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organic tuscan
cooking course


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information

MAIN FARM
PRODUCTS IN TUSCANY

Tuscan cuisine is based mainly on the following products:

  • oil
  • wheat (bread, pasta)
  • winw
  • cereals /pulses
  • mushrooms /truffles (pore mushrooms from Garfagnana, truffles from San Miniato)
  • game (deer, boars, hares, pheasant), during the hunting season
  • fine herbs
  • barnyard animals (chicken, geese, rabbits)
  • beef (mucco pisano, chianina)
  • fish from the Mediterranean Sea
  • cinta senese pork (bred in the fields)

Olive oil is fundamental in Tuscan cuisine, in fact it is used in every dish.
It is used raw to flavour meat and vegetables, for example; and to fry, brown, braise, etc.

Tuscan bread is also very important in the cuisine; it is found in various kinds of soups, it is toasted for crostini for appetisers, it is essential to accompany Tuscan cold meats and cheeses
Tuscan bread has no salt which contrasts with the very tasty meats and cheeses.

Wine is necessary to braise and steam meat. The excellent sweet wine vin santo goes together with the cantuccini biscuits.

Sage, rosemary and juniper are used to marinate game and in dressings for grilled meat.

Cereals such as spelt,and pulses such as beans can be found inside various kinds of soup or as side dishes.

Game, can be found especially during the hunting season. Boar, deer and hare are the most typical and can be found in the menus of rural Tuscany during the autumn months.

Tuscan pecorino and ricotta from sheep milk.

Chianina beef, mucco beef and the famous pork called cinta senese are Tuscan breeds.

And, last but not least, the delicious pore mushrooms from Garfagnana and the white truffle from San Miniato gourmet products renowned all over the world.

We are very lucky to have such a wide choice of typical products, most of which under Protected Geographical Status.

tuscan cooking...

The main purpose of this short cooking course is to transmit love for nature and for the products that each season offers.
The use of fresh organic and seasonal products certainly is an important factor to achieve a good dish. Everything used should be grown using natural methods and no artificial force; also animals should be kept in large spaces and in wild state, free to move and feed on the variety of seasonal food (acorns in autumn, grass in spring, tubers in winter).
Our peasants with bread, olive oil and cereals were able to feed their whole family. Many typical traditional Italian dishes were invented from these simple and poor ingredients and others grown in the fields. Zuppa, acqua cotta, panzanella, pappa col pomodoro are just some of these dishes made mainly with bread, oil, onion, tomatoes and what else was available in each season.
The secret of these dishes is the simplicity.
Our cuisine follows the seasons and autumn is the best period of the year to taste the products that this extraordinary land offers: pore mushrooms, new oil, truffles, game, grapes.

Our courses will be divided into 6 lessons:

Lesson 1: PASTA, We will prepare homemade egg pasta, to make tagliatelle, lasagna or filled pasta such as ravioli with fine herbs and ricotta, with meat or what else is available.

Lesson 2: BAKING PRODUCTS. In Tuscany we still make bread in wood-burning ovens. We will use the dough to make pizza and schiacciata (flat bread) with coarse salt, rosemary and sage.

Lesson 3: MEAT According to the season we will choose organic quality meat (lamb, beef, pork or game) and prepare together a second-course dish, such as pollo alla cacciatora (chicken with tomato, herbs and wine), boned lamb haunch with herbs, tagliata (thick cut of beef), meatloaf, or whatever comes in our minds.

Lesson 4: FISH According to the season and to what we find at the Livorno fish-market we will cook a dinner of 3 fish dishes such as, rice with cuttlefish and cherry tomatoes; stockfish cakes; octopus and potatoes; or ...

Lesson 5: SIDE DISHES, QUICHES AND PIES During this lesson we will learn to make those dishes that can be prepared in advance and served during open-air dinners. We will focus on pulses and cereals; we will make quiches with puff pastry and egg. This lesson is particularly dedicated to vegetarians.

Lesson 6: DESSERT We will reveal the secret of the famous cantuccini (homemade biscuits with almonds served with the sweet wine called vin santo). We will also prepare a modern version of the other famous Italian dessert, tiramisù. Other desserts can also be made.

