​I was fortunate enough to spend a day recently with Arianna Cini and her partner Alessio Di Genova of Km Zero Tours. They have worked long and hard to find just the right artisanal food producers to partner with, who not only create delicious products, but are passionate about how they are produced. And lucky for me, they love to talk about their work.

The Pruneti family has 26,000 trees. Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? And I’m sure it seems like a lot to the 70-80 seasonal workers who are hired to manually pick the trees. But for all those olives picked, do you know how much becomes extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil? 10-15%. That’s right…that’s all. So what becomes of the rest of it? It’s waste. The remaining 85-90% is a big mushy mess of broken pits, skins and smashed olive meat.

Back in the day, olive growers used to put this mash back in the field to “feed” the soil. Today’s growers know this practice creates too much acidity in the soil and is in fact not the best use of the mash. So, what do they do with it? Unfortunately, most olive oil producers send the mash to industrial refineries. Here, it is pressed again, using heat for maximum extraction. This second pressing is pretty devoid of all the known healthy properties of first-pressed, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. This second-pressed oil is often combined with other non-olive oils, and even falsely colored to mimic the beautiful color of fresh oil. Remember my earlier comments about there being no control during production? 

So what’s to be done about the production of fake olive oil? Emanuele has a solution for that as well, and it starts with us…the consumer. We need to read labels and push for stricter labeling. We need to expect to pay more for a quality product. A quality olive oil should have an expiration date because the sooner you use it after the olives were harvested, the better it is. Unfiltered oil may seem rustically chic, but the truth is, unfiltered oil spoils more quickly due to the remaining solid matter being quicker to go rancid. The bottle should say where the olives came from; not just what country, but what farm. Emanuele is certainly not opposed to olive oils from other countries, but the origin of the olives should be clearly stated on the label.

And here’s an idea: You get what you pay for. Restaurants can’t afford to put high quality olive oil on the table when patrons are coming along, pouring it out onto a plate and mopping it up with their free bread. For a restaurant to offer an amazing olive oil, the bread with an olive oil dip should be a paid appetizer item. Only then, and until regulations are in place during the production process will we be assured of consistently getting a quality olive oil.
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Until then, how does Emanuele handle receiving mediocre olive oil when he’s dining out at a restaurant? He carries a small bottle of Pruneti olive oil in his back pocket. Maybe we should all do the same.

We are in luck today because Marco, a member of the Gialletti Pimpinelli family is in the shop today and very willing to give us a tour. Though the artisans are not working (as it is a Sunday), he explains all the phases of ceramics making to us and shows us about the factory. He and his sister are the 3rd generation to be involved in the factory. His grandfather, (Gialletti) founded the company and his father, Graziano is the master ceramist. 

True to form, shopping has made us hungry. We have an appointment for lunch at a lovely restaurant on the main piazza of the charming town of Bevagna. So many times, I have come here to find a fun event happening in the piazza, and today is no exception. There is a little craft and antiques fair going on, and I purchase a fun necklace. I love this town! It’s so small, but I always find something good to eat here, and best of all, it has one of my favorite wine shops. Today we’re dining at Ristorante delle Mura, recommended to me by Fabrizio Antano….of my favorite wine shop.

After lunch, we only have a short distance to stroll to reach my favorite wine shop. I’ve blogged about Fabrizio Antano’s shop before. It’s a great combination of truly wonderful wine, Fabrizio’s generous pours, and his wonderful personality. Today, we’re in for a special treat as Fabrizio’s friend Pino has decided to pay a visit as well. Pino is a great photographer whose most recent subject matter are the flowering fields of the plains of Castellucio. These fields of lentil plants in Umbria erupt into riotous color at certain times of the year. You can see Pino’s photos on canvas in the background of one of the photos.

(Still trying to catch up on blogging my most recent tour....)
Today was simply all about food. That’s not bad, is it? Seeing as this is billed as a “food and wine tour”, that’s actually pretty, darn good in my book.

We start with appetizers: We make focaccia bread with fresh rosemary from scratch. On the right, you see the finished focaccia bread. It's served with local cheese and the winery's own jam made from Sagrantino grapes. In addition, we've made our own liver pate which you see served on some crusty local bread. This first course is served with Antonelli's white wine. 

Next comes the classic first course. Our "primo" is homemade pasta with a basic tomato sauce. The table is set for pasta making.....and everyone works hard for their lunch!

Of course, our pasta has to have a sauce, so we are taught how to make a basic, fresh tomato sauce:

For our main course, our "secondo", we're taught how to make a classic, Umbrian roasted chicken.

And what meal would be complete without dessert? We get to have two! First we make panna cotta with a chocolate ganache topping and also some delicious red wine cookies. We are so lucky. And it is all paired with the fantastic wines from Antonelli vineyards.

