Seasonality

As children we ate fruits and vegetables according to their season. But over time seasonality became less apparent, as everything seemed to be available year-round. I think the growing enthusiasm for farmers’ markets, Slow Food and home vegetable gardens has seen a renewed interest in eating seasonally. Perhaps not coincidentally, supermarket chains seem to be pitching their marketing message in that direction too.

But my experience is that in Italy living and eating by the seasons has never gone out of fashion. Of course, there is year-round availability but it’s the bounty of ripe, just picked and ready-to-eat produce that attracts my attention.

But it doesn’t stop with shopping. My impression is that restaurant menus are highly influenced by what is in season. Don’t get me wrong, I know that is not unique to Italy it just feels more integrated into the culture.

Granted these impressions are through the prism of village life in an agricultural region but having spent time in Italian towns and cities, I don’t think it is unique to country life. Torino’s Porta Palazzo market springs to mind. Although, probably unique to country life, are the delightful occasions when friends drop by with a gift of oversupply from their orto or from a forage.

And if one can’t keep up with the bounteous supply, there are some wonderfully traditional and creative ways of preserving.

Photos (from top): 1. Summer’s bounty. 2. Stuffed zucchini flowers. 3. Mushrooms - two ways. 4. Tomatoes in abundance at Porta Palazzo. 5. April is for artichoke. 6. Plum harvest turned into jam. 7. In Langhe dolcetto must is preserved as cougnà (cognà or cungà).