Market day in Zagarolo

On the weekends, there are two large open markets in Zagarolo. I usually shop on Saturday, when several parking lots in the centro storico fill with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads, honey,  jams, olives, and much more. There are also vendors selling clothes, shoes, kitchen ware, toiletries, jewelry, gadgets of all kinds, and even underwear and socks.

On Sundays, there's a smaller market, which only allows vendors selling food grown or made locally, which is often organic. This is where you find the fresh arugula and fava beans, the newly made ricotta, the bread fresh from the oven. Only food that is in season is sold, so the selection is limited. Right now, that means no fruit, tomatoes, zucchini or eggplant. So the Saturday market works better for me, as I can find all I need for the next week in one place. And the flavors! After often eating tasteless fruit and vegetables in Kansas all winter, the flavors of Italian produce are a feast in themselves!

Here's a sample of what you can get for 6 euros at the Zagarolo Saturday market (it would cost much more at home):

Fresh from the market

4 cipolle rosse red onions
1 peperone gigantic red pepper
1 zucchine
4 mandarini mandarin oranges
3 arancie blood oranges from Sicily
3 mele golden delicious apples from Trentino/Alto Adige
2 cestini di fragole  pints strawberries
1 grappolo di pomodori bunch of Roma tomatoes