Grigliata di Maiale
19 February 2010
One of the many perks of the butchering season here at Spannocchia are the resulting lunches. There is a lovely tradition in Tuscany of celebrating the process, pig and those who work to bring us our food. The activity of the first day in the transformation room is stopped for about an hour in the middle of the day to grill up ribs and chops for the whole community. Our resident fire-master and garden manager Carmen lights up the big fattoria camino around 11am (using our very own charcoal) so that it will be ready for grilling around noon. Volunteers and staff roast our potatoes and prep big bowls of radicchio to be served along side the star of the meal. Once the aromas of grilled pork and roasted rosemary reach the courtyard, one and all descend upon the kitchen to gather ’round the table, enjoy the meal and compliment our marvelous butchers and farm staff. Yum.
A presto…
Past interns, volunteers and just about anyone who has worked on the farm here at Spannocchia: rejoice!! The new mill is up and running. For those not in the know, it has long been the task of many an able farm worker to mill feed for the pigs, cows and sheep. This process was infamous; it took at least a few mornings a week, coated our dear staff head to toe in fine, white flour and may have resulted in some lapses in power on the property. But no more! Like a spaceship from heaven, the mill has landed, adding years to everyone’s lives. No more will ghostly volunteers show up at lunch after four hours of milling. No longer do the villa lights shut off as the power turns on at pig hill. This programmable new macchina mixes and mills on its own, shaving hours and hours off milling time and keeping everyone that much cleaner (if such a thing really exists in farming). Efficiency is our middle name…
It’s been over a month since the fall group of interns has left and how time has flown. Things have been especially joyous on the farm this winter with TWO impressive snow falls, the birth of a baby calf, Christmas celebrations, a raucous New Year’s and 50th Birthday Celebration (Tuscan folk dancing included) and, of course, the introduction of our winter crew of volunteers. Cesco, Karla, Peter and Petra have settled in beautifully and have been busy feeding and fixing, mapping and butchering. It looks to be a productive winter in so many respects. We are thrilled to have them here. 
It’s HERE!!! The best time of the year has arrived…first press 2009 olive oil is on our tables! After a week of on again off again picking due to rain, team Spannocchia headed to the mill to oversee the pressing of the first 300 kilos of olives of the year. The group watched from start to finish as Spannocchia olives were cleaned, crushed, pressed to produce a brilliant green, almost neon, new olive oil. Most mills include a room adjacent to the pressing area where an open fire blazes so that oil makers may toast bread to sample the oil as it comes out of the press. Spannocchia interns and volunteers were more than happy to take part in this tradition and were shocked and awed at how wonderful the brand new oil tasted. It is truly an amazing (once a year) treat!