Before leaving, Mimi wrote in our guest book, “ This was definitely the highlight of our trip…(and)…to be honest, I never want to leave this place.”
And while staying here in one of our Assisi countryside apartments in April, Mimi and her lovely family of five joined us for a rural banquet in our farmhouse..
And our farmhouse is just steps away from our Casa dell’Arco apartment, their rental.
And here’s the table, awaiting their arrival, all set with various antipasti, including our olives sesasoned by Pino, various vegetables sotto’olio, local cheeses, and a salad of boiled organic potatoes, chickpeas, diced mint, sliced purple onions and seaoned with our olive oil and a splash of vinegar:
We also included a frittata made with our chickens’ fresh eggs, Swiss chard from our garden, as well as goat’s milk cheese (caprino) Pino had made.
Next to the frittata, slices of Umbrian cheese bread (made by rural friend, Peppa) would be enjoyed topped with slices of l ocal prosciutto. This tasty pair joins in the Umbrian Easter Sunday morning breakfast which you can read about and see here.
You’ll note another antipasto in the photo above near the prosciutto: a bowl of farro salad made with various legumes, olives and sliced purple onion, seasoned with our olive oil and diced parsley from our garden.
All the family enjoyed their various antipasti….
After the antipasti? On to the first course: pasta al sugo del contadino (“pasta with the sauce of the farmer”):
And here’s how to make that sauce
(If you wish, you can see me make it in this video).
No one had room for the salad I had prepared and so….. on to the dessert: half of a chocolate Easter egg filled with strufoli (an Umbrian sweet of Carnevale, ie, Mardi Gras in Italy):
Mimi and Scott, Avery, Emory and Michael, such a pleasure to share our home – and Umbrian goodness with you.
Our door will always be open to you….or as they say in italiano, “La nostra porta sara’ sempre aperta.”
Mille grazie, Mimi, for your kind words close to your departure:
“Dear Aunty Anne and Zio Pino,
Thank you so much for being great hosts and thanks for everything you have done for us. You are truly great people and we hope to come back soon.
We will miss this place and will never forget you both.
From the goats to the donkeys to the delicious food you have cooked us, all will stay in our hearts..
This was definitely the best place we have ever stayed. We are so grateful fo rour friendship with you and hope to make lots more memories. So sad this is our last day and wish we could stay here longer.
Thank you so much for your hospitality and most importantly, thank you for being so kind and thoughtful to our family. This was definitely the highlight of our trip…(and)…to be honest, I never want to leave this place.
We will miss you so much and keep you close to our hearts. Thank you for everything.
Love,
Emery Avery, Michael, Mimi and Scott
The Brehmers”
And many thanks, Avery, for the lovely drawing you left us in our guest book:
