London Mums’ globetrotter reporter Rita Kobrak has sent us this inspirational travel blog. Enjoy!
Tuscany in Autumn is a kaleidoscope of colours, emotions and flavours. If you haven’t managed to go abroad this year, Autumn is the perfect time to visit Tuscany, as the weather is still good and most towns have food festivals at this time of the year with tastings and stalls where you can taste and buy good quality local products to bring home. This is the time of cold-pressed olive oils, wines, chestnuts, mushrooms, honey and truffles.
The last two weeks of October hold the chestnut festival in Caprese Michelangelo, birthplace of artist Michelangelo Buonarroti.
This medical town and castle form the backdrop of stalls selling all sorts of crafts and local food and drink such as mulled wine, the famous castagnaccio (a delicious chestnut cake), doughnuts, cheeses (try the pear pecorino which you can only find in Tuscany), chestnuts in grappa, local honey and handmade chocolates.
There are also locally produced olive oils and olive oil face creams and soaps plus wooden crafts and furniture. Close by the hilltop town of Anghiari, voted one of the most beautiful towns in Tuscany, hosts the “centogusti ” festival (100 flavours festival) whereby the whole town becomes a food and wine tasting set with the backdrop of mediaeval towers and magnificent hills.
Villa Radicata based in in Caprese Michelangelo, Tuscany, Italy
Villa Radicata is a family friendly villa and hosts cooking and yoga breaks and self-catering stays throughout the year and can also organise wine tastings, visits to olive mills, catering and tours in the area.
www.holiday-villa-in-tuscany.com
Tel and WhatsApp: 07983821282
10% discount for London Mums (mention it when you book)
Castagnaccio Recipe – Tuscan Chestnut cake
Ingredients
Doses for 30 x 20 centimetre (12 x 8 inch) baking pan.
- 300 g (10,5 oz) of chestnut flour
- 380 g (13,5 oz) of cold water
- 2 tablespoons of sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 40 g (1,5 oz) of raisins
- 40 g (1,5 oz) of pine nuts
- 40 g (1,5 oz) of walnut kernels
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 pinch of salt
Soak the raisins and toast the pine nuts in a pan.
Sift the chestnut flour and add a pinch of salt and the sugar. As chestnut flour is already sweet ,very little sugar is needed. Add 2 tbsp of good quality olive oil and the water slowly , stirring or whisking all the time so that the mix is smooth .Add half the nuts and raisins . Pour into the baking tin and top with the rest of the nuts, raisins and some rosemary .
Bake at 180 degrees for 35 minutes . Let it cool down and Enjoy with a glass of Tuscan red wine .
