Under the Tuscan Sun,
I know it’s been used before but I am under the Tuscan sun….

The colours in the hills around us here in Le Burgne range from the inky dark green of the ubiquitous cypress tress, to the silver of the olive tree and to the zinger acid green of the tobacco crops around Citta di Castello.

La Villa is perched on a hill and the hilly terrain makes for good walking which is how we started the day with Rosella and Neville. Our first morning walk took us through crops, forest and orchards, chased by the pesky horseflies. Plums, apples, pears, grapes and berries are all ripening and what a pleasure to sample the fruit.

Our first delight here at La Villa are the ripe figs, they are the green variety and honey sweet. Food is already the fulcrum for all 13 of us who have descended on Umbria. We had our first long leisurely lunch under the trees after cooking up a storm in the farm style kitchen, piadina with fontina, prosciutto and rocket, figs with prosciutto, risotto with red radicchio and gelato for desert.
We have already fallen hard for Bacetti Perugina, the famous Umbria little kisses chocolates.

Week one visitors at La Villa:
Rosella and Neville, with Bryony
Nicki and Geoff
Wendy, who is traveling out of South Africa for the first time with her 3 daughters, Michelle, Dale and Sindy
Marretje and David who live in near Geneva and have been on the road for a month
Sharon and Fred.

Recipes:

Piadina with Fontina, prosciutto crudo and rocket
Piadina is the Italian flat bread which is heated in a large frying pan, no need to oil the pan.
Shave the fontina cheese wedge, it’s a wonderful melting cheese which a deep flavour.
Place a handful of the fontina on one half of the piadina.
Three slices of prosciutto to cover the melting cheese.
When melted and the piadina crisped up had the rocket leaves.
Fold in half and remove from the stove, cut into wedges and serve immediately with a crispy white wine.

Figs with prosciutto
Pick the figs around midday; they are then warm and juicy. Drap with prosciutto and serve.

Risotto with red radicchio
Fry the finely chopped onions and garlic in vast quantity of olive oil and butter.
Thinly slice the radicchio heads, Rosella selected the purple radicchio which is an extraordinary colour.
Add the shredded radicchio to the onions and garlic and gentle cook until soft and caramelized.
Add half a cup of arboria rice per person. Another option is to use carnaroli rice, which Rosella prefers.
While the onions and garlic are frying get a large pot of stock ready. Ideally make from fresh but while on holiday its fine to use stock cubes. Star Classio was recommended.
Slowly add the stock to the rice and keep stirring; we had two pots going on the gas stove, so Rosella and I kept the stirring going
Add white wine to the risotto as it gets close to being cooked, good cup or two.
Gently stir in the butter and add handful of grated parmigiano.
Geoff and Bryony made a fine salad of greens, cherry tomatoes from the vegetable garden here at la Villa and celery.

Excursions from La Villa

We have to drag ourselves away from swimming and the pool with its endless views across the countryside.
Citta di Castelle is our closest village and we ambled around the walled medieval streets after we arrived in Umbria. We were having pizza at one of the outdoor restaurants when Nicki and Geoff walked past, how quirky to meet, unplanned and so far from Johannesburg. I remember someone a long time ago telling me to orientate to a new place by finding a high point. We stumbled upon the Campanile Cilindrico and used the round tower to marvel at the terracotta roof tiles, tuscan style homes set among the hills and fields.
Last night we all went wine tasting south of Perugia at Cantina Goletti in Pila. Four generations have run the wine farm and we met Sarah the youngest of the clan who guided us through their vast range of whites, reds, desert wines, grappa, brandy and heady, syrupy 10 year old balsamic vinegar. The attitude was one of abundance and we sat under the trees, watched the light change across the vineyards and quaffed wine. Mich and I have stocked up for book club in October as well as treating ourselves to the balsamic vinegar.

Truffles and buffalo mozzarella …

Down the hill from our Villa is the buffalo mozzarella farm, huge beasts in the field and the mozzarella and ricotta are sublime. We are sitting under the trees after lunch with the hills in the background having had a caprese salad made with tomatoes and basil from the garden, figs and proscuito, caciotta cheese, a local cheese which is a cow and sheep milk blend with a truffle honey, pecorino and loads of local wine and good company.
My truffle experience has been heady, the Bianconi company down the road sources local black truffles daily from the truffle hunters – here in Italy with dogs. They shared stories and recipes about truffles and I walked away with the joy of a new foodie experience and having eaten fresh truffles for the first time.

Black Truffle Gnocchi

n Make ot buy handmade gnocchi
n Finely slice the thoroughly washed truffle ideally using a truffle blade
n Gently heat extra virgin olive oil with a crushed garlic clove added to the oil
n When heated add the slices truffle to release the aroma
n Once gently infused add to the cooked gnocchi

Shopping in Florence !

An experience not to be missed, all the best brands at the best prices and after all a 30% discount means an inexplicable urge to buy the whole shop ?

Week 2 visitors at La Villa

Rosella, Neville and Bryony
Sharon and Fred with Shawni and Barry who arrived on Saturday at Pisa
Edi and Teresa
Charles and Gillian