Podcast from Italy

Our latest podcast is up! Click here to download via iTunes!
We're up late recording this one after a long day & recount the wedding & the week.
Thanks for listening & subscribing!!photo: Kyle Johnson

Millions of Flower Petals Cover the Cobblestone Streets in this Tiny Italian Village

Millions of flower petals cover the cobblestone streets in tiny Piobbico (Le Marche) Italy.

Straight out of an old Italian film, the first Sunday of June small villages around our area celebrate La Fiorita by decorating the streets in flower petals followed by a procession through town led by the priest, clergy, band, mayor & townspeople. This is one of the most beautiful traditions of our area honoring Corpus Cristi.

An hour before the procession, the townspeople gather with boxes over-flowing with sweet smelling flowers & vibrant colored petals of roses, lilies & daisies. A friendly neighbor has come by early & created frames with sprigs of rosemary to be filled with pictures made of flowers. From young to old they meticulously place each petal with pride.

As the priest leads the villagers through town sharing blessings, he breaks through this most beautiful offering. I nod at the Mayor with a smile, wink at 13 year old Mariellena, acknowledging the plumber too as he passes.

I love being part this community and sharing in the traditions of this wonderful Italian culture!

Pictures & Post from 2009 Flower Festival in Piobbico

A Vegetable Garden Planner for the Home Garden

Have you thought about starting a vegetable garden?? But don't know where to begin - check out this great site: EZ Garden

We used lived in Brooklyn with only a few herb pots on our roof & that was the extent of our 'garden;' we now have a 2 acre organic farm. But if you have the space (and not much is needed) then start a veggie garden at home! It will be one of the most satisfying things you do. The pride in picking your own veggies & then serving them for dinner is out of this world! If you are like us & had no idea where to begin (and don't have the watchful eye of Doctor Gaggi) then look no further!

The garden planner is designed for growing vegetables in the home garden. Based on your local climate, vegetable preferences, and desired servings of vegetables, the garden planner generates a garden design and planting schedule that fits your family perfectly. Garden maintenance is a breeze with the planting, maintenance, and harvesting instructions included in the vegetable garden plan.

Whether you are experienced at planting a garden or have never planted a vegetable garden before, the EZ Garden planner has something for everybody from planner, design, maintenance & harvest.

Now enjoy farm fresh veggies all year round with Easy Garden Planner

Eating Your Way Through Le Marche! July 2010

Here is the next installment of my personal favorite way to travel - Eating your Way Through Le Marche for July Events, Festivals, Market & More! I have added as asterisk * next to particularly interesting or tasty events! Grab a glass of wine because there are a ton of summer fests in July!
For more festivals check out: Marche in Feste

JULY 2009

Pesaro

Festa del porto (the week before the 1st weekend)

Harbor festival, traditions, games, sports, gastronomy, exhibitions, music & more - great excuse to spend the day at the beach

Mercatello Sul Metauro

Fiera di Santa Veronica (1st Sunday)

A traditional fair displaying and selling a variety of goods from 6:00am

Mondavio

*Castrum bibendum (1st weekend)

History in a dish, culture in a glass with live entertainment, food & drinks starting at 6:00pm

Monte Cerignone

*Mons Cerignonis (1st weekend)

Historical re-enactments with procession and the Palio of Uguccione (horse race), with fire-eaters & trampolinists, duellers & falconers, comedians and fortune-tellers, theater, live entertainment, medieval markets plus arts & crafts starting at 5pm

Montemaggiore al Metauro

Festa al parco (1st weekend)

Gastronomy, music & live entertainment in the evening

Saltara

Musica e sapori in giardino (Wednesdays)

Concerts and food tastings starting at 9:30pm

Fano

*Festa del patrono (10th)

Feast of the patron saint of Bingo! Seriously - I know it's not food related, but bingo's a blast & they are doing it outside it the main square!

Belforte All'Isauro

*Festa della birra (2nd Friday)

Beer festival!

Novafeltria

*Fiera del diciassette (weekend near July 17th)

Historical re-enactment of the ancient livestock fair with gastronomy and market

Carpegna

Fiera grossa (21st)

Traditional fair selling & displaying a variety of goods and livestock fair all day.

Peglio

*Festa della trebbiatura (3rd weekend)

Harvest festival, grain harvesting with historic equipment, gastronomic stands

Fossombrone

Sagre della Boccabona (3rd weekend)

Festival of the Boccabona, folklore & gastronomy from 7:00pm

Pennabilli

Sagra del cinghiale (3rd weekend)

Wild boar festival -sooo good!

Cartoceto

Festa dei piatti tipici (3rd weekend)

Festival of typical dishes starting at 6pm

Montelabbate

*Sagra delle pesche (3rd weekend)

Peach festival & exhibition, traditional auction sale with evening entertainment. How can you get any more summer than a peach festival?!

