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Award Winning Tomato!

Planting an orto or garden in Italy last spring was delightful; sampling the results was delicious; but having an award-winning tomato was divine. In fact, the neighboring farmers were scratching their heads.

Our prize tomato, a Cuor di Bue, weighed in at nearly 2.2 pounds or about 1 kilogram!

©Blogginginitaly.com

It was so heavy it actually broke the branch during a storm, but fortunately, it had a soft landing and remained unbruised.

©Blogginginitaly.com Cuor di Bue

We let it ripen another two days out of the sun.

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You might recognize this tomato as a Beefsteak variety. Its name, Cuor di Bue, literally means heart of an ox because of its distinctive shape. It matures late and when ripe, has an orangey-red color.

Now for the tasting. The team consisted of Fernanda, who selected the plant from the nursery last April, Len and Carlo, who planted it, and yours truly, documenting everything.

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Since the normal weight for this tomato is about 7-8 ounces, and ours weighed 2.2 POUNDS, I was a bit concerned that such a large tomato might not taste great, but then this is Italy, the land that loves its tomatoes.

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And the result?…Perfect!

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It even had few seeds, which I have since learned can make a tomato more acidic.

Cuor di Bue are ideal for eating with fresh mozzarella and basil, as we did. Our tomato produced four extra-large steaks.

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Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, add a dash of salt and pepper, and enjoy!

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Divine!

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Beefsteak Tomatoes, Cuor di Bue

Comments 13 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italian Recipe, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

A Tuscan Sunset

4 Sep

Il Rifugio, (The Refuge), is a private Tuscan villa for rent by the owners. It is a lovingly restored seventeenth-century stone farmhouse that sits on a Tuscan hillside in the village of Montanare, community of Cortona.

Accepting an invitation to dinner from friends staying at Il Rifugio was easy. We knew the group would be fun, the conversations lively, and the food and wine, well, as we’ve come to expect in Italy, delicious.

What we didn’t anticipate, however, were the breathtaking views. Suffice it to say, one can easily understand the advice from their website: “Slow down, review your dreams, and rethink your life…”

Just yesterday, a friend was saying how relaxed and unstressed he is here. I believe it is a common sentiment for many of us fortunate enough to be part of this.

And if you can’t be in Tuscany…

when you have a moment to relax, fill your favorite glass, click on the photos to enlarge, and enjoy a view that only nature can paint.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Il Rifugio, Tuscan Sunsets

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Renting in Cortona, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

A Familiar Italian Gathering

31 Aug

Can we have too much of a good thing? Need you ask?

Last night, we held a long-planned “reunion” with the group who built the wood sheds last spring.

©Blogginginitaly.com (May ’16)

Loreno, a master griller, wanted to cook for us again and we were more than happy to accept.

Stormy weather couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm; we just made a slight adjustment and moved the tables inside at Fernanda’s house.

The apperitivi, created by Fernanda and Bruna, were delicious: an assortment of crostini including tuna, smoked salmon, sausage, mushroom, and chicken liver; prosciutto and melon; homemade pizza.

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In the meantime, while we were enjoying aperitivo, Loreno was working his magic outside. Fortunately, he had the grill undercover as the rain was relentless at times.

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As each plate was brought inside, a wonderful aroma filled the room. While I can give you the basic marinade for all of the meats: olive oil, lemon, rosemary, and salt, I can’t pass on Loreno’s patience and passion for grilling. After all, he built his own grill from steel.

First the chicken:

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Followed by boneless pork chops and sausages:

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Followed by steak:

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Then the salad and tomatoes picked from the garden.

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When Loreno finally joined us, he entered the room to a well-deserved standing ovation.

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When I asked if he had had anything to eat, he assured me that he is the primary tester/taster of all things on the grill. So I just filled his glass.

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Loreno sat next to Len and me, and we chatted non-stop for over an hour. He speaks not a word of English, yet we talked about life, the challenges and joys it can bring, and so much more. His family, many of whom were at the table, and Fernanda’s, are not actually related through blood, but there are no stronger ties. And now they too have wrapped their arms around us.

©Blogginginitaly.com Carlo and Cousin Giuliano

When I think about these gatherings, I am always reminded of how happy I am that my grandparents came from Italy. The love and friendship that I experience here is amazing, yet not surprising. Len and I are both fortunate to have grown up with similar Italian traditions: big family gatherings, always too much food, lots of stories and laughter, everyone talking and listening at the same time, and always room for guests, who just like here, often became extended family members. And fortunately, we continue to experience and pass on these wonderful traditions, both sides of the ocean.

After dinner, we enjoyed just picked fresh figs from the garden, another thing that my grandmother loved…

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Along with limoncello, although we had to wait for it to thaw a bit!

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Thanks to our hosts for an incredible dinner and evening, and most of all, for their friendship and love.

