Shimmering olive groves flanked by swaying fields of golden wheat; rows of dense, dark grapevines following the crisscrossing hills to the horizon; vegetable gardens brimming with tomatoes and zucchini blossoms. Those are the landscapes of southern Tuscany in summer, the mosaic of textures and color that have made this god-kissed land so unforgettable and dear the world over. And those are its bounty, its legendary foods – the foods we explore with you at Terra Summer Italia.
These are some of the topics we will explore during each session:
- Pasta making and cooking
- Bread making and exploration of bruschetta, fettunta, and crostini as staples
- Tuscan soups
- I contorni (vegetable side dishes) – sformati, zucchini blossoms, and artichokes
- Legumes of Tuscany
- Truffles
- Preserving summer foods
- Tuscan desserts
Together with learning how to grow and prepare these foods, we will learn about their history and folklore, including a bit about local geography, sociology, anthropology, topography, and languages (and the metric system!). The idea is to link the food you savor on your plate with meaningful knowledge of where the food came from, its history, who grows it and makes it, and the connections involved.
Two field trips are planned per session: We will visit cheese makers in Pienza and a food sagra (festival or celebration) in the area.
Other field trip possibilities are a day harvesting wheat in Val d’Orcia and a visit to a local olive mill. (Note that not all sessions will be identical; teaching opportunities depend on ongoing harvests, crops, and other interesting and unpredictable developments and events.) Interdisciplinary lessons are incorporated with the trips and the ingredients with which we are working.
Terra Summer Italia will also include a 15-minute Italian lesson with Sybil each day and some food-related art (see A Day at TSI).
Where possible, local chefs, cooks, and mamme and nonne of well-known talent are our teachers in the kitchen. Though Terra Summer Italia has its own chef/culinary instructor who speaks English, we strive to involve local talents and expertise as much as possible.
Each session includes two guest chef dinners for adults only, and two dinners for all parents and children, all in the Abbazia. We also offer a pasta making evening for moms/dads only with wine!
Also, each session will include an olive-oil-tasting dinner, an offering of the Abbazia.
Thank you!