As usual, it has been a full and productive day. We are so grateful to Wendy and her helpers for showing us how to cook classic Umbrian cuisine. Everyone declares it.....truly delicious!

The ride up is exciting and exhilirating and the views are spectacular!

It's a blustery day, so we just take time for a few photos and a look about before heading back down.

Back down to earth from our ride, our driver drops us off in the historic center of Gubbio. The group now has a little free time to walk around and explore this beautiful hill town before we meet up for lunch.

Gubbio has been so fun and treated us well, but it is time to move on. We're on our way to the Eurochocolate Festival (Yes, can you believe there even is such a thing?!) in Perugia, but we have a quick stop to make on the way. 

We'll be stopping at Frantoio Trampolini, an olive oil mill where we will have a chance to see how the oil is made, as well as have a taste. Antonio Trampolini, the patriarch of the family shows us an old mill stone, explaining how the olives used to be crushed in years past. Then he takes us inside to see the modern equipment used today.

Tonight we dine and taste with Roberto and Irene Angelini, the father/daughter team of Enoteca Properzio. Our group has a private room to ourselves. Food begins to arrive, wine begins to flow…. As each course arrives, Roberto and Irene pop back in to pour a new wine and tell us a little about it. Then we are left alone to enjoy our meal until the next item arrives. The food is wonderful and the wines are fantastic. The evening continues on with lots of laughter, conversation, jokes…..no one is looking at a clock. This is how a meal should be enjoyed.

And so ends another day of the tour! Tomorrow we’ll be spending the day in nearby Assisi. Stay tuned…

Before we start making the pizza dough, we have a little olive oil tasting lesson. We're tasting the olive oil that is produced at Fontanaro. We look at the color, smell the aroma, and have a taste.  It's just like tasting wine!

We start rolling, and building a huge variety of pizzas. The first pizzas are topped with the classic Umbrian ingredients of sweated onions, and fresh sage. And of course ALL the pizzas get a liberal drizzle of Fontanaro's delicious, organic olive oil.

Next up, the classic Margherita pizza:

And, one of my personal favorites; zucchini blossoms both, with and without anchovies. (I prefer with.)

Here's another pizza that was new to all of us. Lucia cooked two blank pizza doughs in the oven. On top of the first one, she spread a delicious creamy cheese. The cheese was topped with lots of fresh arugula, then she pressed the second cooked pizza dough on top; like a sandwich. It was a pizza with fabulous contrasts. In each bite, you got the crispy crust with the creamy cheese and hot dough with cold arugula...very interesting and delicious.

Here are a few more photos in case you're not hungry yet:

And last, but not least.....did you know dessert can be made in the same oven? Lucia whipped up these delicious brioche buns, and after they came out of the oven, we split them open and filled them with ice cream! I know.....over-the-top deliciousness!

We have had a simply fabulous day with Alina, her mom Lucia and Anna in the outdoor kitchen. The group thoroughly enjoyed their relaxing stay at Fontanaro. Though they swear they can never eat again, the group manages to cook themselves their own supper in their villa this evening. Tomorrow, we will be leaving Paciano for more adventures in Umbria.  Click on the link below to see a lovely little video of our group making pizza (made by Alina).  http://t.co/eqad5rKUDn

I’ve recently had a most fabulous visit at Casamonti Farm located in the heart of Chianti Country which is located in the heart of Tuscany. This is no ordinary farm. It is a combination of scientific marvel and culinary delight. “What?!” you ask. “That doesn’t sound very tasty.” Oh, but it is. Let me explain…..

About 20 years ago, the world was about to lose a breed of pig called Cinta Senese to extinction. They are a fascinating animal to look at. Cinta means “belt” in Italian and you can see they have an interesting pinkish color to resemble a belt around their upper mid-section while the rest of them is black. They also have longer legs than the normal pig, bigger and flappier ears for eye protection, and really sturdy and longer snouts for digging in the ground. And….they’re delicious!

Casamonti’s owner, Raymond Lamothe was one of the key people to help bring the Cinta Senese back from extinction. And now, he and his wife Anna Rita breed and raise these special pigs on their farm, Casamonti. When a pig is born, genetic testing is done to determine whether this pig should be raised for breeding purposes, or whether after two years, it will become part of the food chain. After a pig is butchered the meat is brought back to Casamonti where it becomes all kinds of delicious things. 

Cinta Senese are so special, they have received the special D.O.P. designation from the government. This stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta or Protected Designation of Origin. Products labelled D.O.P. give you the guarantee that this product has been made locally using traditional methods by artisanal producers. Other food products to receive D.O.P. labeling are items like Parmegiano Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, and certain olive oils among others.

