Tag: Stall 61-63 in The Queen Victoria Market

IL FRUTTIVENDOLO

I am writing a tribute to Gus and Carmel, owners of IL Fruttivendolo.

In 2009, I first wrote a post about Gus and Carmel Bressi’s enthralling seasonal, heirloom produce at the Queen Victoria Market on my blog, Sicilian Seafood Cooking. But my shopping at their vibrant stall began long before that.

When I moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in early 2002, I stumbled upon a hidden gem nestled in the QVM— a fruit and vegetable stall that felt like my own slice of Italy. I live just a stone’s throw away from the market and I found a profusion of seasonal delights that was reminiscent of my Italian background.

Gus and Carmel’s stall became my one destination for all things fresh. Here, I found a bounty of ingredients that were nearly impossible to find elsewhere in the QVM: the first cime di rapa, artichokes and cardoons (Carmel holding a cardoon).

Carmel was certainly very original and inspiring when displaying vegetables. Those brussels came from her.

Their shelves overflowed with fragrant herbs, crunchy fennel (both bulb and bunch), kohlrabi, and wild greens like nettles, milk thistle and amaranth that added adventurous variations to my cooking.

Endives, frisée and chicory were alongside bunches of puntarelle and senape – and I question if any shopper had seen this leafy green vegetable before (Senape is the middle photo).

There was an array of cauliflowers in every imaginable shape and colour and for many, much of the produce was uncommon. Above – Gus being enchanting to Mary Taylor Simeti who was visiting Melbourne from Sicily at the time. Although I had told him about her, when I introduced him to her, I dont think he realized just how much she knew!!! Mary is the queen of Sicilian Food writing. (Pomp and Sustanance, Bitter Almonds, Sicilian Summer – Cooking with my grandsons).

I marvelled at their diverse colours of eggplants, pink, white, violet and even striped eggplants, varieties that I had not seen since Sicily, crisp witlof of two different colours, and types of radicchio that I had not encountered since Trieste and Venice where radicchio reigns supreme (In the regions Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Veneto).

Fresh borlotti beans, broad beans, and the asparagus in colours and thicknesses, the thick white variety that was everywhere in Paris in Spring. The purple variety surprised me because it lost its colour when cooked.

And who could forget the first heirloom tomatoes, strikingly different carrots, and the sweetness of fresh figs and prickly pears?

While you might spot a few of these treasures at other stalls, Gus and Carmel were the true pioneers. Their passion for produce was profound, and they were more than happy to share tips on how to prepare even the most unfamiliar vegetables, turning every shopping trip into a culinary lesson. They were innovators, always one step ahead, knowing exactly what was in  and who to source it from. Others, like John from Tomato City specialises in tomatoes, he does have eggplants, radicchio and artichokes, as Italian stallholders generally do, but Il Fruttivendolo specialised in the uncommon, a great range of varieties of the same vegetables, those not usually seen in other greengrocers.

Below, broadbeans. notice how relatively small they are. theis is how they should be sold, not like the briadbeans that are generally found in other places that are picked far too mature.

Their stall was filled with vibrant colour and fragrances and each vegetable, fruit and herb was meticulously labelled and beautifully arranged in baskets and boxes.

It was no wonder that their display often attracted the attention of photographers and TV crews, even if their contributions went unrecognized.

Gus and Carmel were initially located in B Shed, Stall 61-65, their space later transformed into the beloved Il Fruttivendolo—a name that elegantly summarises their dual role as sellers of both fruit and vegetables.

 Il = the, frutti = fruit + vendolo = seller = fruitseller.

Just as greengrocers also sell fruit, fruit sellers also sell vegetables.

When the Queen Victoria Market underwent its redevelopment, they were relocated to a couple of temporary stalls before being housed in A Shed, where they continued to enthral customers.

Sadly, when I returned from a three-month trip away and I found that Il Fruttivendolo was no longer there. The operation of the stall came to an abrupt end early one morning when Carmel, alone and carefully organizing her produce, was threatened by an assailant at knife point. Fortunately, another stallholder intervened, chasing the assailant away. But the incident left its mark, prompting Gus and Carmel to accelerate their timing to retire.

Gus and Carmel Bressi were not just suppliers of fruits and vegetables; they were large contributors to the vibrancy of the Queen Victoria Market. Their absence is felt deeply by their customers and the other stall holders, especially those who just like Carmel and Gus have been there for a very long time.

They are remembered for their legacy, the flavours they brought to many kitchens, and their dedication and commitment to source quality produce.

There are many vegetable recipies in this blog – All Things Sicilian amd more.

Here are a few recipes, but if you use the search botton you will be able to find many more.

SENAPE, a new type of mustard green vegetable

CIME DI RAPE (A winter green)

ASPARAGUS and ARTICHOKES

NETTLES (Ortiche), Culinary uses and gnocchi

PASTA RIMESTATA COI CAVOFIORI; Pasta with cauliflower, sultanas, pine nuts and anchovies

FENNEL; male and female shapes

STUFFED BAKED FENNEL WITH PANGRATTATO; FINOCCHI RIPIENI

Melbourne; August: Winter Artichokes in risotto and stuffed

CAPONATA FROM PALERMO (made with eggplants)

SICILIAN CAPONATA DI MELANZANE as made in Palermo (Eggplant caponata and Eggplant caponata with chocolate)

MARY TAYLOR SIMETI and her new book:SICILIAN SUMMER An adventure in cooking with my grandsons

CARDOONS, What are they? (Cardoni or Cardi in Italian)

PASTA CON FINOCCHIO (Pasta and fennel; preferably wild). This is a recipe Gus gave me.

Below, a tribute from The Friends Of The Queen Victoria Market.