Mercatello sul Metauro

*Palio del somaro e sagra della tagliatella (3rd of 4th weekend)

Donkey race and home made tagliatelle need I say more?! Donkey race through the local contoni (city wards), gastronomic stands with tagliatelle and local products all day in the old center. (Other activities for the palio start the week before)

Carpegna

*Festa del prosciutto (penultimate weekend)

Ham festival, promoting the PDO (protected designation of origin) ham from Carpegna with the participation of local producers all day

Monte Grimano Terme

*Sagra del tartufo nero (penultimate weekend)

Festival of the black truffle, promotion of local products with tastings, expositions, musical entertainment - truffles in the summer!

Casteldelci

*Il mare e la montagna (last Saturday)

The sea and the mountain, the fishermen of the Adriatic coast offer their specialties beginning in the afternoon

Oricano di Pesaro

Estate in mercato (last Sunday)

Traditional fair displaying & selling a variety of good all day in the old center.

Pennabilli

Festa della trebbiatura (last Sunday)

Harvest festival

Pergola

*Festa del vino (last weekend)

Wine festival, showcase & market of typical local wines & wine products, wine cellars & tasting of specialties accompanied by vernaccia from Pergola starting at 2pm

Piandimeleto

*Palio dei Conti Oliva (last weekend)

Historic medieval revival with costume procession & archery competition, medieval market, historical parade & more

San Costanzo

Sagra polentara (last weekend)

Polenta festival where the master polenta chefs cook polenta in antique copper cauldrons starting at 6pm - we will be there for sure!

Ongoing

Montefelcino

Mercatino del feudatario (July - August, Tuesday)

Feudal market, evening markets of antiques, curiositites, collector's items & of course- gastronomy. Renissance costumes & processsions, musical attractions & artistic exhibitions. The name of the event comes from Count Fabio Landriani della Rovere whose castle feuded with the Duke of Urbino in the second half of the 16th century.

Gabicce Mare

Escursioni guidate in barca a vela (July - August, Tuesday & Thursday)

Sail boat excursions with a guide in the San Bartolo park at 9:00am (prior booking recommended 0541.831.700)

Fano

Mercato e shopping serale (July - August, Wednesday - Friday)

Shopping & evening market in the old centre

Sant'Angelo in Vado

Estate vadese (July - August)

Summer in Sant'Angelo in Vado, exhibitions, music, theater, street performers, games, live entertainment, tastings of typical local products 9:00pm

Shopping di sera (July - August, Wednesday)

Evening shopping, a traditional summertime event with music, gastronomy & much more around 9pm!

Novafeltria

E...sate in salute (July - August, Thursday)

Summer Health, summer evening market with events, shows, exhibitions & market of healthy products & well being, food & drinks * Guided wine tastings starting at 7:00pm. (Start in the middle of July)

Urbania

Pasta fresca (June - August)

The quintessential Italian cooking holiday - pizza & pasta making! Learn to throw the dough, roll sheets of pasta by hand & fire up the outdoor wood burning oven!

Gabicce Mare

Mercantino di prodotti naturali (June - September, Tuesday & Friday)

Natural products market in Piazza Valbruna at 8:30pm

Pesaro

Pesaro dulcis in centro (July-August, Wednesday to Friday)

Evening shopping, concerts, exhibitions, entertainment for kids, creative workshops, food tastings, guided tours, cultural walks & lectures.

Mercatino serale (June - September, Tuesday & Friday)

Evening market along Via Fiume

Gradara

Medioevo a tavola (all year)

The pleasures of the table in the Middle Ages, medieval dinners in the restaurants of the old center

Giovedi al castello (June - August, Thrusday)

Thursdays at the castle, re-enactment of the closure of the gate to the village at vespers, procession in period costume, fire-eaters & more at 9:00pm

Mondolfo

Eventi estivi (June - August)

Musical events, theatre, sports, gastronomy, exhibitions, evening markets and much more along the seaside of Marotta & in the old centre of Mondolfo

All events are under an hour drive from La Tavola Marche Agriturismo!

Fresh Fava with 3 Easy Recipes

We've picked nearly a TON of fava (or "broad bean" as our British friends call them) out of our garden/farm - most likely if you have stopped by in the past 2 weeks you have either been given a bag of fresh picked fava to take home, shelled 'em and/or eaten them!

So what to do with a crate of fava...from crudo (raw) & crostini and even in pasta here we share a few of our favorite "Farm to the Table" fava dishes:

1. With the sweet spring flavor of shelled (double shelled) fava we simply pair it with a hunk of fresh pecorino cheese for the ultimate in simplicistic antipasta & country/peasant cooking.
2. Another great antipasta is fava crostini - the color & crisp flavor on crunchy bread - how can you only eat one?! Jason's fava crostini recipe:
Fava (Broad bean) Crostini:

Serves 4

1 cup of double shelled (outer pod & inner shell removed) fresh fava or broad bean
couple glugs of olive oil
garlic clove, skinned, whole
squeeze of lemon
water
shaved parmesan
salt & pepper
baguette or crusty bread, sliced & toasted

Throw the fava in a pan & cover with water & a little salt. Bring to a boil & lower to a simmer. Cook a couple of minutes until the fava are tender. Drain.

