Peppa might not know that cicerchie (translated as “chicklings” or “pulses”) were cultivated in Mesoptamia as early as 8000 BC or that this legume is now recognized officially by the Ministry of…
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There’s no more memorable “Umbrian experience” than lunch with our farm friends, Chiarina and Marino. Just about everything on the table comes from their labors on the land: from the wine to…
If you’re a “foodie” visiting Umbria, you can’t miss a dinner of rural goodness with our farm friend, Peppa – and if you’re lucky, learn to make the Umbrian hearth bread la torta…
If you’re in Umbria in October, you won’t want to miss the sagra of a small village between Assisi and Perugia, Pianello. Pianello only has about five-hundred inhabitants and there’s just one…
Push back the plastic strips hanging like colorful spaghetti (or fettuccine!) on the doorway entrance – but they do the trick, keeping out flies – and enter a cheese-lover’s heaven, the Caseificio…
After we’ve explored Assisi’s treasure, the Basilica of St. Francis, come out to the countryside with me to connect with other Umbrian treasures: our farm friends. Our rural neighbors taught us everything…
In one way or another, Umbria’s June rural rites rotate around the summer solstice. The ancients believed that on the vigil of June 24th (later designated as the feast of St. John…
It’s been a good year for wild asparagus, a springtime delicacy which transforms a frittata, risotto or pasta sauce into a regal feast. Pino and I had good luck foraging in early…
The milling of the just-picked olives calls for a celebration. Pino called up Peppa as soon as the mill confirmed a date for the pressing of our olives: “Portiamo l’olio per la…
We were on our way to Peppa’s for castagne e vino novello (roasted chestnuts with the new wine) when Pino’s phone rang: our turn coming up, pressing of our olives within the…