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PASTA E FAGIOLI (Thick bean soup with pasta)

These colourful beans are fresh borlotti; their pods look even more amazing. They are not in season in Victoria, they are coming from Queensland, but I bought some last week at Stall 61-63 in The Queen Victoria Market – this is where I buy all of my Italian vegetables. In Italy, when the fresh beans are available they are considered to be a treat.

Probably every region of Italy has a version of pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans) or minestra (soup) di fagioli. It is called pasta e fasoi in Trieste, pasta e facioli in Calabria, pasta ca fasola in Sicily and mnestra di fasö in Piedmont; the list goes on.

There may be a slight difference between the two dishes in the amount of liquid used, but they are both thick soups, and in fact so thick that they are also referred to as wet pasta dishes.

This version of the recipe is pretty universal all over Italy, but probably the greatest variation is that in various parts of Italy the cook places sufficient liquid in the soup to cook the pasta in it, whereas in other regions the pasta is cooked separately, drained and dressed with the cooked beans. Rice instead of pasta is more commonly used in the north of Italy.

Not every greengrocer sells fresh borlotti nor are they always in season but dry borlotti  (soaked overnight)are also widely used for this dish. Do not add salt to the water when cooking dry pulses – it makes them tough.

Fresh borlotti beans do not need to be soaked, but lose their colour when cooked. Soak beans in cold water overnight – they will swell so it is important to put them in plenty of water.

1 kilo of fresh beans will shelled left me with 450g; this is sufficient quantity for a plate of soup for 2-3 people.
Wet pasta dishes with pulses are commonly cooked plain and presented with a drizzle of oil.
INGREDIENTS
borlotti beans, shelled, 450g
carrots, 2 finely sliced
celery stalks, 2 in bite-sized slices
fresh bay leaves, 2
short pasta, 300 – 400g ( depending on how wet you like the soup)
onion, 1 finely chbut preferably keep them whole – this will depend on how fresh the dried beans are, but fresh borlotti will take much less cooking time. Add salt to taste.
Cook the pasta.
Either add more water to the pan and cook the pasta in the soup or cook the pasta separately – I like to add stock or water with a good stock cube, salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
PROCESSES
Drain the beans if they have been soaking.
Place sufficient water to cover the pulses and add the carrot, the tomato, celery and bay leaves (this will be the broth).
Bring the soup to the boil. Add the parsley. Cook the pulses until soft (20– 40 mins), but preferably keep them whole – this will depend on how fresh the dried beans are, but fresh borlotti will take much less cooking time. Add salt to taste.
Cook the pasta.
Either add more water to the pan and cook the pasta in the soup or cook the pasta separately – I like to add stock or water with a good stock cube at this stage and cook the pasta in the soup.If you are cooking the pasta separately combine the cooked pasta and use the soup to dress the pasta.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground pepper or chili flakes (as is more common in the south of Italy) and serve.
SOFFRITTO
I sometimes like to garnish this soup with a soffritto:
Heat about ¾ cup of olive oil in a wide pan, add a clove of finely chopped garlic and the parsley (use the parsley in the soffritto instead of cooking it in the soup).
Sauté on high heat – it should sizzle and the parsley turn bright green – then pour over the soup.

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CIME DI RAPE (A winter green)

This is an other one of my favourite winter greens. And it is not a bad bunch!!

In Italian they are called cime di rape – literally translated as turnip tips (cime di rapa is the singular). They are sometimes also called broccoli di rape and are characterised by their strong bitter taste. They are deep green with small yellow flowers.

Cime di rape are certainly a very popular green vegetable and cooked all over Italy. It is particularly associated with the region of Puglia where the traditional classic pasta dish, orecchiette con cime di rape originates (orecchiette meaning little ears).

Cime di rape are members of the brassica or mustard family group. This diverse group includes plants whose leaves, flowers, stems and roots are cooked and eaten. For example popular brassicas include broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, cavolo nero. Some of the roots are kohlrabi, radish, swede and turnips. (By the way, I eat all of the green tops when I can get them and one of my favourite stall holders at the Queen Victoria Markets know this only too well).

A number of Asian greens are members of the brassicas and the Chinese broccoli and mustard greens are very similar in taste to broccoli di rapa.
As far as I know this vegetable can only be found at my favourite stall – Carmel and Gus’s Stall 61-63- in The Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, but it may also be available in suburban areas where the greengrocer is of Italian heritage.

In Adelaide many of the green grocer shops and vegetable growers are Italians and when I was living there, cime di rape seemed more readily available.  The seeds are easily found especially in shops which sell Italian food – my son and a number of my friends grow them successfully in their Adelaide suburban gardens.

Strangely enough, I came across a patch of luscious looking cime di rape at Heronswood (Digger’s Seeds, Victoria). It is marketed as one of the Green Manures, a bio fumigant crop for soils.

The cime di rape can be eaten as a contorno (side dish of vegetables) and cooked in the same way as Italians cook most greens – wilted and then  tossed around in oil and garlic (I use lots), salt and pepper or chilli, and cooked till softened. If the vegetable is cut small enough, there is no  need to wilt them first.
This is also the way of making a strong pasta sauce for orecchiette.  If you do not use orecchiette, casarecci (right -hand side of photo) or a small tubular pasta which can trap the sauce is suitable.

Peeled-cime-di-rape-stalks-300x232

 

Clean and prepare the cime as you do broccoli – leaves, flowers, stems and stalks. The tough, fibrous outer layer covering can be stripped from the large stalks (see photo above with the fibrous outer layer peeled back – remove this layer entirely).

See: EDIBLE WEEDS: Orecchiette e Broccoletti Selvatici

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