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Treasures of the Last Days of Summer

9/27/2012

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While in Rome, one of my favorite re-connects to my old life here is to join my former hiking group for a day in the countryside.  There were four of us yesterday who took a day out of our lives to relax, yet invigorate our bodies with the joys of hiking. 

This hike had a little of everything, thereby making it a truly great trek.  There were rolling meadows with beautiful views of ancient towns nestled in the crook of distant hills.  There were rigorous uphill portions reminding us of the exercise benefits of a good hike.  We ran across cows and curious horses, and to top it all off, it was a great day of foraging.  One of our members loves to pick mushrooms (and yes, she’s careful and knowledgeable).  We also picked lots of end-of-summer blackberries and finished the hike with armloads of beautiful yellow flowers.  It was a satisfying day, filled with friendship and the bounties of nature.

And of course after a long hike like that……..I was hungry!

Dinner last night was delicious, made all the better by the fact it was eaten with two great friends.  We shared everything (because that’s what good friends do).

I have eaten at Babette’s countless times for lunch, but never for dinner.  At lunch there’s a wonderful and inexpensive buffet that is always reliably delicious.  On this night, we went for dinner.  It was a little on the expensive side, made more reasonable by the fact we all shared.  And as usual, the food was really delicious.

Our pasta was ravioli filled with burrata and alici in a tomato sauce.  To be honest, the taste of the alici didn’t quite come through, but it was delicious all the same, and we mopped up all that luscious sauce with pieces of the wide variety of breads they serve.

Our fish was tender, delicate and moist.  And it was served with a red onion relish and a small side of cherry tomatoes and olives.

And since we were sharing, dessert seemed to be in order.  It was one of those great molten lava cakes, hot from the oven…..crispy on the outside and oozing creamy chocolate when you dig in.

Oh, and to drink:  A lovely glass of valpolicella from the Zenato winery in the Veneto region.  I know…not local (to Rome), but I love valpolicella and I love all things from Zenato, so…..

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