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| Italian market - tomato varieties |
There are places in Italy that have small town
charm ever inviting travelers back with memorable warm hospitality. This
is a guaranteed travel frill that can not be found in a brochure or
redesigned any time of year. And then there are the tomatoes that have
been the thread of Italian culture and cuisine forever. Once when travel
was less cumbersome you could bring back a tomato with the vine
attached. You could even pick a token of fennel growing wild on the side
of the road where the cows wandered outside of their pasture. The Mama
Leone Italian tomato is as authentic as it gets. A great tomato used
mostly for fresh summer sauces and making paste for the rest of the
year. It is an heirloom tomato that was brought from Italy to New
York. With this recipe below you can create a popular Tuscan salad known
for its use of tomatoes.
Panzanella*, is a
Tuscan salad combining oil, basil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumber, minced
onion, and stale Italian bread soaked in water, then squeezed dry. Mamma
mia!
*Italian, from pane ‘bread’ + zanella ‘small basket’
www.hitherandthitheradventures.com
