Produce Day

Ever since I can remember I've been surrounded by food. Growing, picking, killing, cooking, buying and playing with have all been adjectives I'm pretty comfortable around.

From my maternal grandparents growing rows of tomatoes and herbs and a large chestnut tree in their backyard to my dads parents growing strawberries and selling them at markets. From seeing Nonno's yard turned into a production line making scores of bread in the wood fired oven and tomato sauce to remembering the wine vats bursting, spreading a river of red wine all over the drive way and into the gutter. From helping Nonna make cotolette and sneaking bits of raw meat to being given bread dough to play with and then bake and eat. From seeing dead chickens hanging from the verandah to realising that some of the cute cows ended up on my plate...and so on and so forth. I could go on for ever about the enormous impact food and everything related to it has had on me. In fact, I chose to study Nutrition at university and it was no coincidence that my first boyfriend was a chef!

My love affair with food began before I can even remember and there are foods that my enjoyment of them isn't just about the taste but also about the memories associated with them. When I'm sick, all I want is pastina. When I'm upset, I turn to a glass of milk with my favourite 'cafe latte' biscuits.

This is my first post about food but it will not be my last. Food is inextricably linked to me, my family and my life. Having an Italian background probably helps :-)

I wanted to share some pictures of beautiful fresh produce that I've been fortunate enough to eat lately. Tomatoes from Mum's garden and fresh fish that my brother, Tony, caught. There's something incredibly satisfying about knowing where your food has come from and how fresh it is.

Enjoy :-)