Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
September 4 (or July 14)
Saint of the day:
St. Rosalia
Patron Saint Palermo; El Hatillo; Zuata Anzoátegui; and El Alto de Escuque Trujillo Italian fishermen of Monterey, California
The Story of St. Rosalia
St. Rosalia (1130–1166 A.D.) was born to a wealthy and noble Norman family, descendants of Charlemagne who had migrated to Sicily. From a young age Rosalia was strongly drawn to Christ, which caused her to leave her life of wealth and comfort to follow Him in complete solitude as a hermitess. Tradition holds that St. Rosalia was led by two angels to a cave near Palermo where she spent the rest of her life in prayer, complete solitude, and works of penance. On the cave wall she wrote "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses, and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ." Centuries later, when a plague was ravaging Palermo, her relics were discovered in the cave by a hunter to whom she had appeared in order to direct him to their location. Rosalia instructed the hunter to have her relics carried in procession three times around the city, after which the plague ceased. St. Rosalia was credited with saving the city, and a sanctuary was erected in her cave which remains a pilgrimage site to this day. St. Rosalia is the patron of Palermo and Sicily, Italy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Rosalia
Prayer:
Visit
Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia in Monte Pellegrino, Italy
Via Bonanno Pietro, 90142 Palermo PA, Italy
Recipe
Preserved Lemon Spread
I suggest rinsing the lemons before you blend them, to remove some excess salt and balance the sweet, tangy flavor. Since the flavor largely depends on the lemons and how much they’re salted, taste and adjust the honey to compensate. It’s a trial and error type of thing. You’re going for a muted tangy taste, nothing actually sweet.
Ingredients
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2 whole preserved lemons, pits removed
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1 tablespoon honey
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1 teaspoon olive oil
Directions
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In a small food processor, blend the lemons, honey and olive oil.
Add more honey if you want it to be sweeter.
Transfer to a container and cover with a thin film of olive oil.
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Note: top it on toasts with ricotta or use it in a marinade or a cooked dish.
This spread is a bight salty sour mix and a little goes a long way!
Preserved Lemon
Ingredients
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7 lemons, cut into eights (not all the way through)
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Kosher salt
Directions
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Pour boiling water into a 1 liter glass jar and let sit for a few minutes. Pour out the water and sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the jar. Set aside on a clean surface. Rub 1-2 tablespoons salt into each lemon, getting it on each wedge. Close up the lemon and firmly pack into the jar. Repeat until the jar is full. Juice should be covering the top, otherwise squeeze a lemon and pour juice to cover. Seal and leave at room temperature for 1 week, shaking up the jar to redistribute the salt and make sure the lemons are always submerged in liquid. Transfer to the fridge for about 2 months, checking on it periodically. Feels like forever, but worth it.
