CHIAVARI, Italy - There are many things
to love about the island of Procida, starting with its location in the Gulf of
Naples. There’s the lushness of the gardens, the palm trees, the creeping
Bougainvillea, the fragrant lemon and orange groves, the colorful pastel houses
and the adorable three-wheel microtaxis that haul the weary up and down the
steep road to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
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| Procida, Italy |
The volcanic island may be tiny, just
1.5 square miles (3.7 sq.km), but it packs a wallop when it comes to beauty.
Its colorful villages and lush scenery have drawn filmmakers from Rome’s
Cinecitta to Hollywood, and as you walk around, certain areas may look
familiar, for Procida played a key role in the films Il Postino and The
Talented Mr. Ripley.
Procida is the smallest of the three
islands in the Gulf of Naples, but one of the first to be inhabited That happened
at some point between the 17th and 16th century BC. The Romans didn’t arrive
until many centuries later. In the 6th century AD the island was annexed to the
territory of Naples, and it has been a part of Naples ever since.
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| Marina Grande Harbor, Procida, Italy |
The people of the tiny island know that
they are often overlooked in favor of their more glamorous neighbors, Capri and
Positano. But Procida has something her more famous neighbors don’t have, a
simple, traditional way of life that is increasingly hard to find these days.
The island is home to 11,000 people, most of them
from families who have lived here for generations. In some ways it’s the
island’s small size that saves it from mass tourism. There simply isn’t a lot
of room to build hotels big enough to hold tour groups. Most of the buildings you see when you come into Marina Grande, the main
harbor, are private homes, and no one seems interested in having it any other
way.
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| Such a Lovely Place |
On a clear day you can see all the way
to Mount Vesuvius from the village of Terra Murata, Procida’s highest point.
But the volcano was never the island’s biggest threat. Starting in the 9th
century, the Saracen pirates, who plied the waters of the Mediterranean, found
Procida an easy target, forcing the terrified residents to seek shelter on this
peak.
In the 16th Century, in an attempt to
protect Procida from the constant pirate attacks, the ruling d’Avalos family of
Aragon built walls around the citadel, which is why it is called Terra Murata,
or “walled land”. The pirates might be gone, but residents still live within
the fortress walls.
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| Santa Maria della Pieta, Procida, Italy |
On 8 May 1535, Procida was once again
attacked by pirates and took refuge in the Benedictine abbey in Terra Murata.
According to local folklore, an image of St. Michael the archangel appeared in
the sky, drawing his fiery sword. The image of the angel struck such fear in
the hearts of the pirates; they ran for their lives. Every year on 8 May, the island celebrates
the anniversary of St Michael’s apparition with an evening procession. It is
one of the major holy events of the year.
Market stalls in the shadow of the
Abbey of Saint Michael Archangel sell hand-embroidered clothing and foodstuffs,
including limoncello. The lemons in Procida grow with especially thick skins –
perfect for Limoncello, which is made by steeping lemon zest in alcohol.
OK, that's enough talk about the
island, now it’s time to eat. This week’s recipes are two well known dishes,
meatballs and spaghetti with clams, but with a Procian twist – a little lemon
juice. You’ll be surprised what a flavor
boost the lemon gives these dishes. I hope you’ll try them.
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| Spaghetti with Clams and Lemon Procida Style |
SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS AND LEMON
Serves 4
320 g of spaghetti (3/4’s of a 1 lb package)
1,2 kg (3lbs) of small clams
2 Amalfi Coast lemons (the juice of)
1 clove of garlic
1 small – and hot – red pepper (or crushed red pepper)
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 dl (about ¼ cup) of extra virgin olive oil
salt
Heat the olive oil in a large frying
pan, and when it is hot, but not boiling, brown the clove of garlic.
Clean the clams carefully, under
running water, eliminating those that don’t open
Put the clean clams in the frying pan,
first removing the garlic clove. Cover the pan let cook over a low heat.
When the clams open, remove them from
the pan and strain the cooking liquid.
Carefully wash the lemons, and with a
vegetable peeler take off a very thin slice of the peel, taking care to leave
the bitter white part. Finely dice the lemon peel and set aside. Squeeze the
juice from the two lemons and strain the juice.
Return the clams, the strained cooking
liquid and the lemon juice to the frying pan, along with the crushed red
pepper, the diced lemon peel and reheat everything together over a low heat.
Bring a good amount of water to boil in
a large pot, add salt and the spaghetti. When the spaghetti is cooked al dente,
drain it and add to the clams and sauce in the frying pan. Turn the heat up and
mix the spaghetti and clams, and add the chopped parsley. Serve in a large
dish, sprinkled with some of the chopped lemon peel.
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| Lemon Meatballs alla Procida |
LEMON MEATBALLS
Ingredients: ground beef gr. 400 grams (3/4 of a pound)
50g (1/2 cup) grated
Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 garlic clove, finely
chopped
1 tablespoon finely
chopped parsley
flour
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper.
In a bowl mix the meat with the egg,
cheese, parsley, finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper and let stand at least
an hour. Then form the meatballs, (it helps if you wet your hands), and then
roll them in flour, shaking off the excess.
Next, put them in a pan with 3-4
tablespoons of olive oil and cook over low heat for about half an hour turning
frequently. After a half an hour, drizzle them with the lemon juice, raise the
heat and as soon as the sauce starts to boil, remove pan from heat and serve
them, piping hot with a side of sautéed spinach and mashed
potatoes.
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