Blogging In Italy

Just Picked

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

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Peppers

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Carlo adding another row of cane

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

Large and small tomatoes over six feet tall!

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And bright zucchini blossoms loving the sunshine.

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

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

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and of course, lots of delicious eating…

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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

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta!

8 Jul

If you wait long enough, many of the “avoid” foods seem to return, and not only return, but be included in a healthy diet. Eggs, dark chocolate, nuts, olive and coconut oil, and Himalayan salt are just a few examples. But this week, it was a surprising bonus to read that pasta can be added to that list.

According to an Italian study published in ‘Nutrition and Diabetes‘ this month, based on the dietary habits of over 23,000 adults of varying ages, there seems to be a positive connection between pasta consumption and weight. To be more precise, the study found that there appears to be a link between the amount of pasta one consumes and how likely one is to be slim. Amazing.

But how can this be? Part of the answer lies in the fact that pasta is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, usually adding beneficial ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, and vegetables.

On the national news, they attributed this to the fact that Italians only eat pasta as a small side dish. Must have been a nutritionist behind that story who has never, ever been to Italy.

This got me to thinking about our diet, here and there. When we are in Italy, we eat pasta nearly every day of the week, either for lunch or dinner, yet significant weight gain has never been an issue. If we do gain a few pounds, it is more likely the result of a morning cornetto (aka croissant or sweet roll ) or a bit too much bread. We often say that for us, pasta è basta, meaning a pasta dish followed by a salad is a perfect meal. Yet when we are home, we tend to eat pasta once or twice a week. Age old wives tales stuck in our heads, I guess, but now a thing to happily move to the past.

Today I bought a new basil plant and plan to make some fresh pesto for Sunday’s dinner.

And last night, it was pasta with olive oil, garlic, red onion, fresh tomatoes, wine and peas, and a dollop of ricotta and grated pecorino to top it off.

If you are curious or doubtful, click on the link ‘Nutrition and Diabetes‘ and decide for yourself. As for me, they got me at hello.

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Pasta

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Food, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Recipe, My Blog about Italy

Happy 4th of July!

4 Jul

A wonderful weekend for some R & R…Relaxation and Reflection. We adapted quite easily to both as we spent a lovely weekend at my sister’s home in Bridgman, Michigan.

Walks on the beach…

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Visits to local craft beer breweries and whiskey distilleries for tasting…

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©Blogginginitaly.com (The gang, with Len acting the part!)

cocktail hour on the deck…

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BBQs each night… ribs, sausage, chicken, mac-n-cheese, potatoes, veggies, brownies, etc. Sorry, I was too busy eating to get many photos!

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The weather was incredible… comfortable days and unusually cool nights. We thought about swimming…

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but opted instead for a fire at night.

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Besides all the fun and relaxation, Bridgman is a great place for reflection.

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Every night at sundown, TAPS is played at Weko Beach in honor of those who serve this great country of ours. This tradition began in 1991. Mrs. Joyce McCort heard TAPS played at the military graduations of her sons and thought it would be fitting to play TAPS at the close of each day at Weko Beach.

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This tradition continues each night, often with one player at the beach and a second player in the hills.

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A very moving way to end each night, and a reminder to reflect on how fortunate I am to call this incredible country home.

Happy 4th!

Judy

Tags: 4th of July

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Chicago, My Blog about Italy

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…

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

Chicago ©Blogginginitaly.com

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

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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,