On the kitchen table today… poppies! I happened to see these when I was getting groceries and couldn’t resist picking up a bunch. At once they made me think of being in Abruzzo in spring and seeing the hillsides covered in these flowers growing wild.
I recall thinking how the waving seas of green and red looked so romantic and beautiful; real storybook stuff. And then how, back in Australia, I showed Nonno Anni photos I’d taken of the poppies, thinking he’d comment on their beauty too. Instead, he guffawed and said, ‘Those things. Bloody pests! They’d pop up amongst the crops and we’d have to pull them up by hand.’ I guess it’s different when it’s vital to get that crop grown to survive the next snowy winter.
Having these poppies though is a lovely reminder of when we had some on the kitchen table in Fossa. Each day this week I’ve looked to see what different colour might be emerging from its little pod. They didn’t cost much but often the best things don’t and it’s lovely how these seem to bring joy to the kitchen. Buona giornata! 🧡
Zoë Boccabella 