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Ciao amici,
Summer is here and with it the bounty of the garden. We enjoyed our visit to northern California and loved Sonoma! One of Gina's dishes was the Roasted Summer vegetables at Ramekins Cooking School - it got such rave reviews, we're sharing it here.
We've got some fun tours set for next year. Well, our tours are always FUN - but we're adding new ones in 2014. Sonoma and The Palio...see some of the details below.
Gina is blogging again and sharing new recipes and insights. Check out her latest about
Buon appetito!
Gina and Mary |
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Summer Vegetables
Summer vegetables and herbs are in abundance right now and summer menus call for simple, fresh dishes. What better way than to simply roast vegetables in a hot oven and season them with herbs right out of the garden.
I like to roast vegetables dry, without any salt or oil, the addition of which can cause them to weep and stew, rather than dry roast. Then as soon as they come out, while they're still warm, you toss them in a large bowl with lots of fresh herbs and sea salt, generously drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The aroma reminds me of the warm, green, vegetal smell of the frantoio  when they're pressing fresh olive oil!
Pick any of the summer veggies like squashes and zucchini, eggplant, peppers, cherry tomatoes and small onions. They really cook down, so make more than you think you'll need. |
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Roasted Summer Vegetables (for 4)
3 zucchini
1 eggplant
2 onions
2 bell peppers (not green)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs: parsley, basil, thyme,
tarragon
Great extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt (Maldon or Cyprus flake gives a nice, salty crunch)
Preheat the oven to a very high temperature, at least 400. Cut all the veggies in a small chop or large dice and spread them in a single layer on a large baking dish or cookie sheet with sides. Roast them until browned and cooked through, stirring them with a spatula to loosen any stuck to the pan. Immediately put them in a bowl and add the olive oil, salt and fresh herbs. Toss to coat and serve. |
The Palio of Siena tour
Finally! Gina will be leading a tour to attend
THE PALIO in Siena next summer. Often spoken about as "the most exciting sporting event - ever", Gina has attended many races during her years of living in Siena and as a member of The Selva Contrada. She'll lead us through the "Days of the Palio" with the trial races, a contrada dinner and THE Palio race, sharing special insights and contrada/jockey strategy. We'll make a special week of it with a guided tour of the Selva museum and various contrade,
special outings and food and wine!
Of course, the trip to Tuscany wouldn't be complete without
food and wine activities. Touring a winery or two and visiting hilltop towns in the area that perhaps you hadn't visited on your last trip to Tuscany are planned.
The dates are:
June 28 - July 3rd.
We are only taking a small group of 12, so if you're serious, get on the list! We're planning on staying at the beautiful Villa dei Pipistrelli at Montestigliano.
Call or email Mary to sign up or with questions |
