FOODIE PARADISE

Food should be more than sustenance.  It should give us pleasure, create bonds with family and friends and provide a connection with the earth.  For example, Italian life centers around food, family and friends.  When we eat a well prepared meal with fresh, farm to table ingredients it can be deeply satisfying.  You don't have to overeat but just enjoy basic delicious ingredients.

That being said, I love going to small markets whether it be a local butcher, a farm, farmer's market or small family owned ventures. 

Pickings from last summer's backyard garden

And there is nothing more satisfying than growing your own foods, coming home from work, heading out to the garden and picking that night's dinner. 

Tuscan Market, Salem, NH

The Tuscan Kitchen in Salem, NH is an Italian market that has been on the list of places to check out.  As luck would have it on Tuesday, I had to go to Concord, NH on Tuesday.  On the way home, I took the opportunity to stop check it out.  I found the address on my old Blackberry and plugged it into my very old GPS and before I knew it, there was the Tuscan Market. 

There is something very satisfying about shopping in a beautiful looking market with beautifully crafted food.  I slowly walked through observing the various stations of bread, meats, bakery items, prepared foods, gelato, and coffee station.  There is also a sit-down café.

Home made pasta (Photo from Tuscan Market website.)
 

 

The first thing that grabbed my attention were the pastas.  They were so perfectly homemade.  For dinner, I chose the short rib tortellone.  They were packaged with care and with flour to keep them from sticking together. 

Forgetting that I had just made meatballs and sauce at home, I checked out their home made sauces.  They had puttanesca, brown butter, Bolognese, and San Marzano.  I decided on a small container of San Marzano to compliment the tortellone. 

The bread station had out samples of garlic loaf which was the best I have ever tasted.  No doubt that garlic was added to this bread but it was not overdone.  Ultimately though I bought a loaf of olive bread. 

And of course there was wine...

I took a chance and purchased this Ruffino...

which turned out to be a hit and a very good value for $12.00.

I grabbed a coffee for the ride home (exceptionally delicious) and thought about putting together the night's dinner.  I rode home thinking about all the delicious and quality items at the Tuscan Market. 

Eating two short rib tortelloni,  a small piece of olive bread and a couple glass of amazing wine made for a very satisfying meal.  This isn't how I would eat every Tuesday night or every night for that matter but there are times when you need to make an exception.

Salute!!!