If winter comes can spring be far behind (Keats)

primulas

When guests come for dinner in San gioirgo they usually arrive with a gift – particularly if it is their first visit. Often it is a cake or pastries or spumante which has to be eaten or drunk after dinner. So on Saturday night Roberta, Federica and partners Francesco and Roberto arrived for an “English family meal”. Federica had heard a programme on Italian radio about the wonders of english cooking and “shepherd’s pie” in particular. So I had agreed to make a dinner of shepherd’s pie followed by apple crumble and custard.

 They were more than generous with their gifts as they brought a white wine which we drank before dinner. They also brought a Torta di Fano (a almond and custard tart)which was eaten after the apple crumble.

Federica and Roberto also very kindly brought flowers – a basket of primulas. In Italy flowers always come beautifully and often simply wrapped. So a small plastic pot with a small plant gets transformed with some coloured paper and a beautifully tied ribbon into something special.  So we didn’t just get 6 pots of primulas but a basket crammed full of colour and freshness. 

Gifts of flowers have their season – if it had been in November it would have been cyclamens, in December it would have been a poinsettia but now in February it is primulas. These are now on the kitchen windowsill and after the long cold, wet winter they are a real sign of spring.

One Response to “If winter comes can spring be far behind (Keats)”

  1. The Contessa says:

    Sounds wonderful, wish we had been there. Will we ever forget D and his 3 helpings of your sublime Steak & Kidney pud?

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