This August, we were fortunate to visit San Francisco, check in with some of our customers and supporters, and take part in a Farmer’s Market cooking class at Tante Marie’s Cooking School. It is one of RITROVO®’s missions, as well as one of our very favorite practices, to experiment with local vegetables, meat/poultry/fish, and grains and continue learning the benefits of eating globally and thinking locally. For this reason we had planned all year to attend this special cooking class that coincides with peak summer season at the famed Ferry Terminal Market. Here are a few highlights from our trip to San Francisco.
Upon arriving to the foggy city, we ventured out to lighten our travel woes with an authentic Sardinian meal at Massimiliano and Lorella’s La Ciccia in Noe Valley. After a bite of house made pane carasau (Sardinian flat bread with rosemary), our selection for a first course was obvious: an impeccably delicate yet rich spaghetti with bottarga – followed by the secondo: tender pork with saffron cooked onions. Our Cannonau wine-bathed meal finished with a memorable goat cheese and fig gelato, and a saffron semifreddo. Their truly regional meal inspired us to pull out our jar of Casina Rossa Sea & Salt as soon as we got home (see below).
We managed to squeeze in a quick aperitivo at Flour & Water, to savor a beautiful melon salad, and the halibut crudo with sea beans—very nice presentation, inventive, colorful and fresh. Taggiasca olives were featured on the watermelon salad, and as importers of these we were proud to see them as part of a seasonal, local dish.
Saturday began with three hours at the Ferry Terminal Farmer’s Market (naturally preceded by checking out displays of our own products at Far West Fungi, Village Market and Bee Kind). The gray day was no match for the wonderful local produce and cheeses we picked up to bring back and cook up among new friends and Tante Marie Cooking School Instructor, Jennifer Knapp. One of our favorite dishes from the class was savory mushroom bread pudding, with a sprinkle of Truffle & Salt to bring all the seasonal flavors to life. Another fun summertime treat was a watermelon and feta skewer appetizer which we quickly adapted at home with our own Controne Hot Pepper Flake and Ferrante Denocciolato Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR CASINA ROSSA BOTTARGA SALT, “SEA & SALT”
• Sprinkle on grilled or sautéed seafood dishes
• The perfect condiment for La Romagna Orange Stringozzi
• Unbeatable over steamed vegetables such as cauliflower and zucchini
• A natural with potatoes
• Brightens up cottage cheese and fresh mozzarella
• Sprinkle over shrimp or dressing in shrimp salads
• Perfect condiment for RITROVO®’s Grilled Fennel and greens
• Use on eggs and omelettes
• Add new flavor to Caesar Salad Dressing: use Casina Rossa Lemon Olive Oil and Sea & Salt instead of anchovies and fresh lemon
