"Gli Aromi" ... an abundance of Herbs

Many food aficionados associate Italy with sun-drenched, southern landscapes awash with the seductive fragrances of rosemary, thyme and oregano and indeed in addition to garlic, pepper and olive oil, fresh herbs provide the fundamental flavour of Sicilian cuisine.

For almost every main ingredient there is an appropriate herb, most of which grow wild on the island. The herb's glowing reputation and wide popularity are due not only to their beguiling aromas and flavour, but also to their qualities as gentle but effective and versatile natural remedies with proven healing properties.

Sicilians have always been more than generous in their use of herbs more so than Northern and Central Europeans and in Sicilian cooking herbs have a firm place in everyday food to add flavour to sauces, soups, eggs, vegetables, fish and meat dishes.

A while ago one of my Blog followers and now friend Paula, a lovely lady from New York, sent me a message to say that I MUST the next time I was in the south eastern corner of Sicily to go and visit her niece Rita and her husband Enrico at their Mediterranean Herb Farm called "Gli Aromi" which is located close to the town of Scicli. She also told me that Rita was an excellent and talented chef and that the farm was like going to paradise.

I love cooking with herbs and also growing them in my garden in London and in tubs on my roof terrace in Sicily. I absolutely love the flavours and fragrances and in fact I love cooking with and growing herbs so much that my husbands nickname for me is "Herbie" so Gli Aromi seemed like the perfect place for me.

Paula put me in touch with Rita and a date was set to visit in May.

The drive from our house in Giardini Naxos took around two hours including driving through the south eastern countryside which is always a treat with its low stone walls, twisted olive trees and fields dotted with bales of hay with the ever present turquoise waters of the sea in the distance.

Scicli is a baroque style town and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most recently it has become well known as the filming location for the popular television series Inspector Montalbano where the fictional police headquarters are located. Scicli is a very beautiful town and we never need an excuse to visit.

Gli Aromi is approximately a ten minute drive from the town set on a hill sloping down towards the sea between Sampieri, Cava d'Aliga and Scicli and it boasts stunning sea views in the distance. The farm is surrounded by many abundant olive trees.

On arrival we were a little bit early so we decided to divert to the little nearby fishing hamlet of Sampieri which has a beautiful golden sandy two mile long beach. This pretty village is also a popular filming location for Inspector Montalbano and we could see Fornace Penna, a deserted former tile and brick factory, along the coastline which always plays an iconic backdrop in the series.

After a walk and a coffee we headed back off towards the farm ....

Arriving at Gli Aromi we were eagerly greeted by husband and wife team Enrico Russino and Rita Russotto and also the "receptionist" Melissa one of their dogs. Paula had told me that Rita adores dogs. Rita explained that the word Melissa is another name for the herb lemon balm which is part of the mint family.

Rita told us that first we would join Enrico on a tour of the herb farm and afterwards we would enjoy a light buffet lunch that she would prepare using herbs from the farm. We were joined by a lovely family from London who were staying in a villa near Scicli and as is always the way, Daisy our dog fell in love with Enrico and had to be at the front of our little group at all times to ensure his safety.

Enrico explained that Gli Aromi was founded eighteen years ago through his passion for herbs and spices and his love of his homeland. The company produces and sells more than 200 different kinds of aromatic and medicinal plants which are grown on and distributed from the farm.

Our tour started in the kitchen garden which boasts a professional kitchen, plants for sale, products made using herbs and an area for eating which can also be used as an event space, but more about that later. In here above us there was a lovely vine plant in bloom with a most beautiful flower, Enrico asked if we knew what it was .... It was in fact a passion fruit plant and the flower it produces is exquisite.

Next we headed outside to where Enrico said he had a surprise for us.

On the hillside he has built a small amphitheatre just like those that you would find on the island built in Greek and Roman times. The stones he has constructed it with are the colours which can be seen in the nearby town of Noto where at sunset the stones of the stunning baroque architecture glow a beautiful honey colour as the sun sets on them. Enrico explained that he created the theatre as a perfect location to watch the sun set in the west and that it has been built in the perfect position so that weddings can be held here with the sea as your backdrop and the theatre as a seating area for guests. The farm has approval for civil wedding ceremonies and I could not think of a more perfect romantic spot to get married, especially as farm weddings are on trend this year. He also has big plans for this location including small music recitals, concerts, cooking demonstrations and book readings. From here on a clear day you can see the islands of Malta and Gozo.

