Ciao tutti,
Spring has arrived in Tuscany and the markets are filling with asparagus, fava beans, spring onions and artichokes! The greens are on their way out and the spring veggies are a welcome change. We hope your farmers' markets are opening up with some local, spring favorites!
Are you planning a trip to Italy this year? Stop by and see Gina and include Siena and the surrounding area. Its beautiful and a little less touristy than the big cities.
Enjoy your spring! Buon appetito!
Gina and Mary
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Spring Asparagus!
It's warming up in Tuscany and my friends report that they're already finding asparagus in the woods. While it's possible to find asparagus all year round both in Italy and in America, the springtime is when it's truly in season and at its most flavorful. It grows in the woods and fields and is so thin it is easily missed; I like to eat it in the forest as I walk along, savoring the strong asparagus flavor and crunch that the tiny, fresh  stalks provide.
In the north of Italy, up in the Veneto region, they grow the famous white asparagus and the country roads are lined in the spring with farmers selling their crop out of the back of trucks and at road-side stands. The asparagus is covered with mounds of dirt so it grows in the dark and doesn't form chlorophyll. The white asparagus is highly prized and very expensive, even right off the farmer's truck.
One of the simplest ways to enjoy spring asparagus is steamed in a little water with a whole clove of garlic and then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The other is by tossing it with some yummy fresh egg tagliatelle and butter with a good grating of parmigiano on top. I had it in a small trattoria in the town of Bassano del Grappa north of Padua and have been making it for spring dinners ever since. It's a perfect example of the simplicity and seasonality of Italian food.
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| Wonderful Winter season
It was a fabulous tour of the states this year, we had a wonderful time meeting so many new friends and connecting with our old friends. Thank you to all for coming to see Gina! It was fun! As of this writing, Gina has a couple more classes at Central Market and the event at Purdue and then its back to Tuscany!
Purdue University - Black Tie dinner, April 15, 16 click here for info Italian Cuisine paired with Castello Banfi wines
�Plano March 28
�Southlake March 29
If you have opportunities and ideas to bring Gina to your area next year, please call Mary: 972-342-8308. We are planning - the Seattle, Portland, northern California and South Carolina for sure. Sorry we missed you all this year!
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