San Teodoro Market, Rome

San Teodoro Farmers’ Market

On a hot spring day, what could be better than heading to the San Teodoro Farmers’ Market in Rome, right next door to the Circus Maximus, to bask in the delight and abundance of local produce?

It’s been running on weekends for the past couple of years, in connection with the Campagna Amica, in a quest to promote the consumption of low mileage local produce.

  

Cheese, cured meats, fresh meat, preserves, cakes and breads, spreads, olive oils, honeys, wine, beer, even ice cream: you name it! You will find everything you need to stock your pantry for the week. It’s a feast for the eyes and the senses.

Stealing the show at the moment the king of spring, the Romanesque Artichoke. When you’ll see the imposing displays, the walls of this majesty of the vegetable world, you will literally feel like bowing to it and reaching for a pot of ‘pinzimonio’ to dunk it in.

We bought fresh buffalo mozzarella at 10 euro per kilo, which was refreshing!, cured meat; tomatoes, bread, cake, a bottle of wine and headed towards the Aventine, just 10 minute walk away, where we settled down in Giardino degli Aranci (The Orange Grove), by the Basilica of Santa Sabina, for a lazy pic-nic.

This is pizza!

This is a long overdue post for all of those who are disappointed with the average quality of available pizzas in restaurants, at least in Rome.

I was alerted to this pizzeria by my sister, who lives round the corner from it, and just 10 minutes walk fromme, so... do I live 10 minutes round the corner from it too?

Pizzeria La Fucina http://www.pizzerialafucina.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1 is hidden away in the Portuense area (Via Giuseppe Lunati 25/31), kind of on a level with San Camillo and Forlanini hospitals, is a great find. Pricey, but you will NOT walk away asking yourself why you had yet another pizza, or regretting the money spent. On average 20 euro per person. Isn't that more or less what we end up spending anyway for an average, if not disappointing, pizza?

Here is their philosophy: ONLY pizza. No starters, no salads, no supplì, no bruschetta. Desserts: from Cristalli di Zucchero, in Via di Valtellina. Only organic, semi-wholegrain, stoneground flour. Only designer DOP ingredients, mostly organic. Only one pizza served at a time, per table, sliced, to share. 6 traditionals (margherita, marinara etc), 8 seafood pizzas, 8 'turf' pizzas, and 6 of their 'classics' such as wild alaskan smoked salmon with designer ricotta.

 What we had: one margherita, delicious; one  Melanzane, zucchine e pomodorini con "Conciato di S. Vittore" e scaglie di soldo di cacio. One beer (wine-size bottle; wine-size price!) but very good. Although it didn't quite agree with my pizza, when they met in my little tummy.

 Altogether, we are going to go back, as James said, whenever we 'NEED' pizza.