Blog #21: Farmer’s Markets and Street Festivals

 

ITALY

It was a slightly overcast morning in Reggio Emilia (a city in Northern Italy) and we had just visited Cinque Terre (a coastal string of villages along the Italian Riviera) the previous day. I was HUNGRY from all of the walking and exploring and happy to be at an open market in one of the main squares. We walked by one food stall and my friend shook his head and muttered under his breathe ,“All Chinese people cooking our food. We will not go there.” Although I understood, on some level, what he meant, something about the comment rubbed me the wrong way and I had to shake it off. Racism is prevalent everywhere and Italy is not exempt. “Ah, here. I want you to try this” , he said, as we stumbled upon a little stall with a sweet, old grandma cooking up some local favorites. Erbazzone is a savory spinach pie with onions, pancetta and (of course) parmesan which came from humble traditions. To me, it resembled spanakopita but with a different texture and crust. Each bite was a delectable combination of flaky exterior and melt in your mouth filling that left an indelible impression. I’ve never seen this pastry, since. That must be because it is specific to Reggio Emilia. There is something beautiful about the value given to eating fresh in this country. I remember this same friend saying, "Yuck- the bread in America tastes like plastic", when he was in the US, referring to shelved bread in the supermarkets here. He had never eaten the same bread for more than 3 days. 

SPAIN

One of my families vacations was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. God, what a stunning place. The most unforgettable meal we had there was made up of Farmers Market finds. I’ll never forget the sights and smells, the bright colors the smoky cured meats and the buckets of olives. Our picnic meal was comprised of Valencia oranges, Fuet (a sausage similar to chorizo), Pan de Barra (similar to a baguette), Manchego cheese and Spanish olives. You simply must buy fresh food from your locale while traveling. There is just no better way to fully immerse yourself into the culture you are visiting. I love nothing more than eating a smorgasbord of foods, native to a country, all of which somehow seem to compliment each other. The crusty bread, the peppery sausage, the buttery cheese, the mild and fleshy olives and the sweet and juicy oranges were a divine combination, indeed. To this day, you will find Spanish (Manzanilla) olives and Manchego cheese in my fridge quite regularly. 

NYC

Many moons ago, I attended NYU and was in student housing for the first 3 years of my college experience. In my Junior year, I was placed in a newly purchased building in the apartment style housing in SOHO. Yup, SOHO! I was far too young and poor to understand just how cool this was (or that I’d probably never be able to afford to live in this swanky, trendy, crazily overprices neighborhood again!) but one thing was for sure…I was now only a hop, skip and jump away from the Feast of  San Gennaro on Mulberry Street. The Feast of San Genarro dates all the way back to 1926 in NYC, an Italian-American Festival which was originally a one day, religious festival. I'm not sure if I’ll be struck down for saying this but, while there is plenty of cultural and historical significance here, I really went for the sausage and the zeppole! This is where I was introduced to the concept of sausage and peppers and what a harmonic duo it was! The perfectly toasted hoagie overflowing with Italian meat and a medley of peppers was always a messy, delicious treat. I could never finish a whole one. Plus, I had to save room for Zeppole, Sardinia’s version of fried dough, covered in powdered sugar, delivered in a brown paper bag. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I would bet that this didn’t happen last year due to Covid 19, but fingers (and chest) crossed that it can resume this year. It’s always in September. 

HENDERSON, NV

When I was at NYU, I was studying Music, Acting, Dance (haha- that was a long time ago!) and Film so it was a meaningful moment in time when I was living in Las Vegas and singing for Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at the Bellagio. That job was incredibly demanding. 26 songs a night, 10 shows a week. They had just cut to one singer (I guess I was the guinea pig) from 2 and it was no joke. I think people forget that vocal cords are muscles. In any case, I was living in Henderson at the time and I would visit Fresh52 Produce Market every Sunday. In fact, it is still going on which is great. One thing that stands out about my visits there is the microgreens stall. I wish I remembered the name of the company, but it was the first time I’d heard about the indoor spaces, growing microgreens! I would always get a green smoothie that would make me feel like a superhero and buy the broccoli micro greens (packed with powerful nutrients) to adorn my salads. You see, this is why blogging is great because it jogs your memory and encourages you to get back to some healthy (to just delicious) habits! I need to start going to this market again, even if it is a little out of the way! It’s funny too because a lot of the produce sold at this market would come from Fresno, CA, my hometown, which is about a 6 1/2 hour drive away. I never realized how good I had it, growing up in one of the agricultural hotspots of the country. 

I could go on and on about this topic because I can’t say enough about discovering a place and culture through its food. That is why this is only Part 1. I will be revisiting this topic soon! Now, go check out your local Farmer’s Market (it’s Sunday!) and try something new. You may discover that you didn’t even know that your location produces or sells something that you fall in love with today. Enjoy the process- it's where/ when you discover!