Farmhouse Cooking in Tuscany
When visiting any city around the world, day tripping is one of the best ways to get to know more of the wider country and its people. While staying in Siena in Southern Tuscany, Sam and I took the chance to drive about one hour north into the countryside, to the small village of San Casciano in Val di Pesa. There, we spent the afternoon with the sweetest host, Francesca, in her family’s 17th-century villa. The house itself was beautiful, and had been in her family for three generations. But the scenery around us took our breath away. From the rolling green hills and vineyards that are a Tuscan trademark, to the orchards surrounding the property, the many sensations brought life to an overcast autumn day. Even under the clouds, Tuscany is simply beautiful.
We visited Francesca’s family villa as part of an experience called Opera in the Kitchen. And what a delight! We started the day with a freshly brewed espresso, followed by a tour of the gardens and an opportunity to pick the vegetables and aromatics that we would later use in the kitchen. Among the vegetables we picked were some exceptionally hot peppers – we both love spice, but Sam learned the hard way that some peppers are better after they are cooked! LOL – it took him about an hour to regain his sense of taste. When finished in the garden, we took our fresh produce inside to the historic kitchen to begin preparing a very special Tuscan meal. On the menu:
- Roasted Tomato and Rosemary Focaccia with Fresh Mozzarella
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Homemade Cavatelli Pasta with Fried Eggplant
Needless to say, just hearing what we were about to make made us hungry before we even got started. Hands washed and aprons donned, we started by chopping our carrots, celery, and red onion that would become the sofrito for our chicken cacciatore, as well as the aromatics. We simultaneously chopped our eggplant and ruby red cherry tomatoes, which would ultimately find their way into our sauce for the cavatelli. Francesca then directed us to the stove where Sam began frying the eggplant while I sauteed the sofrito. Meanwhile, our friends worked on dessert – a log of deliciousness made with chocolate, vanilla, and espresso epically known as a “chocolate salami,” with cookie bits replacing what would normally be the marbling in charcuterie.
Francesca then took out the freshest looking chicken which had already been lightly marinated with salt and whole peppercorns. She added our aromatic herbs to a bowl of flour and tossed in the chicken, before transferring them to a pan and covering them with our sofrito. As the chicken sizzled on the stove and the flour turned into a creamy reduction, the scent of Tuscan herbs filled the kitchen and gave us a first feel of what was to come at the dinner table waiting outside. Francesca then brought forward dough that would become our focaccia, which we kneaded, spread into a pan, and topped with tomato sauce, fresh rosemary, and fresh mozzarella before placing it in the oven.
As the chicken sizzled on the stove and the flour turned into a creamy reduction, the scent of Tuscan herbs filled the kitchen and gave us a first feel of what was to come at the dinner table waiting outside.
Tuscan produce like this only brings smiles
Francesca spreading our fresh mozzarella
With the chicken on the stove and the focaccia in the oven, it was time to do our favorite part – let’s make pasta! For anyone who has made homemade pasta, you already know how gratifying it is to eat. As good as boxed pasta can be for a regular day’s meal, there is something about a pasta from scratch that is so incredibly tasty and comforting. So needless to say, we were excited. Francesca guided us on a pasta we had not made before – cavatelli. Cavatelli is a gnocchi-like pasta (without the potato starch) that has a cave-like opening to catch sauce, hence the name. We started with a blend of white and semolina flours, then slowly added water until we reached the desired texture. Eggs are omitted for cavatelli. Interestingly, this was because home chefs in Puglia (where it originated) often chose to reserve their eggs for sale rather than use them for consumption, whether in a pasta or otherwise.
Once the dough was thick enough, we kneaded, and kneaded, and kneaded some more, before using the same board used for gnocchi to shape the pasta. To make the “cave” as the pasta is formed, the index and middle fingers must be pressed down against the dough, perpendicular to the board. It was difficult to master at first, but soon we were on fire and cavatelli filled our cutting boards. With the pasta formed, and the garlic, tomatoes, and eggplant building up our savory Tuscan sauce, dinner was essentially ready. To enjoy the fruits of our labor, we sat in the outdoor courtyard of the beautiful villa.
The freshly-baked focaccia appetizer did not last!
Our cavatelli ready for cooking
As good as boxed pasta can be for a regular day’s meal, there is something about a pasta from scratch that is so incredibly tasty and comforting.
As we regaled in the homemade culinary experience, the most talented soprano walked into the courtyard, taking our breath away as she filled the historic walls with Italian opera. Not only was she skilled, but it was so clear how much she loved every moment, and that love emanated to all of us. We were soon laughing, dancing in our chairs, and even singing along to some famous tunes! As dessert was served, we looked around the beautiful table and took note that these were the same walls that had surrounded festive families for hundreds of years. As the candles flickered against the red brick and stone, the thought of times gone by brought Sam and I to smile; so many laughs, so many conversations – so many delightful meals – had been enjoyed exactly where we were sitting tonight.
Our opera prima donna reached a pinnacle that almost brought me to tears of joy from the experience. The food that we prepared and shared, the music that lifted our spirits, and the disappearing Tuscan sun – it is in these fleeting moments that life must be lived in the present. And we must capture those moments and recall them when our grind takes over again. What a blessing today truly was! And what a blessing it will be to remember.
And the finished product!
Our table beautifully set between 17th-century walls
A stunning evening pinnacled by an incredible voice
Sharif Shaalan
Looks good! 😋