Where Does Your Food Come From?

Since I'm into my third week here in Rome, I have had a lot of the fellows and scholars asking about what goes on in the kitchen, where we get the produce that feeds everyone, and who is preparing the lunches and dinner.  Today this gentleman delivered some gorgeous produce. The Sustainable Food Project has 4 or 5 purveyors who bring them sustainable organic produce during the week.  With each delivery, menu items are made, and the produce is consumed within 36 hours.  This morning when I went into the kitchen there were only leeks and fennel in the 4 huge refrigerators, so we were hoping that the delivery would come early, since leeks and fennel would not feed the multitudes. 

Beautiful spinach

asparagus

fennel

Strawberries

radish

carcioffi!

 

The vegetables are washed, then cleaned, and then prepared according to the chef's instructions. 

 

Each day, lettuce is picked from the Academy garden to serve at lunch.  How gorgeous is that?

Today was pizza day, and Jeremy was on the case

Chef Domenico checking the dough

For the workers' lunch a plain pizza Margherita

and maybe a few anchovies

the tomato sauce is uncooked, whizzed with a bit of salt, pepper, oregano and some garlic

Here's Jeremy rolling out the dough for the pizza rustica (covered pizza)

This pizza will have sauteed chicory, and tomato

Finished!

 

other dishes were arugula and fennel salad

Artichokes alla Romana

Cranberry bean salad

Today some friends from San Diego on their honeymoon were visiting so I didn't get to stay for the entire prep/serving time.  We ate lunch in the dining room with our friends and then showed them around the Villa Aurelia where we are staying. 

The flowers here are just about to pop, this rose is a bit early, but I know by the time we leave here we will see an explosion of blooms.  I'll be back tomorrow with more, Ciao for now!

Sustainable Rome

Today was my first day to shadow in the Rome Sustainable Food Project.  I was met by Chef Chris Behr and Kitchen Manager Laura Offeddu in the garden behind the kitchens at the American Academy.  There I witnessed the last of the spring plantings, with tomatoes sewn into the beds.  They had an amazing tool that digs the hole and plants the seedling.  Not sure I can get one of those into my suitcase when I go home! 

Caspar (l) and Andrea (r) 

The garden is small, and due to the sheer number of meals served here, the garden provides only some of the variety of fruits and vegetables that are served.  Each week Chef Chris will highlight one crop from the garden in the menu.  Realizing that some plants replenish themselves more rapidly than others, if fennel is harvested it will take 2 to 3 months for fennel to regrow in the garden.  Chard, lettuces, and other greens seem to reproduce in 2 to 3 weeks.  It is an on-going challenge that the Chef and his staff deal with on a daily basis.

Throughout the larger part of the garden are herbs, fruit trees, artichokes, and olive trees. 

Composting done on a hill above the garden, turned and tended each day and when ready turned into the garden.

Worm farm

Olive trees

Green house

compost

When I asked about pests, I was told that the Monk Parakeets are a real problem, especially when the stone fruits and figs are ripe.  The real fight will begin when the apricots, which are green on the trees now become mature.

Fruits and vegetables delivered from growers during the week are organic, sustainable, seasonal and pesticide free.  Some fruits, citrus in particular, are sourced year round, such as lemons and oranges. 

This is an absolutely beautiful kitchen

This little piggy will be dinner tonight:  Porchetta

  

Ready for the oven:  Savoy cabbage and potatoes with thyme and olive oil

After my tour of the gardens, and the grounds outside the kitchen I was able to go into the kitchen to meet the staff.  Since this is a busy place, I will have access when it’s not so busy, and was invited to sit down at the staff lunch to chat with each of the members of the staff.  That’s a post for another day.  This was lunch today for the community. 

Setting up for lunch which is always buffet style

 

When the door is opened, then the members know it's time to eat

Thank you Chef Chris and your staff for my backstage pass, there will be more to come.  Ciao for now.