Montevarchi Markets and Cooking Lessons: Day 1 in Tuscany
On my recent trip to Tuscany with Tuscany Now, I woke up on the first day feeling serene and peaceful, without really knowing why.
And then I opened the curtains.
The Tuscan hills at sunrise were there to greet me – a soft pinkish light resting lightly on the treetops. I was in the Chianti region with Tuscany Now (find out more about them in my
), and would spend the next couple of days exploring both the villa and the surrounding area.
Depending on your preference, Tuscany Now properties can be as remote and secluded as ours, or in close proximity to the main towns and cities. The nearest town to Cortile Pratolino is Montevarchi, where once a week on a Thursday, a market found since Medieval times springs up from the streets and tempts shoppers with a myriad of fresh, local ingredients. It was to be our first stop.
And as we all know, food is where Italy comes into its own. Tomatoes, the colour of rubies and the size of mangoes. Mushrooms, the size and shape of which we’d never seen before. Lemons whose skins seemed barely big enough to contain their juice.
We were guided by Irene, a local chef, who led us on a tour around the markets before showing us how to cook some of her favourite Italian dishes back at the villa. This is what impressed us most about Tuscany Now – their relationship with local people, which really gives you a unique insight into the real Italy.
We watched as Irene, cool as a cucumber, set to work upon our mountain of ingredients back at the villa. We learned how to make panzanella (a traditional farmer’s dish, made with Tuscan bread and olive oil), roasted porcini mushrooms in parsley and garlic, stuffed and fried courgette flowers, beef Fiorentina steak and a sweet apricot compote. It was an absolute feast.
We enjoyed our lunch out on the terrace and washed it all down with a glass of Chianti (of course.)
The rest of the day was spent appreciating the quiet, unassuming beauty of the villa. I spent a blissful few hours wandering the grounds and taking photographs, dipping in and out of the pool, reading and exploring the labyrinthine interior of the villa. This is what I love most about villa holidays – you have the time and space to do exactly what you want to do.
That night we headed out to dinner at Ristorante di Badia Coltibuono. This picturesque little restaurant was next to an ancient church, complete with outdoor terrace and some of the freshest salmon I’ve never tasted. If it hadn’t have been recommended to us, we’d never have known this place was there. Despite its remote location and the empty roads leading us to the entrance, once inside we found it buzzing with locals, the sound of clinking wine glasses and the delicious smells of the BBQ next door. I’d seriously recommend this place if you find yourself in the area.
The journey back to Il Cortile Pratolino down winding mountain roads had us nodding off before we even made it back to our beds. That’s what a day of food and wine will do to you!
