Our fall tours in Italy begin tomorrow, and as we cycle through the vineyards of Amarone or enjoy a walking tour along the shores of Lake Garda, the fruits of harvest time are everywhere. Slow tractors laden with grapes, apples, and pears are a common sight. Open air markets now have many types of squash. But one of my favorite signs of fall is the appearance of porcini mushrooms.
Porcini, or penny bun mushrooms are very difficult to cultivate commercially, so are usually found dried, except for a few months in summer and early fall, when they are foraged. There are a few different types of porcini, some available earlier in the season, others later. All are characterized by a big, round, fleshy cap and a short round stalk, with a meat-like texture, and earthy, nutty flavor.
My first attempt at purchasing them at a market here in Italy left me very disappointed. Here in Italy, it is not acceptable for the shopper to handle produce with your bare hands prior to purchasing. In the supermarket there are plastic gloves to use. At a market, you point, and the vendor selects and wraps it for you. A good system hygienically, but unscrupulous vendors can stick you with lousy product if you are not watchful. That happened with my first purchase of porcini – when I cut into the stems, they were spongy and yellow and riddled with holes. I threw them out.
A few days later, porcini were at my local vegetable market, where I shop regularly and they are always very careful to select good products for everyone. They selected 4 porcini for me, and carefully cut a small slit in the bottom of each stem to check for quality and worm holes. They were perfect, pale and firm and beautiful.
Fresh porcini can be stored in a paper bag in your refrigerator for a few days prior to using. The bottom of the stems will be quite dirty, using a small knife cut off the dirty exterior. Do not wash under running water, this will make them mushy, but you can try and clean them as much as possible using a damp paper towel.
Fresh porcini are used in a wide variety of dishes – fresh raw porcini, thinly sliced, served with grana cheese and olive oil; porcini soup, porcini risotto. This pasta recipe I see all over Italy during the fall, from Alto Adige to Tuscany – Taglietelle con Porcini.
Taglietelle con Porcini
1 pound fresh porcini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound tagliatelle (fresh is preferable)
Freshly grated grana cheese
Minced parsley
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat the olive oil, then add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and butter and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is evaporated. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper.
Salt the boiling water in the large pot. Cook tagliatelle in the boiling water until al dente, about 90 seconds or so for fresh tagliatelle. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain the tagliatelle. Add tagliatelle and reserved cooking water to mushroom mixture and toss to combine.
Serve tagliatelle immediately with freshly grated grana cheese and garnish with a little parsley.
Our 
Terenzio and Marta own a small wine estate just outside of 
Peperoni, not to be confused with pepperoni sausage (an American salumi you won’t find in Italy) denotes an entirely different food in Italy, the peppers we know as bell peppers in the U.S. Peperoni translates as “big peppers,” and you can find many varieties cultivated across Italy. The majority come from the south, as they prefer warmer temps, but from the Giallo di Cuneo pepper from Piedmont or the Quadrato Piccolo from the Veneto to the Friariello of Tuscany to the Peperone di Senise of Basilicata, you will find peperoni in various forms – stuffed, roasted, grilled, even pickled – on tables across Italy.
Peppers hail originally from South America, and were not known in Europe until 1493, when Christopher Columbus visted the New World for the second times and discovered the plant. Columbus was responsible for the misleading name “pepper”. At that time, peppercorns were a highly prized condiment, and the name “pepper” was applied in Europe to all spices with a hot flavor, and so was applied to this newly discovered plant, with spicy varieties.
Like bell peppers in America, peperoni color — green, red, orange or yellow — indicate the stage of ripeness. Reds are sweet and fruity; oranges and yellows are mildly sweet; and greens have a touch of bitterness.
The recipe we prepared this evening Marta describes as a traditional Tuscan farmer’s dish. A very simple side dish, red peppers sauteed in olive oil, finished with grated cheese and capers. I’ve seen many similar variations that you can easily adapt – cheese only; cheese and black olives, cheese and breadcrumbs. This is a tasty simple summer side dish which is prepared in advance and served at room temperature – perfect with grilled chicken or fish.
