Spring! And roast artichokes

Here in Rome the cherry trees are blossoming, a magnolia tree down the road is bursting in flower and spring is officially here. People are still bundled up, as the mornings can be cool, but on sunny days it is just glorious. The sidewalks are full of people chatting, the coffee bars still have extra tables outside where people linger over coffee over a spritz, and it is busy. Just lovely.

It is still artichoke season, which is wonderful. They are piled up at markets and vegetable shops, and are everywhere on menus: carciofi alla giudia, deepfried; carciofi alla romana, braised with garlic, olive oil, parsley and mentuccia (lesser calamint). Artichokes might tucked in to a plate of carbonara con carciofi, or served with lamb offal (coratella con carciofi). It takes practice and confidence to clean artichokes: cutting back the external leaves enough, but not too much. Fortunately most vegetable sellers will sell them ready-cleaned, a bag of 4-5 artichokes ready to cook, which lowers the threshold considerably.

We had a friend visiting from UK, who really enjoyed the local market. This is the “new” one on Via Rosa Guarnieri Carducci, which was refurbished a few years ago and now keeps getting better. We bought large knobbly bell peppers, shiny zucchini, and glossy eggplants to roast. We also bought fresh fava beans and pecorino romano cheese, usually a May Day picnic snack but fun to try for visitors. And we bought artichokes, cleaned on request as we paid for armfuls of vegetables while elbow to elbow with other market shoppers and chatting to neighbours. “I can’t believe this is your Saturday!” said our visitor, as we later sat in the sunshine eating pasta. Well, some Saturdays are like that.

Roast artichokes

• 4 artichokes, ready cleaned
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 30 g of grated pecorino cheese
• 40 g of breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper
• 30 g of grated pecorino cheese

Heat oven to 190C. Boil the cleaned artichokes whole in salted water for ten minutes, until they are cooked but still a little crunchy, Prepare an oven proof dish that will fit the sliced artichoke halves in a single layer. Slice them in two lengthwise while still hot. In a shallow dish, mix the breadcrumbs with a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and the rated cheese. Dip the artichoke halves in the breadcrumbs and nestle them into the dish. Drizzle olive oil on and around them, packing on a little leftover breadcrumbs if you want. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes or so. Serve with crisp white wine. Once roasted these are also very nice at room temperature the next day.

Tuna orzo salad for a hot Sunday

Almost July, and all is well. It is a warm dry day here in Garbatella, and the streets are deserted and quiet. People have left for daytrips and weekends at the seaside: Ostia, Santa Marinella, Sabaudia, the Isole Pontine. Last night we were up on the condominium roof terrace watching Italy play Austria, and roars were echoing across the nightime sky for every close chance. (Yes, Italy won, which is a continued great morale booster.) There is optimism in the air.

All of Italy is in the white zone from tomorrow, which means the only rules that still have to be observed are to maintain a safe distance and avoid crowds. Wearing masks will be optional, which will be strange. We’ll see how it goes. Vaccination numbers are good so far, the roll-out has been impressive here. Now we are waiting for the digital EU COVID-19 vaccination passport to see if we might be able to travel home to safely see family after 18 months away. Lots of variables but we are crossing fingers, and are still being cautious. I hope things are better also on your side.

This was lunch today: an assembly of items for a summer lunch salad. Adjust amounts to what you have. It’s warm here (maybe 33C) but after four years of heat and humidity in Accra I have no complaints about Roman summers.

Tuna orzo salad with celery

• 1.5 cup orzo perlato (pearl barley)
• medium tin good tuna in oil
• 4-5 stalks celery, chopped
• salt, pepper
• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 230 gr tinned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
• 230 gr tinned borlotti beans (drained and rinsed)

Boil the pearl barley in salted water for 15 min or so, until cooked. Drain. In the interim, assemble other ingredients and toss. I used a little smoked Spanish olive oil as well, for some extra pizazz. Fresh parley would be nice here too. Chill and eat later, or just enjoy at room temperature.

A new mural In Garbatella was unveiled a couple weeks ago: this is Alberto Sordi, a famous and much-loved Italian actor. He lived just around the corner as a child.

• 

Apple cake on a gray Sunday

It is a gray Sunday here, but the neighborhood is heaving with people lingering over lunch and starting apertivi. Rome opened up a couple weeks ago, but it is still a novelty to hear people talking at the bar across the piazza and chatting on the street below. No indoor dining yet, but outdoor tables are spreading and people are making the most of it.

A fried came over so we had a lovely walk up to the allotments near Regione Lazio before coming home for tea and cake.

We have not been out much yet, but it is nice to feel that summer is on the way!

Simple apple cake with cinnamon

2 eggs
180 gr white sugar
180 gr flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
90 gr soft butter
150 ml milk

4-5 apples: enough to get 300 gr peeled and chopped apple pieces
1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbs sugar

Whisk eggs and sugar light and airy. Add flour, salt and baking powder, then milk and butter. Whisk well. Peel and chop the apples, then in a separate bowl toss apple pieces with cinnamon and sugar. Heat oven to 200C. Line a rectangular baking tin (20×30 cm) with baking parchment and pour in half the batter. Distribute the apple pieces evenly over the batter, then pour the rest of the batter on top and even it out with a spatula or spoon. A punch of salt on top before it goes into oven is nice.

Bake in middle part of oven for 25-30 min (mine was done at 25 min). Cool on a rack before serving.

This is a light fluffy apple cake.

A cat who lives up the hill and likes to snooze roadside.