Everywhere you go, Italians have snuck in a garden. I see them all along the train tracks as I go to Florence. If you have a home in town, you also have a piece of land where you cultivate your orto, fruit and vegetable garden. I sneek peaks into every tiny garden I see, how…
Summer Food Fest- HERBS
This week’s Summer Food Fest is Herbs, Beans and Greens. Right now my garden is slowing down, zucchini have pretty much stopped. The eggplant is still producing and am waiting for my watermelon to ripen. But like any good Italian, my herb garden is flourishing. I adore herbs and have the traditional: rosemary, sage, basil,…
Summer Soup
Trying to use up some of the last zucchini in my garden, I made a lovely vegetable broth for a cous cous, to fill my cravings as an expat for some spice in my life. The simple broth is onions, carrots, potatoes and zucchini with some water and salt. Simple and light. When I serve…
Summer Food Fest – Corn
fried polenta crostini with porcini raguFor most European countries, corn is not for human consumption, but rather considered “feed” for animals. When I see corn being grown in the fields around me in Tuscany, I know it is for animals and not sweet corn I adore eating grilled, slathered in butter with some chili powder…
Market Day- Castelfiorentino- Saturday
Not far from where I live in Certaldo is Castelfiorentino. They have the local larger street market on Saturday’s which I like to go to about once a month. These market days are sort of like the “mall” coming to you. Hundreds of small privately owned shops line the streets. Many have repeat items, especially…
Summer Fest 2010- Let’s Party – Cukes and Zukes
Margaret at A Way To Garden and Deb Puchalla have gathered together some of the best bloggers to share their recipes for the seasonal veggies. From now until the end of August is the big party, hope you can join us in celebrating the garden. When gardening, it seems we all need some help to…
Watermelon 101- birds and the bees
Like zucchini, watermelon do have male and female blossoms and the bees and other insects flying between the blossoms fertilize the female which allows the fruit to grow. My watermelon plants were full with male blossoms, I read that the male blossoms came first, then the female. When I returned from Sicily, still no…
Slow Summer- Italian Style
Can’t stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen!!!We just finished our Kitchen in Chianti classes until September. During August I am doing private touring and cooking classes at villa’s around Tuscany so sort of a vacation. Discovering new villages and villas is always fun! We have had our first tomatoes from the garden and…