A favorite destination for our 
On a recent 
After our ride, we settled in to enjoy a private tour and tasting at their Castel Ringberg estate. To quote their literature: The philosophy of the estate is dedicated to its terroir – the idea that wines must be the individual expression of their soil, climate and cultivation in the vineyard – and that this must be maintained according to principles of sustainability and passed on to the next generation. The firm belief that the quality of wine is created in the vineyard requires uncompromising work, taking into account the individuality of each vineyard.” We saw this dedication to the terroir and sustainability in action during our tour.
Our tour began in the vineyards of Castel Ringberg, the estate’s most important vineyards, located on a hillside about 300 m. Formed by a glacier, the limestone soil that surrounds the estate is quite poor, but this stimulates deep root growth, resulting in better quality wines. Castel Ringberg has the prestigious additional denomination of VIGNA. The VIGNA designation recognizes the smallest historical / geographical unit of a vineyard. Every single VIGNA must be officially admitted and registered with the regional authorities.
We passed row upon row of vines as our guide Lena described the sustainable cultivation techniques employed by the estate. She pointed out the cover crop that is encouraged to grow between every other row of vines, alternating rows every other year. In the past, these plants would be cut down, due to a misguided perception that they were taking away nutrients from the grapes. Here, the growers recognize that the opposite is true – a diverse mix of plants in the vineyard nourishes the vines. She pointed out the roots nodules of the clover, which are crushed when you step on them, providing much needed nitrogen to the surrounding soil. This cover crop also provides an environment for a diverse population of insects, keeping the unwanted pests at bay.
As Vernon and I discuss the unique geography of Italy during our tours, we point out how it has affected everything from its history to its amazing array of foods. The high density of different micro climates allows a wide variety of products to be cultivated within a very small area. Our vineyard tour supplied a first hand demonstration of this as we marveled at the change in the cover crop as we walked – a stroll of about 10 rows presented us with a totally different cover crop, due solely to the change in climate.
As the first drops of rain began to fall, we headed back to the castle for our private tasting. The castle itself is a lovely building, a perfect setting for a special event. It was originally built as a hunting lodge for the Austrian monarchs, the Habsburgs, in 1620. We settled around a large table to enjoy some amazing wines.
Selezione Pinot Bianco
The wines of Elena Walch are available in the US.
Guests on our summer 
Squash blossoms are the edible flowers of Cucurbita species of squash, the species that produces squashes and pumpkins including acorn, cocozelle, crookneck, straight-neck, and zucchini. They are highly perishable, and so are rarely stocked in supermarkets here in the US. Both male and female squash blossoms can be used. In Italy, male blossoms are harvested early in the season, as picking only male flowers (leaving some for pollination), leaves the female flowers to produce squash. The zucchini squash themselves are harvested later in the season, when they are only 5 inches or so long, and are often sold with the female blossoms still attached.
Fried squash blossoms are coated in a light batter and deep fried. Regional variations include frying simply the flowers, or the flowers stuffed with herbed ricotta cheese in Tuscany, mozzarella in Campania, a bit of anchovy in Rome. For those looking for an even more effortless and lighter version, they can be simply brushed with extra virgin olive oil and grilled or baked. Here’s a recipe I’ve used in several cooking classes for our groups in Italy.
This July we’re cycling through the region of Trentino-Alto Adige. Verdant green fields down the Adige Valley, we cruise down flat bike paths that lie between the Alps and Dolomites, with the optional climb for those that enjoy a challenge. Last month in the Veneto it was cherry season, and we find ourselves in the midst of cherries again in July in Trentino.
Cherries are grown in the Adige valley as well as the Valsugana, and begin appearing in June with late season varieties extending the season into August. You will find them in cakes, jams, fruit in syrup, juices and ice creams, and also savory dishes like my recent post on Quaglie con Ciligie. Raw cherries are one of my favorite quick snacks to offer a hungry cyclist as our group passes through on their ride. I’ve also treated them to this homemade traditional cherry cake – a simple dessert which is easily dressed up with whipped cream and perhaps a bit of dark chocolate on the side.
Torta di Ciliegie della Tradizione
