Mad About Tuscany Blog. Follow Sioban, Australian Chef on her gourmet adventures in Cortona Italy.
There's something special about lighting the wood fire and slow cooking a roast. You get a beautiful flavour that conventional ovens just can't replicate. Wood fired pizza ovens seem to be gaining popularity and they're not just for making pizza - try this delicious rolled pork loin for something different...
Read More"La Crostata Di Mele Della Mamma" or Mum's Apple Tart Recipe. This is Italian comfort food at its best. A friend arrived earlier with a basket full of freshly-picked apples so I've just prepared the pastry to make this lovely tart for dessert tonight.
I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine!
Read MoreOur neighbours told us about an ancient Roman bridge hidden away in the forest only 5km from Cortona town. I've been visiting Cortona for over a decade and hadn't heard of this bridge, and Carlo had a vague memory of visiting it as a child; it's one of those forgotten "local secrets". So we packed a picnic and set off for an adventure...
Read MoreThis salad is inspired by the garden and has all the flavours of summer. The addition of farro grain makes it a filling meal; a perfect lunch or light dinner.
Carlo's lovely Dad looked after our Italian kitchen garden over Christmas and planted seedlings before we got back in Spring. There's an abundance of tomatoes, zucchinis, capsicum, rocket and beautiful herbs. This salad celebrates the kitchen garden and all the lovely produce it gives us.
For Shanna and Giacomo - who have loved this for years and now help me make it! (I'm so proud!)
Tina introduced us to Gelato Biscotti many years ago in Cortona. It's the home made version of an Icecream Sandwich. It's a real high-summer treat and is super easy but does require (a) adult help and (b) the foresight to plan a day ahead. The latter is where we fall down, in the midst of summer school holidays, which makes this even more of a treat when we have everything prepared. A single bite takes me back to summer holidays in Cortona.
Dress them up for adults with a grown-up filling; coffee, pureed mango or raspberry.
Read MoreSome days there's time for home made pasta and a slow cooked ragu. On the other days when life is full of sport, school or socialising this is the perfect quick and healthy pasta dish. True comfort food as we eat in Tuscany.
Casarecce pasta is shaped like a very narrow, twisted and rolled tube. It's great with a chunky sauce. In Australia you'll find it at major supermarkets - the Barilla brand (pictured) should be at your local Coles.
Read MoreDuring our 2014 Mad About Tuscany tour season, we had 3 groups made up of 4 couples who didn't previously know each other but formed life long friendships on tour. Not only have they maintained the friendship, but they have all reunited for a summer holiday at Wildwood Valley.
Read MoreAn easy to make almond tart topped with fresh figs.
It is fig season in Yallingup right now, and each day I pick magnificent purple figs from my sister's tree. They're jammy and sweet inside so we're eating them with breakfast, for dessert, and of course at every cooking school!
Read MoreWe have just finished the olive harvest here in Tuscany and my pantry is full of bottles of just pressed olive oil. The oil is green in colour and peppery in taste. All the neighbours are bringing us their oil to try, which ofcourse they pour generously over a fresh piece of Tuscan bread and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
I have been using the green winter vegetables in the garden to come up with yummy healthy crostini recipes and all are complemented so well by this years new olive oil.
I recommend trying all three of the recipes and I am certain you too will think they are seriously yummy too!!
Read MoreRecipe for Minestrone today Ribollita tomorrow!!!
Serves 8
Ingredients
200g Cannelloni beans, soaked over night in water
2 medium red onions, finely diced
2 medium sticks of celery, finely diced
1 large carrot stick, finely diced
300 gm silverbeet, washed trimmed and finely chopped
800gm cavolo nero, washed trimmed and finely chopped
300gm tomato puree
5 tblsp olive oil
1/2 a small red chilli, finely diced
6 tblsp grated parmesan
sea salt and pepper
2 tblsp cooking salt
extra virgin olive oil for serving
Method
Drain the soaked beans and put them into a large saucepan. Cover with plenty of cold water, add the cooking salt and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and cook for at least 1 hour or until the beans are cooked.
Meanwhile in another pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and carrot and season with some salt and pepper and sauté on a low heat for at least 10 minutes, until they have caramalised a little. Add the silver beat and cavalo nero and sauté for a little longer, 5 minutes at least.
Cover with 3 litres of water and bring to the boil, and add the chilli and tomato puree. When it comes to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 ¼ hours.
Drain the cannelloni beans, keeping about 1 cup of the cooking water. Puree half of the beans with this water, leaving the rest of the beans whole. Add both of these to the soup in the last 10 minutes of the cooking time. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve in bowls and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and some grated parmesan.
With your left over Minestrone soup the next reinvent it as a Ribollita the well known Tuscan Bread Soup!! Simply in a large bowl place a spoon of your minestrone soup and then layer on top with thinly sliced stale bread, sprinkle some more grated parmesan and then ladle another spoon of soup followed by a thin layer of stale bread and parmesan, and continue this until you have finished all the soup. Leave for 30 minutes so the soup absorbs all the bread and then heat a fry pan with some extra virgin olive oil and spoon in your thick soup into the pan and cook on the first side until you get a crust and then turn it over like an omlette and form a crust on the other side. serve immediately. Photo below of the wonderful Tuscan Ribollita soup
