Sicily next Spring?

My Global Pantry is your weekly guide for what to make out of seasonal produce and pantry staples. Mondays are free for everyone - snacks, sides, and easy cooking inspiration. Every Wednesday I share a new full-length weeknight dinner or WFH lunch recipe for PANTRY CLUB members. Join here to unlock every recipe and get a new one for your rotation each week.

When they announced our study trip locations for school last year I admit I was crossing my fingers for Sicily - the island’s intertwining Arab, Spanish, and Greek influence makes its food debateably the most exciting and diverse in all of Italy, and I was hoping for the chance to visit with people who could show us more than a typical tourist itinerary.

Well, we didn’t go to Sicily (our trips were wonderful, it’s ok). But that made it even more special when Elizabeth Minchilli reached out to see if I’d like to collaborate on a culinary tour of Sicily next March, and bring along a small group of you all to eat and explore the island together!

Elizabeth has been visiting Sicily since she was a kid, and has gotten to know it both personally and professionally while she and her daughters have built up their award-winning culinary travel company Via Rosa. Our trip will be focused on the eastern side of the island, and structured very similarly to how we used to travel with school, spending our time with local producers and chefs who can give us a taste of true Sicilian cuisine.

We have a visit planned to an almond farm, an olive oil grove, an ancient mill where we’ll grind flour to make our own flatbread, and of course we’ll shop from the local vegetable and seafood markets and learn to cook Sicilian specialties. Our dates are March 14-20, 2027, and the full plan is here.

This is not like a typical organized tour - we’re keeping it small (max 12 guests) and you’ll have time to do your own thing each evening or hang out with the group some more depending on how you feel. Via Rosa’s trips tend to fill up fast, so I recommend booking soon if you’re interested.

I’m so excited to get back to Italy, and this time with you! Please don’t hesitate to write to me if you have any questions about what to expect.

Chat soon - Susanna

In honor of this trip announcement, here’s the fennel orange salad I recreated in my kitchen after finally getting a chance to visit Sicily on a school break last Spring. I had such a great time (albeit a bit touristy, since I had no expert help planning then), and I’ve been thinking about getting back to that stunning citrus ever since. To get even closer to the vibe of a Sicilian seaside lunch, swap the burrata for seared or poached tuna and add olives to the pile.

Serves four as a starter, or two as a light lunch. Multiply for more.

1 small red onion (~100g)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

75g white wine vinegar (sub another pale colored vinegar)

1 small fennel or half a larger bulb (~150g)

2 oranges (~300g)

1 ball burrata (~125g)

~20 roasted salted pistachios

1 tsp flaky salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Pickle the onions

If possible, prep the pickled onions the night before. This isn’t necessary, even 30 minutes ahead is great, but you will get the brilliant pink color from an overnight soak. Thinly slice the red onion and add to a bowl with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 75g vinegar, and 75g water. Mix and let sit in the fridge. (There will be extra pickled onions - use them on salads, eggs, tacos, whatever you like in the next few days)

Prep the fennel

Remove the green stalks from the fennel and slice the white section as thinly as possible. Put in a bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix, then let sit.

Arrange the platter

Peel the oranges and slice into rounds. Place flat on a plate, then pile the fennel on top. Cut the burrata into pieces and place on top of the oranges and fennel. Add a layer of pickled onions, then sprinkle over chopped pistachios and flaky salt. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil.

On Wednesday paid readers will get the recipe for a Thai-style rice bowl inspired by pad kra pow. This one’s amazingly flexible - beef, pork, or tofu mince would work equally well, and I have 3 ideas (so far) for you to turn the leftovers into brand new meals throughout the following few days.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about my journey into food and what PANTRY CLUB is all about here, and follow @myglobalpantry on IG for more behind-the-scenes of my recipe testing.

FYI, I may earn a commission from links shared in this message. I only share things that I genuinely enjoy, which I think you might as well.