Market-to-Table Cooking Class with Market Visit

Vegetables with a Roman accent

Some vegetables are so tied to Rome that they define dishes on their own:

• Carciofi romaneschi, the round, spineless Roman artichokes of spring, prepared alla romana (braised with mint and garlic) or alla giudia (deep-fried until crisp, a dish from the Jewish Quarter).
• Puntarelle, crisp shoots of a chicory, served raw in winter with an anchovy, garlic and olive oil dressing.
• Fiori di zucca, courgette flowers, often fried in batter and filled with mozzarella and anchovy.
• Cicoria, bitter wild-style greens, sautéed with garlic and chilli.

Vignarola, the taste of spring

Vignarola is a Roman spring stew of fresh broad beans, peas and artichokes, often with a little cured pork. Its beauty lies in speed and freshness: the vegetables should taste green and just tender. It is a reminder that the finest Roman cooking often involves doing as little as possible to excellent produce.

How to choose produce well

Italian shoppers rely on touch, smell and sight, and a few rules of thumb are widely shared. Tomatoes should smell of the vine, not of refrigeration. Artichokes should feel heavy and tight, with closed leaves. Leafy greens should be crisp, with no yellowing. Citrus should feel heavy for its size. Stallholders in Rome usually prefer to pick produce for you, so it is polite to say what you plan to cook and let them choose.

Cheese, cured meats and the rest of the market

A food market is more than vegetables. A salumeria sells cured meats and cheeses, a pescheria sells fish, and bakeries supply bread, pizza bianca and biscuits. Roman staples to look for include pecorino romano, ricotta, guanciale and good olive oil. Even without buying anything, wandering past the stalls is an education in how Italians eat.

Among the market squares, Campo de’ Fiori, with its statue of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, is the most photographed market square, while neighbourhood markets such as Mercato Trionfale and Testaccio are closer to everyday Roman life. Many markets are busiest in the morning and thin out in the early afternoon, so earlier visits usually give a fuller sense of the place.

Herbs, oil and the pantry basics

Beyond fresh produce, a Roman cook keeps a short list of staples close at hand. Extra virgin olive oil, from the hills of Lazio and Umbria and beyond, is used for finishing as well as frying. Wild fennel, sage, rosemary, bay and parsley feature constantly, while mint appears in artichoke and courgette dishes. Dried chilli, salted capers and anchovies add depth to sauces in very small amounts. A well-stocked pantry lets one good market find turn into a meal.