Food Glorious Food

One of the reasons that we wanted to stay at an agriturismo place is because they feature local foods and often offer wonderful dinners at a quite affordable price. We decided to join the fun tonight and indulge in the 4 course Sicilian dinner they were offering. No menu. You simply sit down and eat what they put in front of you.

We were not disappointed. The first thing we did was simply order the house red wine.  When in Italy, the house wine is often very tasty and in this case, did not disappoint. From there we just waited as the server continued to bring dish after dish of delightful surprises.

The first appetizer was a form of bruchetta, crusty bread topped with something, in this case, a tomato and olive mixture with a lovely little basil leaf atop. I was famished so was just so happy to have something to nibble on! Before we finished that, Panelle di Ciciri arrived, little fried pillows of chickpeas. They resembled little fried raviolis but tasted lighter and were delicious. Who knew that a fried chickpea could taste so good?! Then it was time for primi, or the pasta course, We were served gnochetti alla norma. Gnochetti is miniature gnocchi, a potato based pasta. All a norma is a Sicilian specialty sauce that mixes tomato, ricotta and eggplant.  It was yummy, even though I don't care for eggplant all that much. Secondi, the meat course arrived.  This was farsumagru, a type of Italian meatloaf arrived. Ground beef wrapped around salami, proscuitto ham and cheese. Ultimate comfort food and quite delicious, served with a side of potatoes.  Finally, it was time for dolci, or dessert. Sweet raviolis appeared looking all yummy. These delicate ricotta and chocolate filled pastries were a wonderful finishing point for a delicious meal.  Our first night in the countryside was proving to be perfect. The air was cool and dry. We sat outside on a beautiful terrace and enjoyed these wonderful dishes. I am ready for a long sleep on a full stomach!