A Lunch in Arezzo

June 04, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Tuscany, Italy travel, Italy, Italian art architecture, Arezzo, Italian restaurants, Restaurants Italy

If you’ve read this blog for a while you likely know that there are two authors - Judy (the tall blonde one) and Joanne (me, the short brunette one). We have a lot in common, especially our love of travel in general and Italy in particular. But we also have differences, including very different travel schedules. As an example, Judy tends to take more frequent, shorter trips while I go for fewer but longer trips. This means that we don't often get to travel together, but we do try to find a way to meet up in Italy every year, which is always fun.

In spring of this year we had overlapping trips to Italy and were able to spend a week in Lucca at the same time. During this time, Judy proposed renting a car and taking a day trip. Here is another of our differences - I never drive in Italy while Judy, well …. Judy was born to drive on Italian roads. Her skill is impressive; she can drive a standard transmission at Italian speeds and hold her own with all those Italian lane changes. I'm in awe! I like to read maps and navigate so we make a good team.

One morning in early May we rented a car (tip: do not forget your passport when you go the car rental agency) and set off for the town of Arezzo, about an hour and 40 minutes southeast of Lucca. Because this day trip was fairly spontaneous, we’d done only minimal research about Arezzo and hadn’t researched restaurants at all, even though lunch was definitely in our plans. In fact, we were essentially driving to Arezzo for a long lunch and a “get to you know” look around town.

Sometimes you get lucky despite a lack of planning and that’s what happened in Arezzo. As we walked toward the historic center we came down some stairs and straight into a loggia built in 1572 by Vasari (the same architect who built the Vasari Corridor and the loggia of the Palazzo degli Uffizi in Florence).

It turns out that Vasari was a hometown boy, born in Arezzo in 1511, and he graced the city of his birth with some of his stunning architecture. Lucky for us!

Because we'd left Lucca a little later than planned (remember what I said about not forgetting your passport when you rent a car), we arrived hungry and ready for lunch. I was immediately seduced by the beautiful loggia as well as by the sight of a woman standing under it making homemade pasta. She worked on a marble surface, rolling the dough by hand, topping it with generous dabs of ricotta and borragine (borage). She then folded the pasta dough, sealed the edges, and cut it by hand into half-moon shapes (called agnolotti). The filled agnolotti were perfectly symmetric (a pasta-making skill that escapes me). On top of all this, there was a delicious scent coming from the restaurant. We went no further, settling into a table at the beautiful Logge Vasari Restaurant.

The tables were nestled beneath the arched ceiling and graceful columns of the long loggia. The soft murmur of Italian surrounded us, and music played in the distance. Our table faced outward toward Piazza Grande, the central square of Arezzo, ringed with interesting buildings and without the crowds of visitors found in more "touristy" cities. The setting was perfect for a leisurely lunch.

And the food did not disappoint. A basket of warm, house-made breads with imported French Insigny butter (how can butter taste this good?) began the meal, quickly followed by an appetizer (a gift from the chef) of spinach timbale.

As a starter, we shared a plate of melon with prosciutto and mozzarella. The sweet melon was a perfect partner for the salty prosciutto and the creamy cheese. The presentation was artful!

Almost (but not quite) too pretty to eat.

My main course - those ricotta and borage agnolotti topped with a light truffle butter and zucchini flowers - was delicate, fragrant, and delicious. Judy's dish of Parmesan ravioli with porcini was equally wonderful.

Agnolotti

Parmesan Ravioli

A post-meal caffe macchiato arrived with a plate of small cookies. Perfetto! post by JMB

Agretti - A Taste of Spring in Italy

May 21, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italian markets, Italy travel, Italy, Cooking, Tuscany, food

The springtime markets in Italy are full of wonderful vegetables - asparagus, little purple artichokes, and fava beans, to name a few. I have a strong memory of my first taste of fresh spring fava beans, eaten raw with a little bit of pecorino as I sat on a bench outside a neighborhood market in Rome. Heaven! Big piles of spring artichokes look like art to me, and taste amazing when used as the filling for a light-as-air lasagna. And asparagus in a delicate pasta primavera? Is there a better way to celebrate spring vegetables?

