Citron Quotes

“It's a recipe for agrumato," he says, sounding surprised.
I roll the unfamiliar name in Italian around on my tongue. "Agrumato? What's that?"
Nicolo's brow is furrowed. "I don't exactly know," he admits. "I've heard Violetta use the word." We turn expectantly to Nonna.
She explains, "It's the term for olive oil that is combined with other things," she says. "When the olives are crushed, sometimes whole fresh fruits, herbs, or vegetables are crushed alongside the olives. It gives the oil the rich flavor of whatever is crushed with it, more so than infusing the oil with other things after it is pressed."
I scan the page with interest. "What does the recipe call for?"
Nicolo reads silently. "It uses Casaliva olives," he says.
"That's the type we grow," I exclaim.
Nonna leans between us and peers at the recipe. "And cedro di Salò citron," she says.
Nicolo and I exchange an astonished glance. "That's the citron we grow on our terraces," he says slowly. "It's extremely rare."
"Violetta's prized citron and our olives," I reply. A recipe that combines the fruits of both our lands. Interesting.”
― Rachel Linden, The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake