Farming in Italy

A view of our Italian farm's vineyards.

After our days in Cinque Terre we traveled to our Italian farm located an hour outside Turin in Northwestern Italy.  The farm mainly produces grapes and honey, but also has a small garden and fruit trees.  They sell their grapes to their local cooperative, a group of 350 farmers, which then produces, bottles, and distributes wine.  This farm is only one of two organic growers so the cooperative produces a small amount of organic wine and a large amount of conventionally produced wine.  The region is well known for Barolo and Muscato, both of which the cooperative makes.  One afternoon our host took us on a tour of the cooperative and we got to sample some of their wines as well as learn about the wine making process.

Dolcetto grapes from the vineyard.

Members of cooperative can purchase bulk wine cheaper than gasoline.
These pumps are used to transfer wine from storage into large jugs that members bring.

At the farm we had the chance to learn about the honey making process, something we had never experienced before.  The farm produces four types of honey, each of which are taken from the hives at different points of the year.  The flavor of each honey changes depending on which current flower is in bloom.  They make many fruit and honey preserves to sell at the market as well as sauces and canned vegetables for themselves to eat during the winter months.

Checking the progress of the bees to determine if the harvest was ready to collect. 

Irma, one of the dogs on the farm.

Thanks to the delicious cooking of our hosts, we were able to sample a variety of dishes native to the region.  One night we had pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and olives and another night pasta cooked perfectly al dente with zucchini and parmesan cheese.  Our last nigh there we had an amazing meal of fried squash blossoms (which we had picked early that day), a simple yet incredibly tasteful lasagna and a delicious tiramisu for dessert.  It was great to see how simple these dishes were to make, but by combining fresh ingredients in just the right was they were so flavorful and well-balanced.  This is definitely a method of cooking that we try to follow by always letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

Pizza with olives.

Tiramisu.

Fried squash blossoms.

After our week at the farm we spent two days in Interlaken, Switzerland before returning home.  Overall we had a wonderful trip and so many fun food adventures.  Our experiences will no doubt influence our cooking in the future as well as our respect for organic food and our desire to have a garden later in life.  We hope you have enjoyed reading about our travels and we will soon return to posting new recipes.

A view of dusk from our Italian farm.

Us in the vineyard.

Cinque Terre, Italy

After a short visit to Nice we crossed borders to Italy.  Our first stop was in Genoa, a medium-sized city on the Mediterranean coast (the birthplace of Christopher Columbus) a few hours East of the France-Italy border.  Genoa was a great old Italian city to walk around and without too many tourists we were really able to observe daily life in the city.  Tucked away in the beautiful architecture lies a multitude of restaurant and cafes offering traditional northern-Italian cuisine.  For lunch we found delicious homemade panini, in a small café, filled with mozzarella and grilled vegetables.  For dinner we tried a Michelin-rated restaurant and had our first bowl of Italian pasta with pesto – a delicious meal.  To wrap up the evening we had gelato from Grom, a world-famous gelateria, that offers numerous organic, local and slow-food approved flavors.  Grom has numerous locations throughout Italy, but also has a few international stores, including New York City. 

One of the central fountains and squares in the old city of Genoa.

After a day in Genoa we hopped on a train to Cinque Terre.  Cinque Terre is national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains five small towns along the Mediterranean coast.  There are well-established walking trails that connect the towns with gorgeous views of the terraced land.  Although known as a large tourist location, the five towns retain their old-world charm and each have their own personality. 

A view from one of our walks.

A view of Vernazza, one of the five towns in Cinque Terre.

The landscape is filled with vineyards and citrus trees planted on handmade terraces that line the cliffs.  These terraces produce great white wine, a few of which we sampled during our picnic dinners.  To go with the wine, we had meals with bread, fresh mozzarella, olives, local tomatoes and peppers, homemade pesto and fresh rosemary picked from the bush next to our B&B.  After our dinners we walked to the local gelateria and sampled more delicious Italian gelato. 

Our picnic the first night in Cinque Terre.

One of the many cones of gelato we ate during our trip.

We had a great time in Cinque Terre and we are now moving on to our next WOOFing farm in the northern piedmont region of Italy.  We look forward to learning more about organic farming and experiencing some Italian home cooking.

A few of the many terraces that line the coast of Cinque Terre. 

Aix-en-Provence, France

One thing that we wanted to do while in France was to visit a small town in Provence, the southeast region of France.  Many people suggested that we visit Aix-en-Provence to get this experience so we decided to give it a try.  After three amazing days, we were glad we listened!

The main and largest street in the city.

Aix-en-Provence is a quaint town 20 minutes northeast of Marseille.  The central town (about a 15 minute walk from end to end) is surrounded by a larger road, which allows it to remain small and mainly pedestrian.  The crisscrossed cobblestone streets are lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes and are full of locals and tourists.  And no matter where we turned, we found delicious and local food.  There is a food market everyday, with not only produce but also breads, cheeses, olives and tapenades - specialties of the region.  There are also larger food markets and artisan markets on the weekends, both of which were delights to walk through.  

Over the course of our three days, we ate amazing food from market picnics and local restaurants and bakeries.  At the market we found a French macaroon cart that had very unique flavor combinations.  Among our favorites were raspberry and rose water, strawberry and basil, and lemon meringue.  Nearby, we also picked up all sorts of olives and tapenades, including black olive with herbs de provence, sundried tomato, and artichoke.  A local bakery just up the street from the market, which was recommended by a friend, offered some of the best bread we have ever tasted.  One had large chunks of dark chocolate, another was filled with figs and walnuts, and even their simple baguette was wonderful.

A few of the many macaroons offered at the market.

Freshly baked bread at the bakery.

One afternoon for lunch we ate at Le Pain Quotidien - a restaurant we have in the states but completely different overseas.  We split a wonderful roasted vegetable salad that featured rolled eggplant, stuffed peppers, sundried tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella.  To go with this we had a open-face brie sandwich with walnuts and local honey.  The meal was light and refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day. 

Our salad and tartine at lunch.

All in all, Aix-en-Provence was an amazing stop.  Between the food, the rose wine, the casual walks, and the beautiful culture, it is a place we would love to return to in the future.  For now we are off to our last stop in France, Nice, and Genoa and Cinque Terre in Italy.  We are looking forward to experiencing the Italian culture as well as their local gastronomic specialties.  

Sunflowers at the Saturday flower market.