Along with these more common vegetables, the spring markets in Italy also have bunches of what look like thick grass or chives. They are dark green with long, thin tapered leaves and are often wrapped in wet paper to keep the intact roots moist. The appearance of these in the markets is a cause for excitement in Italy. They are only around for a short time in spring and are considered a delicacy. So what are these mysterious grassy bundles?

They go by several names. In Italy they are most commonly known as agretti or barba di frate (frair’s beard). In English, saltwort. The proper Latin name is Salsola soda, a member of the Chenopodiaceae (Amaranth or Goosefoot) family, which includes spinach, beets, and chard.

Agretti grows well in salty water, which means that the Mediterranean coast is the perfect place for it to thrive. It also means that it has become a rather unwelcome and invasive species following its import to coastal California - perhaps because we Americans don’t eat it often enough! And although agretti leaves look like chives or spring onions, they are not related to onions at all and the flavor is completely different.

As an interesting historical note, agretti were originally grown to be burned to ash. The result was soda ash, used in making soap and glass. Imagine how useful this was to the Venetians - why eat a product that could be used to make beautiful Venetian glass? Today, however, there are better ways to make glass and agretti is raised as a food crop.

Agretti can be eaten raw (it’s crunchy and tangy, with a slightly bitter mineral taste). Raw, it’s a good addition to salads. It’s also healthy - high in fiber, low in calories, and a good source of vitamins (A, B, and C) and minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron).

More commonly, agretti is served cooked, either as a contorni (side vegetable) or incorporated into a frittata or a pasta dish . Can you say spaghetti con agretti five times fast?

There are two basic cooking methods. The most simple is to drop the cleaned agretti briefly into boiling water until crisp tender, and then drain and sprinkle with olive oil and lemon. It can also be sautéed with olive oil and garlic (and perhaps pancetta or anchiovies) and topped with a squeeze of lemon juice. The lemon juice is key to bringing balance to the slightly sharp, spinach taste and bringing out the bright, fresh-as-spring taste of the agretti.

I had seen agretti in the markets on previous trips to Italy, but never knew exactly what they were or how to cook them. After a discussion with friends who recently moved to Lucca and were experimenting with cooking local produce, I bought my first bunch of agretti in one of Italy’s spring markets. After trimming the roots and washing it well (it can be pretty sandy), I sautéed the agretti for about 10 minutes in olive oil along with 2 cloves of garlic. A little salt (it doesn’t need much), several grinds of black pepper, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice later and it was just right as a side dish to a lemony chicken fillet and some rice.

I can’t wait to try it in a frittata next!

-post by JMB

Sautéed agretti alongside pan-sautéed lemon chicken and rice.

A Medieval village surrounds the castle (castello) in Bagnone. — A Medieval village surrounds the castle (*castello*) in Bagnone.

Castelli e Cipolle (Castles and Onions) in Bagnone, Italy

May 14, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italy travel, Tuscany, Italy, Italian culture, food

Some of my favorite travel experiences are the result of serendipity - happy accidents that result in the discovery of something wonderful. Though I am by nature a planner, I have learned the joy of leaving some things to chance and grabbing opportunities that arise during the course of travel.

Such an opportunity recently presented itself in the form of an invitation to accompany a fellow language student on a day trip to the small town of Bagnone for its annual spring onion sagra (festival). I knew nothing about Bagnone, or what made its onions worth celebrating, so some research was in order prior to this trip.

Bagnone lies in the province of Massa - Carrara, Tuscany, about 60 minutes from Lucca by car. This area is known as the Lunigiana, a historical designation from before the unification of Italy, crossing the border between Tuscany and Liguria. Importantly, it is home to a large number of Medieval-era castles/fortresses, about 30 of which are intact. Many others are visible as ruins, dotting hillsides and small hamlets throughout the Lunigiana.

Bagnone is charming, with a small branch of the Magra river flowing through the middle of town. There is also a 14th century castle that encloses a still-occupied Medieval village. This is not a town with many tourists. Strolling along its quiet streets (pictured below) was a pleasure, as was wandering through the village surrounding the castle, which lies up a hill above the center of Bagnone.

As for the onions - Bagnone includes an even smaller borgo (neighborhood) just up the hill from Bagnone proper and called Treschietto. A recent local census lists 96 inhabitants, most over the age of 65. Looming over Treschietto is the ruin of a castle, complete with a tall, round tower.

The tower and castle ruin in Treschietto, Bagnone.

Treschietto is famous for a small, round onion (cipolla) that is red on the outside and white on the inside. The Cipolla di Treschietto is mild and sweet. It is said that the onion “non fa lacrimare” (doesn’t make you cry). The onion is grown in fields in and around Treschietto and each year, at the end of April and beginning of May, the community hosts a festival where everyone gathers to eat piatti tipici (local specialty dishes) made with the famous onions. These dishes were a good example of cucina povera, simple foods eaten in rural areas where resources are limited.

Sitting under a large tent, at a communal table, we sampled Barbotta (a soft onion, cornmeal, and cheese torte), torta di cipolle (a crispy onion pie with the white and green parts of the onion and a spinach-like taste), and a pasta with sugo di cipolle (onion sauce).

We also saw many people eating the onions raw, dipped in a little bit of olive oil.

As a bonus, no one at our table spoke English and the meal was accompanied by lively Italian conversation with friendly locals, a spontaneous language lesson and a delightful cultural experience. Serendipity indeed.

-post by JMB

Signs of Spring in Lucca

April 30, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italian gardens, Italy travel, Tuscany, Italy, Lucca

Tiny yellow buttercups grow along the wall in Lucca, beautiful against a view of distant hills.

I’ve been waiting, not very patiently, for spring to arrive in Lucca.

Winter and early spring were unusually cold and rainy this year and the little hints of spring that showed up in early April were fleeting - the tease of just one warm day followed by several days of clouds, rain, and cool temperatures. The trees along the wall remained stubbornly bare, lemon trees remained in the limonaia, and vines were stark without even a hint of new growth.

I began to doubt that the sun would ever come to stay, that trees would sprout leaves, or that flowers would bloom. Flora (the Italian goddess of flowers and spring) seemed to have deserted me.

Today, I can happily say that the wait is over. Temperatures have soared during the past few days, changing from hat and glove weather to short sleeve and sandals weather in a flash. As I write this in late April, temperatures have hit the low 80s, not one day of rain is in the forecast all week, and i fiori (the flowers) have arrived. Sono contenta! (I'm happy!)

The trees along le mura (the city walls) are now green with leaves, tiny yellow buttercups bloom along the walls, and the sycamores in Piazza Grande (also called Piazza Napoleone) provide a beautiful green canopy around the square and the now-busy carousel.

This week I visited my favorite garden (on the grounds of Palazzo Pfanner) and found that the lemon and orange trees had been moved out from their winter home in the limonaia and were full of fruit. Showy peonies were blooming as was a magnolia tree and several bushes. Can roses and hydrangeas be far behind? How I hope they bloom before I head home to the U.S. in a few weeks.

The most dramatic and lovely proof that spring has truly arrived comes in the form of the glicine (wisteria) that have bloomed throughout Lucca. They spill over walls and terraces and across arbors with their soft colors and long flower heads. For me, it isn’t spring until the wisteria bloom.

I noticed the first wisteria blossoms along the wall that encircles the historic city. I then spent an afternoon wandering through town to the spots where I remembered the most stunning displays of wisteria from past years. While a few had not yet bloomed, several of my favorites, in Piazza Parigi and Piazza Antelminelli (pictured below), were just as beautiful as I recalled.

Italy in spring, Italy in flower - Bellissima! -post by JMB

The beautiful borgo of Sant'Andrea di Compito — The beautiful *borgo* of Sant'Andrea di Compito

Sant'Andrea di Compito, Borgo delle Camelie - and a Story of Flowers

April 16, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italian culture, Garden Festivals Italy, Italy travel, Camellia Festival Italy, Travel, Italy, Tuscany

About 40 minutes southeast of Lucca by car lies the village (borgo in Italian) of Sant’Andrea di Compito. The village is known for its Medieval charm and for an annual display of camellias (camelie in Italian), which marks the beginning of spring in this region. Recently I, along with new friends Jennifer and Gillian from Lucca Italian School, spent a lovely early spring day here. The village is easily reached by bus from Lucca and - per fortuna! - our visit fell on one of the weekends of the Antiche Camelie della Lucchesia festival.

Camellias grow above an old stone wall in Sant'Andrea di Compito.

Winding up the gently sloped streets we passed ancient churches, a tiny chapel (cappellina), an 11th century signal tower (where the severed heads of criminals were once displayed in an iron basket above the door), beautiful vistas, and an old cemetery where the grave markers gave hints about the history of this area (including one with the names of two men killed on the same day during WWII - a moving reminder of the very real effects of a not-so-long-ago war).

There are also villas that are hundreds of years old, small springs and creeks running through (and under) the village, beautiful stone walls, pretty houses, old wells, olive groves and, throughout the village on this spring day, beautiful camellias in flower.

Just one of many camelie in bloom on my visit to Sant'Andrea di Compito — Just one of many *camelie* in bloom on my visit to Sant'Andrea di Compito

Camellias are not native to Italy; they were brought from the orient by Italian trader/merchants in the 1800s. In the time since, they have thrived and become one of the best loved blossoms in the area around Lucca - so much so that each year, on weekends from mid-March to early April, there is the Antiche Camelie della Lucchesia event. During these weeks camellias in bloom can be seen not only in the village of Sant’Andrea di Compito but also in the gardens of the spectacular villas that lie north of Lucca (best known are Villa Torrigiani, Villa Mansi, and Villa Reale). What a great excuse for peeking into these beautiful gardens and villages!

Camellia come in many varieties. Best known are the ornamental ones with their delicate flowers in pinks, whites, reds. During the festival there is a beautiful display of cut flowers in a variety of colors in the cultural center in Sant’Andrea di Compito (camellia bushes are also sold there) along with information on the history of camellias in Italy and Europe.

A mapped walking route guides visitors through the village and describes the important buildings, sights, and some history. Along the way camellias can be seen in gardens large and small, along the stone walls of walkways, and beside many streets. There are also art exhibits, churches to visit, the signal tower to climb (for great views over the plains of Lucca) and a whole village to discover.

The Antica Chiusa Borrini, where a species of camellia is cultivated for the production of tea

In addition to ornamental varieties, the camellia family of plants is also used to make tea - white, green, oolong, and black. In the Antica Chiusa Borrini, a walled enclosed area where tea-producing camellias are raised along with flowering species, we learned about the cultivation of tea in Italy and how various types of tea are grown and processed and about the use of camellia oil in skin and hair products. The Borrini family was among the early collectors of these beautiful flowers and, in 1990, a Borrini descendant began the cultivation of tea here. Fascinating!

Camellia bushes in the Antica Chiusa Borrini

Waking back down the hill, we came across a small outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired oven and an old stove. The kitchen shed sat on a corner across from a house and next to an olive grove. The owner was busy trimming olive branches, and his wife came over when she saw us and explained how they use their outdoor kitchen. On Wednesdays, they bake cakes in the wood-fired oven (which they also use for pizza). The stove, which is also wood-fired and has a large grill rather than burners, is used for toasting bread for bruschetta and simmering sauces. Meeting friendly locals who enjoy sharing their stories, and being able to understand when they speak to me in Italian, opens the door to so many unique and interesting experiences. For me, this is travel at its most rewarding!

This little village is worth a visit at any time, but is especially beautiful when the flowers are in bloom.

A roadside shrine in Sant'Andrea di Compito

-post by JMB