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Ciao,
Judy

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Food, Friends, Family

30 Aug

The greatest benefit we enjoy in returning to Cortona year after year is the friends we have made. Many are local and others are repeaters who love the town and its people as much as we do. Being small in size, it’s nearly impossible to walk down the street and not see familiar faces. Friends here become extended family, and spending time with them is a favorite pastime.

Last night, 25 of us gathered for a traditional Italian celebration of friendship. When we arrived, the setting welcomed us with open arms:

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As did three generations of the family:

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The beautiful table would soon be filled with food and lots of conversation, and the bbq in the back let us know that grilled meats were part of the dinner.

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The challenge, of course, is pacing oneself.

First up, Aperitivo, almost a meal in itself. Everything is freshly cut and sliced. I’ve yet to be in an Italian kitchen that doesn’t have a deli sized meat slicer! This course is generally served with Prosecco, and soon the corks were popping.

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For Primo, we enjoyed homemade lasagna, both meat and vegetarian styles,

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Followed by melanzana, (eggplant parmigiana).

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For someone like me, who generally feels that pasta è basta, (pasta is enough), sticking to smaller portions is essential.

Next up, time for grilling. First the steaks…

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cooked to perfection.

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followed by sausages…

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and served with salad.

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At this point, almost all are leaning back in their chairs, taking a deep breath, and thinking they have reached the end…until…

Time for dessert!

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Fresh fig and fresh apple/pistachio tortes served with gelato, caramelized figs, and moscato, a sparkling white wine.

Una bellissima serrata, as we say here…a beautiful night… filled with great food, great friends, and lots of love. We also had a surprise visitor during Aperitivo. Our dear friend Ted (who is looking terrific!), joined us via FaceTime. After everyone said their hellos, we raised our glasses and saluted him and his health with a rowdy round of Brindisino!

To you, Ted, from your Cortona family, buona salute!

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And many thanks to our hosts and dear friends for sharing their Italian traditions with us.

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 22 Comments
Categories Cortona, Grilling in Italy, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Love is in the …

21 Aug

Italy is often considered one of the most romantic countries in the world. If you’ve been, or seen pictures, it’s easy to understand. Love is evident in the people, the food, the culture, the music, and so on.

Today on my walk, I couldn’t help but notice how love is also in nature.

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These incredible pine trees, separated by a road many years after they took root, have grown and flourished along a nearly identical angle for dozens and dozens of years until they reunited. And now, not rain, nor hail, nor sleet, nor the strong winds are powerful enough to separate their embrace.

Love is in the air – sometimes one just needs to look up.

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian countryside, Italian History, Italy, Tuscany

Just Picked

18 Aug

The time has finally come for our tasting – will the vegetables we planted in the spring taste as good as they look? Let’s start with the tomatoes.

And the verdict is?

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Pop in my mouth delicious!

And the zucchini?

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Affirmative again!

Our onions did well, and not so much the peppers, but those tomatoes – they just keep giving and giving! This was our pick for the day, not including those we ate as we picked.

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Getting ready for dinner, Carlo cut some sunflowers for our table,

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while Fernanda worked her magic in the kitchen. Appertivo included hot from the frying pan amazing zucchini flowers:

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and stuffed zucchini flowers, before going in the oven.

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We built our own caprese and enjoyed grilled zucchini, fresh pecorino with homemade plum and orange marmellata, and of course, prosecco.

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Pasta was served with a light sugo (sauce) made from our fresh tomatoes and onions. The breeze was light, the temperature comfortable, and the proud smiles abundant.

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Thinking back to last April, I can’t remember that we had grand expectations for our garden when it looked like this:

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In fact, we felt we planted a bit too early as the garden had to endure several hail storms and lots of heavy rain. But neighboring farmers have commented that their tomatoes aren’t nearly as tall or productive as ours, and that we did well to get the plants in the ground when we did. As it turns out, some of them had to plant a bit later than planned due to the soaked soil.

And while planting a garden is certainly not an Olympic event, in keeping with the times, here’s to our gold medal zucchini and tomatoes,

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And the sense of accomplishment it bought to a bunch of Italian and American city folks working together. Auguri!

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Ciao,
Judy

Comments 22 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Ferragosto

15 Aug

Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated on August 15 and coincides with the major Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary. For many Italians, it is their summer vacation period and a time when many places of business also close their doors for vacation.

The Feriae Augusti, from which Ferragosto takes its name, comes from the “Festivals or Holiday of the Emperor Augustus” which was introduced in 18 BC. The Feriae Augusti linked the various August festivals to provide a longer period of rest, called Augustali, which was felt necessary after the hard labour of the previous summer weeks.

Crowds flock to Cortona for this holiday, as they can enjoy live bands in the piazzas, various exhibits, and most of all, the Sagra della Bistecca held in the public gardens. This year numbers 57.

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Large open grills, built for the occasion, become the center of attraction in the public gardens. Those tending to the grills are seasoned veterans, and know just when to turn the bistecca. Seared on the outside, very rare in the middle.

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For 28 euro, you get a bistecca, potatoes, choice of beans or tomatoes, a peach, and some vino.

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Family and friends come together at long canopied tables to celebrate the holiday and share stories and laughter.

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Like every festival, there is music, even if just one man and his many accouterments.

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After dinner, many walk through town to marvel at the ancient city’s beauty.

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And if your family is like mine, and a peach doesn’t quite qualify as dessert, it’s time for gelato.

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Even the weather contributed to the weekend’s success – bright blue skies, hot sun, and low humidity.

If you are thinking of Italy next summer, remember Cortona and Ferragosto.

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And if rare bistecca isn’t your thing, coming next weekend: the porcini festival!

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 11 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Grilling in Italy, Italian Festival, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Tuscany

Bragging Rights

4 Aug

Let’s begin with this amazing photo:

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This is one tomato from our orto, one of hundreds I might add, in a garden that might be about 12 feet wide and 60-70 feet long. I’ll measure next time as I am curious myself!

As you might recall, we built cane trellises for the much-anticipated tomato plant growth, but who would ever have guessed that Carlo would eventually have to add an overhead cane trellis?

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The garden has done incredibly well under the watchful eyes of Carlo and Fernanda, but in truth, the true bragging rights belong to the Italian soil!

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There is much advice available on how to plant a garden in Italy, including testing the soil and adding nutrients, but we did none of these other than till the land well. Luckily for us, our soil type and pH must be near perfect, but then this is Tuscany.

Len recalls that we bought 12 tomato plants total, of 3-4 different types. After we left a local family nursery, however, we realized that we didn’t have any idea which was which, as they don’t put those nice little white tags on each plant. So watching our garden grow had extra elements of daily surprise. And grow it did – more so than we had ever imagined.

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Now grant you, size and quantity alone do not spell success. And thus far, I’ve had to rely on the smiles and photos from our friends who have eaten from our (ok, their) garden. But I suspect, from our conversations and the photos, that the taste will actually surpass my expectations.

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Other than the soil composition, the only added products have been patience, sunshine, water and love. Talk about organic!

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Stay tuned for my upcoming taste test results. And Memo to Me: wear a dark shirt as I already visualize a delicious burst of tomato seeds when I bite my first pomodoro ciliegino (cherry tomato!).

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Orto Update

24 Jul

Just over three months ago, we planted an orto, or vegetable garden, in our friend’s yard in Tuscany. https://blogginginitaly.com/2016/04/22/planting-an-orto/

We decided on zucchini, peppers, onions, and of course, tomatoes. And just to be sure our tomatoes would grow, we built cane trellises for them. No slouches here. Last April 22, the orto looked like this:

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Despite several spring hail storms, and thanks to the watchful coaxing of Fernanda and Carlo, the plants flourished in the fertile Tuscan soil. Each week, we anxiously awaited our photo progress reports.

Tomatoes and onions

Peppers

Carlo adding another row of cane

And just three months later, here are some of the amazing fruits of our labor.

Large and small tomatoes over six feet tall!

And bright zucchini blossoms loving the sunshine.

The beautiful yard is also full of fruit trees, especially susine or plum trees, perfect for making marmellata di susine or plum jam.

Needless to say, lots of serious picking going on these days…

and of course, lots of delicious eating…

and an assurance from our friends that there will still be much to pick and eat when we return.

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

My Here and There

29 Jun

Whether in Chicago or Cortona, Len and I try to walk everyday, or as we say in Italian, fare una passeggiata. During our walks, my senses take in beautiful sights, sounds (no ear buds for me), and the vast array of smells from fragrant flowers to pop-up food stands. The differences are striking, from the moment I step outside my door…

Via Santucci, Cortona ©Blogginginitaly.com

And not surprising, as Chicago is a relatively new city…1833

While Cortona is an ancient town… 7th century BC.

And while the differences are striking in many ways, it occurred to me that there are some interesting similarities.

Both cities have incredible parks where we take our walks,

with beautiful fountains,

incredible monuments and memorials,

seating for the weary,

And cats to entertain.

While Chicago borders beautiful Lake Michigan,

Cortona is just a short drive to Lago Trasimeno.

And both provide relaxing settings for walking and biking.

Now if stopping for ice cream/gelato is your thing, no problem…

or shopping at a local market.

Need fast delivery? Both locales have you covered.

Looking for entertainment? Races on foot or on wheels?

Or annual traditions?

Chicago Air and Water Show©Blogginginitaly.com

Feeling like spectating or donning a costume?

And finally, when we need four wheels, …well, got that covered too!

Big City Safety

Ok, ok, don’t ask about such things as tomatoes, wine, cheese, pasta – no contest – but a very good reason to keep returning for una passeggiata in the land of my ancestors.

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 25 Comments
Categories Chicago, Cortona, Cortona Market, Etruscan Ruins, Food, Italian Festival, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Pageantry, Renting in Cortona, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

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