Valmore

🌿 There’s a Silver Shine in Every Drop 🥈

I’m beyond proud to share that my extra virgin olive oil, Valmore Nocellara del Belice, has been awarded a Silver Medal at the NYIOOC 2025, one of the most prestigious olive oil competitions in the world.

This recognition means the world to me, Valmore oil is among the the top 100 world’s best olive oils 🥰
Behind every drop is my land sunlit, wild, and alive with Mediterranean soul.
Behind every bottle are rainy harvests, muddy boots, and hands that never gave up.

Valmore stood out with a medium-intense fruitiness, notes of ripe olives, spicy, ripe fruits, radish, olive leaf… finishing with that balanced bitterness and spice that speaks of truth, roots, and purity.

This award isn’t just a medal.
It’s a whisper from the trees, telling me we’re on the right path.

Thank you to everyone walking this journey with me.
This is just the beginning. 🌱

Palermo, the Capo market awakens 🍋

The air is filled with scents: freshly picked citrus, ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs. Walking through the stalls I am in the Mercato del Capo, the beating heart of the city, where life begins at dawn and every corner tells a story.

In front of me, an explosion of colors: the bright yellow of citrons, the deep orange of clementines, the vivid green of string beans. Wooden crates overflow with fruits and vegetables, bearing the marks of the hands that harvested them. The handwritten signs, slightly crooked and utterly authentic, speak Sicilian. Here, time moves to the rhythm of the vendors’ voices, calling out to customers in a near-theatrical chant.

The spiny artichokes, purple and proud, stand in line like soldiers, strong yet tender. Looking at them, I think of ancient dishes, hands patiently peeling their layers, I remember my family's recipes passed down like family secrets.

Further ahead, the vibrant green of Sicilian broccoli I bough, bursts under the morning light. It’s a color so vivid, almost surreal, speaking of windswept fields and simple yet perfect dishes.

My eyes seek beauty in the ordinary. In this photo, I wanted to capture a small part of the essence of Palermo veggies market, its raw soul, made of simplicity and abundance. The market is an open-air theater, a place where history meets the present, where every product tells the story of the land it comes from.

Close your eyes, and you can almost hear the chatter, the sound of weighing scales, the rustling of bags filled to the brim. This is Il Capo, this is Palermo! and maybe, among these wooden crates and ancient flavors, my next story is about to begin. 😉

📍 Mercato del Capo, Palermo
📸 A morning captured through art, nature, and flavors.

Fresh from the market 🌞🙌🏻

This morning, I went to the veggie market and picked up a bundle of these beautiful (and seriously spiky!) wild and massive artichokes. This the top trend of the season now.

When I was a kid all the artichokes looked the same, but now many hybrid varieties comes and is so difficult to find the original pleasure given by the traditional local artichokes variety! But this one it is! The one! We call it “spinedda” and believe me, one sting of this guy can hurt you till the soul for half day.
They taste more gentle in the mouth, the sweetness and delicate bitterness in unforgettable ❤️
What’s the best way to enjoy them?
Roasted in the burning coal!
I will drizzled with Valmore Nocellara Extra Virgin Olive Oil, of course! 😍

Crispy roasted, marinated, or in a classic Sicilian salad - this combo never fails. Who else loves artichokes as much as I do? Drop your favorite recipe in the comments! 👇✨