The Ta’ Qali Farmer’s Market

When I used to think of Mediterranean cooking, this is what I imagined: images of olive oil sizzling in steaming skillets, chefs—usually male—with big white hats, fresh bread coming out of the oven and being slathered with plump tomatoes and drizzled in oil and vinegar; fresh, wet mozzarella slices on a wooden platter, sliced into thick pieces, fanned out in a half-moon and accompanied by stuffed olives and sun-dried tomatoes.