A Postcard from a Tuscan Food Market

Colors from the peak of summer

It has been a long time since I last sent a Postcard from Tuscany, so probably now many new subscribers who have arrived in the meantime are probably wondering what the heck it is!

Postcards from Tuscany is a section of our main newsletter, Letters from Tuscany. Postcards is a free column, where everyone can leave a comment and share a story.

I am Tommaso, the 50% of Juls' Kitchen, Giulia's husband, the photographer of everything you see here and of our latest cookbook Cucina Povera, but also the one in charge of videos, podcasts, and everything related to the technical aspects of our business. If you want to catch up on previous postcards, you can find them here. Happy reading!

In the last year off from Postcards from Tuscany, my creativity has not had much momentum. We have been on a routine that didn’t invite photography: day after day at home, behind a computer or loading the dishwasher, our most exciting
day trip a visit to a neighboring town.

There has been one regular moment that has continued to mark my weeks, though: a visit to the weekly market in Gracciano, a neighborhood of Colle Val d’Elsa, our hometown. Those who have attended one of our cooking classes know that every Wednesday from March till the end of October we teach a market-to-table cooking class that gathers people from all over the world in our small town.

We start with breakfast—espresso, cappuccino, or macchiato and a selection of pastries—at the local café, and we decide together which will be the menu of the day. With a tentative list of ingredients in mind, we go shopping at the market for fruit, vegetables, and cheese, and from there we take a short walk to the butcher.

That is why for today's Postcard I decided to pick some of the most beautiful shots taken on this occasion.

What are your favorite vegetables to buy at the market? Do you have a favorite season for market visits? I'd love to hear your stories.

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