillets, and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients:
300 g Pearl barley
200 g Shelled shrimp
15 g Extra-Virgin olive oil
150 g Cherry tomatoes
3-4 leaves of basil, cut in julienne
Black pepper
Salt
8 Anchovies fillets, preserved under oil
Directions:
Boil the barley in a pot with 1.5lt of water with salt. Once the barley is cooked, strain it and place it to cool down in a bowl. In the meantime, wash and dice the cherry tomatoes. In a casserole pan add the extra-virgin olive oil, heat it at medium temperature, and let the anchovies fillet to melt. Once the anchovies are ready add the shrimp and sauté them in the oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the barley in the casserole, stir and mix all the ingredients together for 5 more minutes. Then, remove all the ingredients from the pan and place them in a bowl, add the diced cherry tomatoes, basil, pepper, salt, and mix. Refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes before to serve. And enjoy!
After buying your fruits and vegetables, make sure you pay attention to how long they keep. Basically, how long the fruits veggies last is based on where they are from. If they are fresh from the market, your fruits and vegetables can last 3-4 days without rotting or refrigeration. If they are from the supermarket, the produce can go bad within a day or two because it has been refrigerated and prevented from becoming ripe. That way, as soon as they leave the supermarket your fruits and veggies can become ripe faster and ultimately rot faster. Buying fresh produce from the local market is a better way to ensure it will last (and it will taste better too!)
Click here for a guide to eating out in Florence, provided by FUA’s hospitality department.
In Florence, venturing into the market isn’t simply about buying food, but it’s also about being part of an authentic experience. You’ll be surrounded by Italian speakers, vibrant colors and something new on every corner to indulge your senses. Vendors can tell you the origin of the foods whether an item comes from the northern regions of Italy or right here in Tuscany. You’ll develop a deeper appreciation and closer connection to these Italian products. Markets are also a great place to observe local life and even practice the language.
You probably heard about the popular San Lorenzo Market before even stepping off the plane to Florence, but there are many more options to purchase groceries in the in the city center.
Sant’Ambrogio Designed by Giuseppe Mengoni and built in 1873, the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio is home to a selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, breads, and pasta that may offer more advantageous prices than the San Lorenzo Market. The market is both indoors and outdoors, open every day 7am-2pm except on Sunday. It’s about 15 minutes away from the Duomo.
Santo Spirito Every third Sunday of the month, the square hosts an organic food market from 9am to 7pm. You can browse through various stalls of local food purveyors.
Fruit and vegetable grocers: Fruttivendolo Around the city you’ll find fruttivendoli or ortofrutta shops specialized in fruits and vegetables. Everyone has their favorite based on their neighborhood or shopping preferences, try asking professors or new acquaintances at which shops they like to buy their frutta e verdure (fruit and vegetables)!
How to Shop – An Essential Guide
Be sustainable and bring along a reusable grocery shopper bag.
Bring cash instead of relying on a credit card as most vendors only accept cash.
Don’t touch the fruits and vegetables without asking. Tell the vendor what you want. They’ll either give you it or hand you a plastic bag to pick it up before it’s weighed.
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for seasonal fruits and vegetables. Eating seasonally is key to Italian cuisine and the market is a great place to experiment with products that vary as the weather changes.
Know how much you want and how to say it. Although some vendors will know English, this won’t be the case in all situations. I would like… Vorrei…(i.e. I would like 2 apples. Vorrei due mele) Can you give me..? Mi da…? (i.e. Can you give me 2 apple? Mi da due mele?) One Uno Two Due Three Tre Four Quattro Five Cinque 1 pound= about a half a kilogram Mezzo chilo For cured meats, the etto, or 100 grams, is a common unit of measure.
If you don’t see something on the list that you want to purchase, look up the translation and write it down. Don’t worry if you’re having trouble saying something in Italian, or indicating the item that you wish to purchase.
Shopping at local markets is a great option for making dinner at home with friends, preparing fresh packed lunches to enjoy in between classes, or to have healthy snacks on hand such as perfectly ripe fruit. In addition to shopping locally, you can also check out the Apicius CiboChat blog for student reviews of local restaurants, bakeries, gelato shops, and much more.