Next we headed back into the greenhouses where we encountered the passion fruit flower up close and caper plants which were also proudly showing off a beautiful flower. Caper plants can be seen all over the island bursting out of stone walls and from cracks in rocky outcrops. The caper buds are a firm staple ingredient in Sicilian dishes such as caponata. Whether wild or cultivated the hard edible buds have to be hand picked just as they reach the right size which can be hard work as the plant flowers continuously throughout summer. Next we met some beautiful large geranium plants which Erico instructed us to pick a leaf and smell it and tell him which scent we could smell. One leaf smelt of oranges, the next of citrus and another of roses. Bellissima.

After exploring the greenhouses we took a stroll along the scented pathways of the farm walking past dozens of herbs both ornamental and medicinal such as lavender, pineapple sage, fennel, stevia, lemon thyme, oregano and who knew that there was so many varieties of mint. Enrico encouraged us to smell, touch and in some cases even taste the plants to discover surprising and unexpected new flavours. We really got up close and personal with the plants.

Aside from herbs we also saw exotic plants that Enrico is introducing such as plantain, a kind of cooking banana and also mangos.

Enrico was a good humoured and expert guide during our walk regaling us with useful snippets of scientific information and interesting stories right through to the end of our walk back in the kitchen garden where Rita was preparing our lunch.

Rita was born in New York but has lived in Sicily since she was seven. After her family returned to America she decided to stay on the island. She fell in love with desserts as a child and found a passion for Sicilian cuisine. She used to manage the Duomo restaurant in Ragusa and ran the Satra restaurant in Scicli. Ten years ago she met Enrico and it was a match made in heaven and together Gli Aromi is their life and passion.

Rita brought out delicious looking dishes and we sat under the passion fruit vine enjoying cous cous with vegetables, caponata, frittata made with wild fennel, a Ragusan salad and Scacciata, which is a stuffed flat bread, all washed down with some local red wine. We also tasted jams made by Rita which she has lovingly named "Rita's Philosophy" which we enjoyed with local Sicilian cheeses and bread. These jams are made with fruits and herbs and are like a taste explosion in your mouth. Our favourites were strawberry and apple conserve made with mint and orange marmalade made with fennel. Yummy. For dessert we enjoyed small pots of sweetened ricotta cheese laced with chocolate drops and layers of that mouth watering strawberry, apple and mint conserve.

After a lovely visit and buying some of Rita's delicious jams from the farm's shop it was soon time to leave but not before Enrico insisted that we try a liquor made using wild fennel, an unusual and intriguing taste. Fennel is my favourite Sicilian herb.

Gli Aromi is a wonderful experience and you really do feel like you are in paradise.

Rita and Enrico are the perfect hosts and you will feel like you have been engulfed in a warm family hug after meeting them and as is always the Sicilian way we left feeling like we had made new friends for life and we look forward to seeing them again soon.

Several events are held at the farm including sunset aperativo evenings, barbecues and Sunday lunches. Keep an eye on their social media for updates. Cooking classes with Rita are also available, its on my to do list.

As I mentioned earlier Gli Aromi is a perfect venue for weddings, can you imagine having your wedding reception under a vine of passion fruit draped with fairy lights, using the farms herbal plants and flowers for your bouquet and floral arrangements with your ceremony in front of Enrico's beautiful theatre with the sun setting into the Sicilian sea as natural scenery?

Sicilian simplicity at its best!

A tour of the farm with a light buffet lunch costs €25:00

Rita and Enrico have some amazing ideas and plans for the farm, so watch this space.

For more information on Gli Aromi visit www.gliaromi.it

You can also purchase their delicious produce Online

Also follow them on Instagram and Facebook
for event updates

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(Cover Photo Credit: Gli Aromi)