I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. — Maya Angelou
Room for one more?
I have not been to Le Marche, that region in central Italy that is bordered by Tuscany and Umbria on one side and the Adriatic on the other, but I have been reading about it in a terrific blog called La Tavola Marche. Not only reading — seeing inviting photographs of life there and (to me) even better, reveling in the recipes provided by Ashley Bartner and her chef husband, Jason, owners of an organic farm, inn and cooking school there.
Pull up the wellies, barn shoes or rubber boots, because you'll head straight to the garden to pick the bounty for every meal!
An American couple who have lived in Italy for years and are passionate about food and cooking and showing travelers an authentic good time, Ashley and Jason provide a hands-on “farm-to-table” experience in their Agriturismo and Cooking School. La Tavola Marche is situated in a 300-year-old stone farmhouse set on 500 acres of farmland, rolling hills and truffle-rich woods. Guest stay in spacious apartments with private bedroom, en-suite bathroom, kitchen, dining room, wood beam ceilings, tile floors and stone fireplaces. Best of all, everything that they serve — from sausages and salami to the after-dinner drinks — is made locally and supports neighboring artisans and farmers.
Chef Jason
Chef Jason is a professional chef with over 12 years of high-end culinary experience in San Francisco and New York City and an education at the prestigious French Culinary Institute, training with culinary legends like Jacques Pepin. Ashley currently writes a monthly column for Italia! Magazine on their everyday adventures of life in Le Marche and was recently named to the Board of Directors for The International Culinary Tourism Association, continuing her efforts to promote culinary tourism.
Ashley writes, “It is incredibly satisfying to walk 100 feet from the house with a group of guests and pick the night’s dinner — and if you’re lucky enough to make it to a cooking class, that’s the first stop! Our guests experience picking eggplant or zucchini right off the vine, checking in on the tomatoes, tossing a bright red cherry tomato in their mouths and then heading up to the kitchen to create delicious, simple dishes with the cucumbers still warm from the sun.”
Squash blossom — where's the ricotta?
I’m pleased to present some of the fabulous photos from their garden as well as a real treat — an Easter risotto dish that I know I’ll be making in a few weeks. Hope you’ll consider it, too! Buon apetito!
Risotto di Carciofi — Artichoke Risotto
Serves 6
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
8 fresh artichoke
5 cups or so fresh vegetable stock
3/4 cup dry white wine
scant 2 cups risotto rice — Arborio or Carnaroli are best
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese
Start by cleaning your artichokes and soaking them in lemon water.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes or so over med-low heat without browning.
Chop up your artichokes and saute them slowly until tender, so you could mush with a fork.
Add a couple of spoonfuls of vegetable stock to help the process along and keep from browning the ‘chokes.
Now raise the heat, add the rice and saute for a minute or two.
Add in the wine and let it cook out a bit.
Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in another pan.
Add a ladle-full of the hot stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed into the rice.
Continue adding the stock, a ladle-full at a time, constantly stirring until each addition has been absorbed. This will take 18-20 minutes.
When the rice is al dente, turn off the heat, add in a handful or two of grated cheese and give the rice one more stir, and check seasoning.
Cover the pot and allow the rice to sit for a couple of minutes.
To serve, spoon the rice into the bowls and sprinkle with parmesan, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
Buy a couple of extra ‘chokes and you can top the dish with the hearts steamed or boiled separately!
MANGIA!!
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Ashley continues, “Everything we serve is local and seasonal, inspired by local traditions. Most dishes only have three or four ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, salt, maybe lemon or vinegar, and the vegetable of choice. I may be a bit biased, but I must say these veggies are freakin’ awesome! Even the lettuces have so much more flavor in their delicate leaves than I ever would have imagined. Does it get any better than sharing a meal with friends and family around the table with the freshest ingredients prepared simply? Creating delicious memories is what we do best!”
I’m eager to try one of their “farm to table” holidays and — if the weather ever turns nice again for more than one day — to helping Tim get our vegetable and herb garden going for the season. And, as Ashley reminds us, even if you don’t have your own garden, a great way to eat “farm fresh” is to support your local Community Supported Agriculture cooperative. Check one out in your local area this year and buy a “share.” In return, you’ll get a bag or box of locally grown seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. But beware: you’ll never look at supermarket produce quite the same way again . . .
So, happy local eating and buon viaggio!
Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…