Return the pan to the heat. Pour in a couple glugs of olive oil and the garlic clove. Fry the garlic until browned. Then discard garlic.

Toss the fava into the pan & sautee for a minute or two. Then begin mashing with the back of a wooden spoon until you form a paste. If you need to add a bit of water, do so.

Remove fava paste from heat & season with salt & pepper add a squeeze of lemon.

Toast slices of good bread & rub warm fava mixture & top with shaved parmesan. You can drizzle a little really good quality extra virgin olive oil as well if you like.

3. For a fresh light pasta dish try Spaghetti alla Chitarra con Vedure di Primavera (Pasta with spring vegetables). A bright mix of fava, peas, asparagus & artichoke!

Medieval Summer Salad with Farro, Chickpea & Arugula

Enjoy this fantastic, simple, delicious & healthy summer salad recipe that is one of my favs! We first devoured this at a medieval festival in Piobbico & have been recreating it at home ever since! Farro is a medieval grain the Romans ate to stay full & fight battles. More info on the history of farro - read our previous post here: Farro medieval grain.

Farro, Chickpea & Arugula Salad
Insalata di farro, ceci e ruccola

6 ounces farro or spelt
2 ounces chickpeas or garbanzo beans (soaked over night)
a bunch of arugula
juice of 1/2 lemon
parmesan (wedge to shave ribbons)
salt & pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In plenty of cold water biol farro until al dente (cooked but with a bite).
In a separate pot do the same with the chickpeas.
In a bowl toss together farro & chickpeas once cooked, add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper and olive oil.
Taste & check your seasoning - adjusting salt, pepper & lemon. (If too lemony add a bit more olive oil).
Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Before serving toss in arugula & shave ribbons of Parmesan.
Mix together & serve.

For more recipes with Farro try our Farro & Leek Soup Recipe!

Podcast from Italy: Cow Herding, Chicken Wrangling & A big Italian Wedding!

Listen to our latest podcast episode! This week on our Podcast from Italy we chat about La Transumanza (cow herding, Italian style), a flower festival in Piobbico, the word of the week and how we are gearing up for a big Italian wedding this weekend! Our goal is to have 10 subscribers & comments on iTunes!
Listen to our Podcast from Italy on iTunes

more photos to come from the flower festival -

Chicken Wrangler: Raising Happy Free Range Chickens

So I thought chickens would be super simple & for the most part they are. However everyone has different advice about what to feed them. Some say - "Oh no problem chickens will eat any food scraps you give them."

Then others are more particular - "Rinse the lettuce first and you must soak the stale bread, make a soup for them & they will like it better." (Note: These are the same people that literally boil pasta for their dog with extra virgin olive oil & toasty bread)
And of course there is the hardware-store that says their organic feed is just enough & balanced perfectly.
So it seems even feeding them is confusing especially when we want nice bright yolks for making pasta. But they have started eating everything - even dry crunchy stale bread and they are loving the cherries!
Our coop is fantastic (read all about building it) but the 12 fowl (chickens & roosters) are bigger now & ready to explore which is something we have been nervous about as there are many predators out here just licking their chops for a bite of our tasty chickens - well get in line, so are we! Their house is located in semi-dense brush & woods so a fox can easily wait to make its move. Determined to have happy free-range chickens I started wrangling them! (I have taken on the chickens as Jason has soooo many other projects around the farm). I have no clue what I'm doing as I've never had chickens before. I started letting them out of the coop & herding them about the yard with a long stick training them to stay out of the deep brush. The hysterical part is they follow me for the most part - there's always one that goes rogue! It doesn't hurt that I try to do a little chicken-chat with them - brrrrkaaaa!
You may laugh, but its working!
They now know where their "area" is & come flapping & running to the door of their coop in the early morning as I coo "Buon giorno, ciao my chickies, come va?!" they eager to explore & start pecking about. Then in the early afternoon they head back in themselves! They have since doubled in size PLUS we found our first 3 eggs! Granted 2 of the 3 were too soft but still - they are starting! Chicken 'experts' say they are still abit young to produce everyday & the soft shell is normal. Since the first laying we have yet to see another but those yolks - dark bright yellow/red are pasta perfect!!Thankfully they showed a little love and have received a stay of execution as Jason proclaimed (sounding a bit like my Grandpa) "If they don't start laying soon they'll be soup!"

Looking good my little chick-a-dees, looking good! Keep it up!

Podcast from Italy - Now on iTunes!

Listen to our latest podcast from Italy - now available on iTunes!!This week we talk about the Festa della Republica, updates on the chickens, garden & more happenings at the farmhouse with the return of the ever-popular "word of the week!"

You can now easily subscribe via iTunes so you won't miss a thing & add it to your ipod!