TASTING WILL BE THREE:

  • Wine sessions, at a famous local farm to introduce you to the wine of our territory.
  • SHELLFISH AND MUSSELS: you will taste various types of mussels and shellfish together with the white wines of our territory.
  • COLD MEAT AND CHEESE: At a wine cellar in San Gimignano with a professional sommelier you will taste various types of cold meat and cheeses from the Tuscan territory (pecorino di fossa, fresh ricotta, aged pecorino, lardo di Colonnata, cinta senese) Three OPEN-AIR SESSIONS: fine herbs, barnyard animals, organic farm.

 

Three OPEN-AIR SESSIONS fine herbs, barnyard animals, organic farm.

TWO DINNERS AT A RESTAURANT
During these dinners you will taste the authentic Tuscan cuisine, such as the various game dishes with boar, hare, pheasant.

 

TWO GUIDED VISITS:

  • LIVORNO including the covered fish market, in art nouveau style and finely restored, situated along the canal Reale.
  • SAN GIMIGNANO World’s Architectural Heritage. It is a small medieval town famous for its many towers, built because of the rivalry of its ancient citizens who wanted to have the highest tower.
 

ONE WEEK TUSCAN ORGANIC COOKING COURSES FOR GUESTS STAYING AT PODERE LA STERZA

SATURDAY
FROM 7 PM APERITIF AND WELCOME DINNER
Course introduction

SUNDAY
FROM 8 to 9 AM BREAKFAST.
FROM 9 AM PASTA COURSE ( 3 different kind and shape of hand made egg pasta and 3 different kind of sauce).
LUNCH at the podere.
FROM 5 pm VISIT TO A LOCAL FARM.
To follow: DINNER at local” trattoria” tasting local specialities.

MONDAY
breakfast from 8 am to 9 am.
From 9 am: visit to an organic and natural kitchen garden, and fine herbs session.
To follow: lunch in place.
From 5 pm: Quiches and pies, salted cakes ,side dish session.
To follow: Social dinner.

TUESDAY
From 7 to 8 pm breakfast.
Early visit to the famous and old covered market of Livorno town on the cost.
To follow: Seafoods tasting in a picturesque “trattoria” lunch included.
From 5 pm : fish session.
To follow: dinner at podere

WEDNESDAY
From 8 to 9 am breakfast
From 9 baking session (pizza and bread)
To follow:lunch
from 6 pm wine tasting in local cellar
to follow: Free dinner

THURSDAY
From 8 to 9 pm breakfast
From 9 am cheese session
Lunch at podere
From 5 pm visit to San Gimignano
Dinner in San Gimignano

FRIDAY
From 8 to 9 am breakfast.
From 10 am visit to a milk products farm.To follow: cold cuts session in a famous “enoteca”.
From 5 pm: meat session and dessert session.
To follow: party at the podere with music

SATURDAY
From 8 to 9 breakfast


THREE- DAY ORGANIC COOKING COURSES FOR NON RESIDENT PARTECIPANTS

MONDAY
FROM 9.00 AM PASTA SESSION
We will make fresh homemade pasta and 3 different seasonal sauces (pesto sauce, meat sauce, tomato sauce, or others on request)

MONDAY
from 3.00 PM COOKING TECNIQUE SESSION
We will prepare 3 different dishes using different cooking techniques (frying, stewing, steaming)for example: we may fry courgette flowers; then make a vegetable salad with steamed cereals and pulses, stewed French beans and also prepare different bruschettas
We will learn how to use fine herbs to flavour food.
Dinner all together

TUESDAY
FROM 9.00 AM FOOD SHOPPING
We will visit to the covered Livorno fish market where we will buy fresh fish or/ visit an organic farm where we will buy meat, cheese, eggs etc.
FROM 4.00 PM MAIN COURSE SESSION We will make 2 different fish courses or two different meat courses with vegetables.
Dinner

WEDNESDAY
FROM 9.00 AM DESSERT SESSION We will make desserts and biscuits, such as panna cotta ,tiramisu, cantuccini biscuits.
FROM 5.00 PM WINE SESSION
We will do wine tasting in a local cellar
FROM 8.00 PM Dinner in a typical TRATTORIA where we will taste local food, such as wild boar etc.

For information, reservations and prices
contact Carlotta