Our day starts with a walk across the piazza to the butcher to pick up ready prepared kebabs for supper tonight.
Back on the terrace we are faced with 2kg of cherries to pit. This daunting task is made much more pleasant with the sun shining, music drifting up from an apartment below and the smell of baking bread in the air.
Mission accomplished we meet Rachel at the Mercato to pick up the ingredients for lunch.
The fresh fava, peas and artichokes are for vignarola, the dish I have wanted to make and eat for a very long time. The window of opportunity for this recipe is a very short one, hence our visit at this time of year.
We set up a preparation table outside & begin to trim the artichokes, a task that wasn't as difficult as I had thought.
Rachel prepared the saltimbocca whilst the men were on anchovy gutting.
Then the serious business of cooking began.
Gina arrived and set to work on cooking the shrimp and anchovies. I was on tart duty so didn't really see what was going on here but I think they were pan fried with chilli then served with lemon juice & fresh parsley.
However they were cooked they were simply delicious and even converted a non-fishy person like me to anchovies.
These, along with the fried shrimp, courgettes and sage leaves were enjoyed 'on the go' as we finished off the rest of the meal.
The results of all of our efforts looked amazing as well as tasting delicious.
This lovely lunch, which I didn't want to end, lingered on well into the afternoon.
When everyone had left we prepared our BYO aperitivo to take to the garden on the Campidoglio.
Of course we have to have our glance at the Forum before we leave this spot.
Much later, back at the apartment, we enjoy another Negroni with fava & pecorino.
Dinner is BBQ kebabs with a simple salad.
More than enough after all the delicious food we have eaten today.
