There were many food related advantages to growing up in northern Italy including a varied cuisine, with Austrian, Italian, German and French influences, lots of fresh meats and cheeses, and delicious baked goods, but one of the best things about food in Südtirol was that it was fresh. It was made in the moment, for the meal we were sitting down to eat, and this was not only cultural, but also by necessity as we did not, and still do not, have fast food establishments in our town.
Another thing is, we always had vegetable gardens and orchards growing up, which meant that every fruit or vegetable we ate was just picked, and ripe for the season, in that moment. In fact, my mom does not visit a fruit and vegetable store from May through October, growing all her tomatoes, onions, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage (turned into home-made Sauerkraut), apricots, apples, figs, grapes, and plums, as well as every kind of berry that will grow at our altitude: red, white and black currants, strawberries and plenty of raspberries. So, the chief way that I have tried to transfer this northern Italian freshness to my family is through serving fresh fruits and vegetables in the height of the season. And right now, there’s no better fruit to eat than raspberries. Continue reading “Raspberries, Anyone?”
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