Cositutti

CosiituttiMarketPlace

A Travel and Lifestyle Resource for Northern Italy, Tuscany and Umbria

A picnic in the Italian countryside in your classic Fiat 500 or ______.

Just fill in the blank and your picnic basket with salumi, salame and a crusty loaf   of bread. My choice would be a rustic Tuscan pane and a selection of Italian cold cuts like mortadella, capicola and finocchiona (if I could get it). Finoccchiona is a salame from Florence and the Chianti region made from finely ground pork, flavored with black peppercorns, garlic, wine and fennel seeds. Traditionally wild fennel is used and gives this salame the aroma of the Tuscan countryside. Add a few bruschetta toppings, a selection of mostarda, some fruit and formaggi          (a truffled pecorino would be very nice). For dessert, a melon with prosciutto and some biscotti to dip into my flask of Vin Santo.

Speaking of wine no self-respecting Italian meal would be complete without vino. So bring along a bottle of wine and to quench your thirst include aqua minerale   (San Pelligrino or Panna would be a good choice) and Italian soda.

Some recommendations for best picnic wines. Let us know your picks.

Pio Cesare Dolcetto d'Alba- $23.00 Smooth tannins, bright fruit. Goes well with fresh tomatoes, fragrant herbs, cured meats and pickled vegetables.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Rosé of Pinot Noir-$15.00  Light-bodied, yet full flavored with notes of orange peel and bergamot. Watermelon notes with a hint of spice.

Circa 1919 - A Picnic in the Italian Countryside

This is a picture of our Italian family taken in 1919 in the countryside near Vicenza.

To me it represents the idyllic Italian lifestyle and pleasures of "villegiatura",

leaving the life of the city for a villa in the countryside. Even though our Italian family did not have a villa along the Brenta they still enjoyed picnics in the countryside. Traveling in Italy and staying with our Italian family and friends has led me to believe that the Italians seem to know how to balance work and relaxation better than we do. An Italian inspired picnic is my way of bringing Italy home and capturing a small slice of "la dolce vita".

Here are a few ideas from Salume' Menu in NYC for an Italian inspired picnic.

Mortadella di bologna, emmental, rucola, senape

Bologna mortadella, emmenthal cheese, arugula, mustard

Prosciutto crudo di parma, mozzarella di bufala, pomodoro, olio extra vergine d'oliva

Prosciutto from Parma, buffalo mozzarella, tomato, extra virgin olive oil

Salame, provolone, rucola, rafano, olio extra vergine d'oliva

Salami, provolone cheese, arugula, horseradish, extra virgin olive oil

Mozzarella di bufala, pomodoro, basilico, olio extra vergine d'oliva 

Buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil, extra virgin olive oil