Life on a Tuscan Farm

At least once a week at Spannocchia the kitchen is transformed into a classroom as guests learn the art of preparing a Tuscan meal. Using fresh ingredients, such a spinach from the garden for raviolifilling or our own ground beef for a ragù sauce, cooking class participants go hands-on, doing everything from kneading and rolling out pici pasta to cracking eggs and whipping mascarpone cheese for tiramisù. The class is taught by Loredana, who grew up on the Spannocchia property in a tenant farm family and who was the cook at Spannocchia for twenty years. Now retired, Loredana still wants to stay a part of Spannocchia and teaching the weekly cooking class is the perfect way to do that. She shares her passion for cooking and her secrets from a lifetime in the kitchen and her simple, traditional dishes are always delicious. This Friday, the Spannocchia interns got their day in the kitchen. See their menu below. Even Loredana was impressed by the amazing melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi they made.

Pear and Gorgonzola Crostone
Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli
Gnocchi with bell pepper sauce
Cabbage with raisins and pinenuts
Tiramisù

A presto!

The wonderful rain and sunshine we had at Spannocchia during March means lots and of green happy weeds come April. But what may seem like an annoying invasion of the garden and roadside, on closer look (and guided by someone with native plant knowledge) can become edible and incredibly delicious ingredients for lunch! Yesterday, the interns had a lesson with Daniela, a Spannocchia staff member who is passionate about wild, edible plants and nature in general.

They spent an hour and a half collecting the plants within just a few steps of the main Castello complex. Plants found included: dandelion, calendula, fennel, mallow, shepherd’s purse, borage and many other delicious plants that grow in abundance in every nook and cranny. The next half of the lesson was in the kitchen, creating several dishes including fennel cornucopias, deviled eggs made with wild herbs, a large beautiful salad and a calendula yogurt spread for bread. The interns voted that everything was delicious! The only complaint came from the two garden interns who said they will never be able to weed again…without making salad. A presto!