STAYING AT HOME
Today we did not wander. Our schedule was a blank page and rather than trying to fill it in we let it float like a paper boat in still water going no where special. Sometimes even I can accept a day of rest.
The weather was perfect pool weather; a cloudless sky, a cool breeze and temperatures warm enough to generate beads of sweat from no exertion other than lifting a glass of vino blanco to our lips. We took turns slipping into the pool but only to cool off.
After much napping we decided dinner would be whatever we could concoct from the frig and pantry. The Italians have a love of artichokes and we've always been right there with them. At Saturday's market we choose them not just for their taste but also for their beauty. The ones we purchased at market possessed an almost rose like resemblance with shades of pink and aborigine mixed in with the deep greens. I'm not sure if there's a season in Italy for artichokes but every vendor selling vegetables had baskets filled with them marked ten for four euros or fifteen for five.
Rick tied them with slices of lemons and then steamed them stems and all until they were at the perfect temperature and texture for scraping the meat off of their leaves with your top teeth after dipping them in salted melted butter squeezed with fresh lemon.
Our prima piatto was ready.
We added a pasta dish made from whatever we could pull from the refrigerator: a box of mushrooms, the remains of a baked chicken and some cream. Emmy had been saving tomato slices and sun drying them on the windowsill. They went into the sauce along with some fresh basil, an onion and some garlic. Once the parppadelle had come to a boil and a cup of the water had been scooped out to be added to the broth our dinner was ready.
It came accompanied by yet another brilliant sunset. I never left the farm for an entire day not even for gelato. This was a proud moment for me.
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