So, what does all this mean to you, and me, the consumers who might make a visit to Casamonti? It means you will taste some of the best cured meats you have ever had in your life. A visit to Casamonti means a stroll with the elegant and charming Anna Rita; a woman who is passionate about her cooking, the products made on the farm, and making sure her guests have a wonderful visit. It means you’re going to have a darn good time. 

My Casamonti Lunch:

Join me won’t you, on a Tuscan adventure? We’ll tour the curing rooms to see the cured meats drying, and then return to their picturesque terrace to sample them. Their capocollo is going to make your head spin. I promise. We can also taste their fabulous wines and olive oils, all produced from their grapes and olives….or stay for lunch….or have a cooking lesson. You decide; it’s your adventure. Drop me a line at: [email protected] and let’s start planning your trip to Italy and to Casamonti Farm.

I was never a huge fan of lentils before I lived in Italy. Too many times, I was the victim of mushy, chalky lentil soups and stews. Then I was introduced to lenticchie di Castelluccio and everything changed. These small greenish-brown lentils grow on the high plains of Castelluccio in Umbria at an altitude of 4600 ft. I love these lentils because they hold their shape after cooking. They are so tender as to not require pre-soaking and cook up in a mere 30 minutes.  

This recipe for Lentils with Roasted Tomatoes has been adapted from the cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. This cookbook does a fabulous job of sharing recipes for veg and grains with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flair. I served the dish at room temperature as a vegetarian main course, and I could certainly see myself eating something similar in Umbria.

We start by making roasted tomatoes. I was so thrilled with how these came out; I’m sure I’ll be making them many more times in the future to garnish dishes other than this one. They would also be great on an antipasto plate surrounded by salumi and cheeses, or even as a side to a nice grilled steak. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to make them. They need 1 ½ hours to bake. Next time, I’ll make more than I need. For this recipe, you need:

5 plum tomatoes
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh thyme sprigs
Salt
Preheat the oven to 275 and let’s get started:

Simply slice the plum tomatoes lengthwise into quarters.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the tomato quarters on it, skin side down. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over the tomatoes and follow that with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle some salt over everything and group the tomatoes so you can lay fresh sprigs of thyme over several slices at a time. Pop the pan into the oven and set your timer for 1 ½ hours. You have time for a glass of wine now. 

When they are done, pick off the thyme and discard. Some of the small thyme leaves will have fallen off onto your tomatoes…that’s a good thing, don’t worry about it. Just leave the pan on the stove top to cool.

While the tomatoes are roasting, you can take your time with the rest of the dish. The salad will need some marinated red onions, so very thinly slice a small red onion and place it in a large bowl with a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar and a sprinkle of good sea salt. Set it aside.

Set a pan of water to boil on the stove. Here are the ingredients we need to finish up:
1 1/3 cups lentils from Castelluccio
3 T. good olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper
1 T dried dill (or 4T fresh)
Fresh basil, thinly sliced
3 oz. sweet gorgonzola, crumbled

Place the lentils in the pan of boiling water, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until tender.
Drain well in a colander, and while still warm, add to the large bowl with the marinated red onions.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, and black pepper. Mix gently and set aside to cool a bit. 

Once it has cooled to room termperature, you can add the fresh herbs. The original recipe called for chopped parsley and chives and fresh dill, which I didn’t happen to have on hand, but if you do, toss those in as well. I simply added some dry dill and fresh basil. Mix gently.

Now that all your components are done, you just have to build the salad. I served this in individual pasta bowls. Place a large scoop of the lentil mixture in a bowl. Lay on a couple of tomatoes and a few crumbles of Gorgonzola cheese. I topped that with some more lentils and garnished with more tomatoes and gorgonzola. Composing it this way keeps the Gorgonzola crumbles in nice pieces, and keeps the tomato slices whole and delicious looking. Don’t you dare throw out the parchment paper without drizzling all that luscious olive oil, balsamic vinegar and tomato juice over the whole salad.I was so pleased with this main dish “salad”. Served at room temperature, the lentils were firm yet tender. The red onions having soaked first, were sweet, not bitter. The Gorgonzola and roasted tomatoes really give a great one-two punch of flavor.

Castelluccio lentils can be found at a good Italian grocer or importer of fine foods. Can’t find them in your area? Then come shopping with me in Italy! I’ll show you just where to pick some up. Book a tour now at www.bellagiornatatours.com.

I meet the most wonderful people.

