Recreating Springtime in Italy with Bastas' Marco Frattaroli

This is Market to Menu, in which Eater shadows a chef's trip to the Portland Farmers Market, following the trajectory of Oregon's freshest ingredients from market stall to restaurant plate.

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With the launch of his new SE Division restaurant, Cibo, just a few weeks away, chef Marco Frattaroli kicks off this season of market features with a stop attuned to recreating springtime in Italy. "Young, fresh, tender springtime vegetables are best in their simplicity," he says, picking up spring staples — young artichokes, fava beans, and fennel — with the intention of featuring them both cooked and raw on his Bastas Trattoria menu.

The fava pods are featured in a Livornese dish with pecorino curd, eaten simply with a sprinkle of olive oil, while the rest of the ingredients take center-stage in a crudite platter. "A simple crudite classic of the Tuscan area is fennel, white celery and artichokes," Frattaroli says, which he serves (artichoke stem included) with a dipping sauce made with "good a red wine vinegar (not balsamic), good local olive oil, and a little salt and pepper." That is, if Frattaroli doesn't eat them first — while still at the market, Frattaroli whipped out his pocketknife and started prepping the artichokes there on the spot.
· Bastas Trattoria [Official site]