Thinking of you again today Bill. I'm going to be working and doing annoying things like going to the horrible post office (Italian post is the WORST!), picking up prescriptions and going to the pharmacy. Would you like photos of that?
But this afternoon I hope to get a little sun and then I am going to make pear mostarda. Did you try that when you and your wife visited? It is like a marmalade, but thicker. You make it like a marmalade with fresh pears, sugar and lemon juice. The mostarda calls for lemon zest as well and essence of mustard oil. It is spicy and sweet and absolutely delicious with cheese and boiled meats. Particularly sheep's milk cheese from Sardegna.
I had a very damaged and diseased tree in my yard, it was near death when I moved in. I researched what to do and have been working on it year after year, scraping out all the dead part of the trunk until basically only a shell remained. It would produce many pears each year but they never ripened or are big enough to mature. So I decided to give it one more year before taking it out and planting something new. Well lo and behold this year it is producing the most incredible bounty of pears you could imagine! I have more than I an eat or give away so I am going to try making this mostarda. Wish me luck!