I met Ersilia just a couple of months ago at my local Farmer’s Market.  She was there in a booth, selling olive oil.  Olive oil always attracts my attention, so I wandered over to take a peek and upon perusing the bottles, realized that several of them were from Umbria!  Well, that started a conversation and as it turns out, Ersilia, an American of Italian descent, went to college in Perugia, speaks fluent Italian and is the owner of her own small business importing olive oil from around the world.  It was through Ersilia that my recent tour group to Umbria had the pleasure of visiting frantoio Trampolini and sampling their wonderful olive oil firsthand.

It’s also thanks to Ersilia that you are getting this lovely recipe for Olive Oil cake.  This is a moist and delicious bundt cake.  It keeps well, is a great everyday cake (yes, in Irene’s world, it is okay to eat cake every day), and would work great at a potluck.  I baked it not long ago for my husband’s office and they enjoyed it immensely.  What I love best about this cake is the amount of citrus zest in it, giving it a bright and lively flavor.






Here’s your list of ingredients:
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
4 eggs
1 ¾ c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 c. olive oil (Ersilia uses her Oro Verde Lucano, a light and buttery choice)
1 ½ c. milk
Grated zest from one large orange and a lemon
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Grease and flour your bundt pan and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 and let’s get started:

Combine the two types of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Beat together the eggs and brown sugar until thick and frothy.  

Slowly add the olive oil.  Then add the orange and lemon zests and continue to mix well.

Alternating in 2 batches, add ½ of the flour mixture to the egg mixture.  
Then add ½ of the milk, mixing until just blended with no lumps.  
Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and remaining milk.  Do not over mix.  
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Loosen the sides with a knife and invert onto a serving plate.  Dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar.  (You’ll notice my pictures don’t show the cake dusted with confectioner’s sugar.  That’s because sometimes, I can be a very impatient baker.  Forget the decorating; I can barely wait for things to cool before I eat them.)

This was today's breakfast along with a lovely cappuccino.  Buon appetito and thanks Ersilia!

If you too are interested in Ersilia's olive oils, visit her website:
www.oliveoiloftheworld.com

OR......
Sign up for one of my tours to visit an olive oil mill!

Dear Diary,

We started in Rome, meeting for the first time, and getting to know not only each other, but also the busy and hectic city.  Out here in the country, the pace has been more relaxed, and we’ve had time to talk over leisurely meals, during strolls along medieval streets and during time spent traveling together in our van.  As the tour winds down, we spend our final days in Umbria in the towns of Perugia and Spoleto before making our way back to Rome.

October 10th has us in Perugia, where the group fans out on their own to sightsee for the morning.  We meet up for lunch at a cute little osteria where we have a delicious light meal and a glass of wine together.

First came a little appetizer plate followed by a delicious bowtie pasta with zucchini and sausage.  Yum!

After lunch we head to Frantoio Trampolini, the oldest olive oil mill in the Perugia area run by multi-generations of the Trampolini family.  We have a fantastic time here as Alessandro explains to us how the olives are made into olive oil, and shows us a short DVD so we can see the process.  Afterwards, we’re in for a real treat as in preparation for our arrival, they have built a fire in the fireplace and inserted the grill grate.  Sure enough, they start toasting bread over the open fire, and serve it to us doused in beautiful olive oil and sprinkled with salt.  It’s oh-so delicious and we munch away while we talk about the different varieties of oil and make lots of purchases.

Bellies full, we return to Spoleto with plenty of time for everyone to relax, or stroll and sightsee before our group dinner.  Dinner tonight is very special.  Chef Michele at Ristorante Appolinare has prepared a delightful menu for us.  He uses local and traditional ingredients, but prepares them with a special gourmet flair.  His friendliness has us all charmed and in addition, he presents us with the wine corks from the very bottles we have consumed for dinner, made into key chains! 

The following day (Oct. 11th), after a morning to further explore Spoleto, we board our van to return to Rome.  Some how, the van is much fuller than it was on the way to Umbria!  Everyone has made purchases of olive oil, ceramics, cashmere, leather, cookies, grains, and of course….wine.  Federico, our driver manages to make it all fit and helps us to unload as well when we reach Rome again.

All that’s left now is our farewell dinner.  Dinner tonight has been organized at our hotel in order to give everyone time to repack and reorganize for their flights home the following morning.  Pipero al Rex, is a tiny, but very elegant restaurant serving intriguing gourmet food.  It’s a good thing our waiter explains every course to us, or we might not know what we are eating!  It’s all unique and delicious and we have a fun evening reliving the highlights of our time together the past ten days.  

It’s been an absolute joy getting to know this group.  We’ve enjoyed each other’s company and seen and experienced so many fabulous things together.  Farewell hugs all around, and they’re off to return home; bags filled with wonderful treats and hearts filled with a new found love of Italy.  Arrivederci!  Until we meet again.