melanzana lunga violetta napoletana, or thin purple eggplant. Depending on where in the world you currently are.
Brian and Maria Gabriella are Americans who live in Umbria part of the year.
They’re opera singers and run a travel business on the side, which affords them some great travel perks as they check out possible adventures for their clients. http://conciergeinumbria.net/.
They recently got back from a trip to Sicily and were regaling us with stories.
“I ate pasta with eggplant and tomatoes every day for two weeks,” said Brian. “Sometimes twice a day. “If I never see another bowl of pasta with eggplant and tomatoes, that’ll be just fine.”
All I could think of was that I wanted a big bowl of pasta with eggplant and tomatoes. He got me going.
And then the universe – as it will do sometimes if you’re lucky and aware – dropped a remarkable coincidence in my lap. The next day I was out shopping for, you guessed it, eggplant and tomatoes, and there was a truck parked in our little piazza manned by three guys from Naples. The back of the truck was filled with gorgeous produce, fresh from the south – not only the veg I needed for my pasta, but crates of red and yellow peppers, nectarines and strawberries so fresh that if you didn’t eat them within ten minutes, they’d be over.
I stood in line behind a woman from our town. Well, I stood next to her, really, because Italians don’t like to make lines, which are way too strict. They make loose groups instead.
“Napolitani,” she said softly to me, like a secret. And she shrugged with a look that said, “Don’t touch them; they’re filthy; and don’t forget to wash all the vegetables you buy.”
But she pointed out the beautiful melanzane, — the eggplants. “I like the long thin ones, like this. The fat ones have too many seeds.”
I prided myself in understanding her Italian and asked her what she thought of the tomatoes. Will they be tasty enough this time of year?
One of boys from Naples overheard me, grabbed a tomato and sliced it in half with his knife. Then he shoved it at me.
“Taste.”
I did and nodded that it was good.
“How many boxes?” he said and he began to lift the crates to carry to my car. If I hadn’t stopped him I would have been the owner of a year’s supply of tomatoes.
“No!” I pleaded. “Siamo solo due! Io e la moglie.” I was explaining that I was buying only for my wife and myself but he didn’t want to hear it. He made rude gestures about me to his brother. If I didn’t want at least a crate, then I was an enemy and a fool; I would take a crate or I would get nothing.
He then turned to the apricots and proceeded to use his knife to halve one and shove it in my mouth. The apricot was sensational.
“How many boxes?” he started again.
I managed to get out of the piazza with only a kilo of apricots, the same amount of melanzane and tomatoes and – yes – an entire crate of strawberries. It’s hard to bargain with a Neopolitan.
Occasionally Jill’s and my food tastes come together and this was one of those times. I fried the eggplant separately; I peeled and seeded the tomatoes and made a sauce with garlic and, eventually, basil; I used farro pasta because that’s how Jill gets her protein. And we both agreed it was the best meal so far this year. Stay tuned.
Dearest Michael, your written word makes my mouth water. And I know the melanzane was delicious, but does it compare with a birdie on the par four seventh hole at Cherry Valley??? Hurry home and we’ll see which you remember the longest.
Bobby K Hugs to Jill.
Why do you peel the tomatoes?. A friend visited me from Amsterdam and did the same. I never peel them. Is it the acid content?
That photo of the spaghetti melanzane is now my screen saver. Upon reading this entry, I went immediately to Fairway for some fresh organic plum tomatoes, some eggplant, and some fresh basil and will be doing the do domani.. Mamma mia, arriva l’estate! xxoxox Gianni
Hold that thought and see you in two weeks/I’ll miss the strawberries but the tomatoes should be perfect by then.
And I too am going to Fairway to see if I can replicate that pasta/
Hugs to all
jim
We just returned from our home in Acquasparta and had a similar tasty meal of eggplant — on my! — and let’s not forget the fried zucchine flowers replete with anchovies and cheese! Long live Italian cuisine!
This is a little off the subject but the U.S. Open was played on your old course in San Francisco this weekend. The winning score was one over. The winning score at Congressional last year was minus sixteen. Enjoy the strawberries.
Just in time. Got back this am from 17 days after a giro in Sicilia. The food is amazing, the people are the best. Pasta a la Norma was fantastic, but I had just too much of it. The pizza is as good as or better than Napoli. Nothing is better than seeing a pizza cooking in a wood forgo and coming out in 3 – 4 min done perfectly. (Last year in Pellones Pizzeria in Napoli, they saw me taking photos, and we talked about the wood fired oven. Next think I knew we were in the back with them making a pizza.)
So much sea food of all types. The highlight for foodies is the market in Catania. From 5 am to 2 pm each day it is a frenzy of activity, from tiny clams to giant Tuna, any seafood you can think of is there. Fresh frutta and verdura are all wonderful. Catania’s market puts the Palermo market to shame. But that also is worth a visit.
Ciao all.
As usual, you made me hungry Michael. If I can find some good quality melanzane I’ll make Meza Zita a la Norman tonight. Buon appetitto!
We were never in Umbria in the height of the tomato season. Your pasta Norma made me mouth water. But today I made lasagne ai porcini e melanzane instead…. the porcini from the Rocky mountains, pretty darn good. Say hi to Jill.