The traditional Venetian Redentore menu consists of several courses, mostly cold dishes for we eat with friends and family and that takes rather long :-) From the late afternoon, Venetians sit outside on chairs before long tables next to the canals. Many stop in the campi, on private terraces or balconies and in courtyards, others along Bacino di San Marco. That’s to make sure everyone can watch the fireworks which usually start around 11:30 pm.
We start with a leisurely breakfast on our way to the market and buy the fresh ingredients for the dishes. We start eating in the late afternoon with antipasti, that is cold cichéti, salad, bread, fruit… You mustn’t expect us take a real buying spree for most families have prepared the basics for the cold picnic dishes the day before.
Here’s a glimpse of the colorful bounty you can now find at the markets in Venice. I took this picture at the floating market on Via Garibaldi where I usually buy fruit and vegetables.
This particular Saturday is always a long day. We’re up early in the morning and I like carving out some time for coffee in the sun and a small sweet breakfast on the way to the market.
There’s usually not enough time for leisurely cooking and experimenting with new food creations. There are too many portions of food to prepare, for family, friends, neighbors … like this cold pasta salad consisting of salame, tomatoes and garden peas, seasoned with lots of freshly ground pepper, parmesan and a hint of chili-flavored olive oil. This is food you can easily transport out on the terrace or wherever required.
There are many cakes too. Simple recipes that take no longer than an hour to prepare, like torta al ribes rosso all’acqua di fiori d’arancio e cocco, a cake made from coconut flour, topped with red currants and orange flower syrup.
El Redentor is the first day of Venetian summer holidays. Afterwards, you can notice that many Venetians leave their town for the mountains or some beautiful beach in the South.
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