Liquore alle more

Blackberry Liqueur
I have been saving this post for a long time, as I wanted to post it once everything was complete. It took five months of preparation, but I have to say that it was well worth it! During the warm summer month of July, we set out with some friends to collect wild blackberries. This year we wanted to give a bottle of this unique sweet liqueur for Christmas, and we had just the right amount of time to do so. Once December came around, family and friends enjoyed all the sweetness of the summer...

I Cachi

Persimmon

Yesterday, I visited my friend Anna, who lives just above my town in Presa, and I came home with a beautiful basket of vibrant cachi. I will now leave a few of them to ripen in my fruit bowl, next to a handful of apples, and in no time we will be enjoying this juicy, sweetly tangy, versatile fruit. (The apple will emit ethylene gas, a naturally occurring hormone, which speeds up the ripening process.)

Just Fruit Recipes had a long list of baking ideas to enjoy...


If you are interested, here are a few Health benefits of the persimmon fruit:

Persimmons contain many health benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants like catechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.

Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.

Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent "Age related macular disease"(ARMD) in the elderly.

The fruits are also very good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

The fruit is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins acts as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.

Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI) and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells.

Sagra delle nespole: Calatabiano (CT)

Time to gather the nespole! This past weekend in the town of Calatabiano, there was the Sagra delle nespole. Hoards of people gathered to taste nespole gelato, nespole jam, liquor, cream, crepes, and many more creations. To kick of the night the mayor of the town helped serve the guests slices of a 12 meter long nespole cake.



Next weekend the town is celebrating A CALATA DI SAN FULIPPU. Check out a video from a few years ago here. I won't be able to make it next weekend, but I've heard it is something not to miss...

Il fico

Our fig trees have been very busy this summer.


Like I have always said, there are very few things greater than fresh fruits picked from the tree. Figs would be one of my favorite. Thought to be the sweetest fruit, figs are also one of the oldest fruits recognized by man. It's no wonder the fig has been enjoyed for centuries. Growing up, the only fig I encountered was in between the cookie of the Fig Newton. Yummy! It wasn't until my first visit to Sicily, a few years back, that Antonello reached up and picked one of these soft and delicate fruits for me. With it's moist, honeyed, rosy goodness it's impossible to have just one.


The terrace is full of figs drying out in the sicilian sun. Once the winter months come around, these will be a nice sweet treat.
You may already know that Figs are high in natural and simple sugars, minerals and fiber. They contain good levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. A compound found in Figs, called benzaldehyde, has been shown to help shrink tumors in some tests. Considered to be an antibacterial and anti-ulcer food, the Fig is also a natural laxative. All the more reason to enjoy!

Pera di San Giovanni

I asked around yesterday and discovered that the miniature pears that I enjoyed so much were actually called "Pera di San Giovanni" (Pear of Saint Joseph). These little sweet drops are named after the saint because they are ripe for picking around the end of June near the anniversary of St. John, which just happens to be today.

Many years ago, young adults would play several different types of games on the eve of San Giovanni. After all, San Giovanni is known to look over those in search for love. At least in these parts of Sicily before bed, boys and girls would gather three fave beans and prepare them for bedtime. One fave bean would be left intact, while one completely shelled, and the last only would have the head popped off. They would leave the fave beans under the pillow and fall fast to sleep. In the morning, they would reach under their pillow and pull out one bean. Depending on which they pulled would predict their fate in love. The intact fave bean meant that they would find true love.

Was San Giovanni on your side today?

Nespola

The road from the beach to our town is full of gardens and citrus trees. Very often, the owners gather baskets full of their harvest and sell it to passersby on the side of the road. Well, a few weeks ago we met a nice old man who sold nespole and big juicy oranges. So, yesterday we went back for more! This is a great form of "kilometre zero". (Individual farms engaged in direct selling.)


We also took a walk in Vena yesterday where Antonello found a large bush of rosemary. One can only image how long it has been growing there. At least here in Sicily, the rule is that anything over the fence or growing in the street is free for all...


The loquat or Japanese plum, is what we call the nespola. Loquat fruits grow in clusters and are oval shaped, with yellow or orange skin. Sicilian loquats are about the size of a plum tomato, and there are two varieties, one more sweet and one more sour.
Both are apricot in color with a firm, succulent, and tangy flesh, tough skin, and two to five large pits. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe.

You may or may not see these golden beauties in your area because the loquat bruises very easily, which means a difficult fruit to ship and store. But if you do... Enjoy!

La Zagara- il fiore dell’ arancio

Spring is here and the scent of zagara is in the air…

With its five soft, delicate petals, the pure and innocent beauty of the orange blossom exudes such a complex fragrance.

We have citrus groves all around us. Last week when Scirocco, the warm African wind, blew over Sicily, it carried into the streets the sweet, intense, scent of the zagara.

Castagna

A perfect Sunday activity, chestnut picking on the mountain! The air was fresh, the sky was clear, and an abundant amount of chestnuts were waiting for us.

For as far as I could see, the land on the mountain was terraced with chestnut trees. Knowing that at one point in time, men built each wall rock by rock, and worked the land every day, made me really appreciate the labour and sacrifice the people of this land had. It was their life.

i cachi

Persimmon
They are practically falling off the trees this time of year. When this fruit is ripe, it is such a treat. Sweet and so juicy! I enjoy it in my yogurt in the morning.
Check out the link on the title if you'd like to learn more about this fruit.