What could top that wonderful afternoon in Umbria?  It was to be a singular moment in time when food and family are one . .  an experience cooking with my son and 4 year old grandson at a Tuscan villa in San Casciano in Val di Pesa. 

 

The house had a rustic Tuscan kitchen and just outside the kitchen door was a small patio enclosed by a brick wall surrounded by bushes of lavender and rosemary.  At one end of the patio was a brick grill.  We decided to go into town to buy a bistecca to cook on the grill.  The aroma of the meat grilling in the open air, the flames dancing on the grill and the laughter of my grandson combined to make that meal the most memorable meal I've ever had in Italy.

 

To grill your own Tuscan T-bone, Bistecca alla Fiorentina see At the Table . .

 

According to Pecks, the venerable Milanese food emporium, the perfect Italian picnic begins with "excellent bread".  Fresh rolls, panini and soft crusty bread are filled with meats and cheeses.  Bruschetta or crostini are prepared with tasty toppings of olives or crema, vegetable spreads. Conserve e sottolii, tinned or bottled food and vegetables pickled in oil, would be a good accompaniment.  A variety of cheeses and salame can also be served  with selections typical of the region. If the tomatoes are ripe nothing is better than a caprese, sliced tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese with basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil . . and of course a good bottle of wine!

 

Bruschetta Toppings, spreads and our signature Italian Picnic Basket  are now available at CosituttiMarketPlace 

 

From the cypress trees of Tuscany to the fields of Umbrian sunflowers, the landscape of Italy is a study in garden design. And although the beauty of the Italian garden can be enjoyed all year round, it is most abundantly displayed in the summer when the flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs of Italy are at their best .

 

On my trips to Italy I've visited many Italian gardens. I have many favorites including the well known Boboli Gardens designed by Cosimo de Medici near the Pitti Palace in Florence and a little known medieval monastic garden at the University of Perugia that I visited with my Umbrian friends Luca and Luigi.  The Garden houses a collection of vegetable species, which are of scientific value because they contain DNA that allows for the study of the plants' ancient genetic lines. Historically, the Garden is reminiscent of the Hortus conclusus, a garden surrounded by a wall in which medicinal herbs and edible plants were grown.
 

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