Our long awaited return to Umbria finally took place this past weekend, and although the weather has not been as pleasant as we'd hoped for, it is wonderful to be back "home". Both of our farmhouses held up surprisingly well after being left unoccupied for the past five months and all it took was a good cleaning to get them both back into shape. I think my favorite part of being back in Italy is having the ability to visit the amazing local markets whenever the urge strikes, and so far in the past four days we've visited two of our favorite farmer's markets and plan to visit yet another tomorrow. In between my cleaning, unpacking and sorting, I have also managed to squeeze in a good deal of time in my country kitchen developing new recipes to use up all of the fresh ingredients we've bought at the markets. Over the past few days I've been shelling fresh spring peas, removing fat green fava beans from their pods, roasting ripe red San Marzano tomatoes, and braising tiny purple artichokes.

 

It is really difficult not to be an inspired cook when one is surrounded by the very best fresh local ingredients, and I know I'll spend countless hours in my kitchen over the next six months that we'll spend in Umbria. Of course the view from my kitchen window is so stunning that I could stand there all day looking out at the rolling hills beyond our property (see photo above taken from my kitchen window!).

Our half a year here will be busy as our farmhouse rental, Il Casale di Mele, is almost completely booked right through to the end of summer, we'll have family and friends visiting, we have a fully landscaped property that require tending to each week, a fall olive harvest to complete, and of course in our "spare time" we hope to spend many, many hours discovering everything that Umbria has to offer. The next six months may be a bit hectic at times, but we'll enjoy every minute of our time here in Umbria!

 

To celebrate our return to Umbria, I have decided to run a contest giveaway for all of my Italian Food Forever visitors. Since all the prizes chosen are from Amazon.com, I will have to limit the contest to United States residents only for shipping purposes. I have chosen a few of my favorite items as prizes that celebrate the wonderful region of Umbria. The prizes for this contest include;

Olivella Mix Cream and Moisturizer - Olivella hand cream, body cream and moisturizer are made from 100% Extra Virgin olive oil and are scented with natural essences of delicate floral notes. They are great for all body types and will replenish your skin with the natural nutrients found in olive oil. I personally use Olivella products and love how my skin feels afterwards.

Monini Extra Virgin Olive Oil D.O.P. - 500 ml - This oils vintage bouquet and a wooden hint typical of oils from Umbria make it a perfect condiment for game and grilled meats. Its unique characteristics have been recognized by the Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP) which indicates superior quality and guarantees local origin.

Handmade Limone Oil Bottle From Umbria Italy - This bottle comes from The Italian Pottery Outlet's Umbria Collection, and is from a small, hill town near Assisi. This small family factory has been making ceramics for generations.

Umbria (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE) - DK Eyewitness Travel's full-color guidebooks to hundreds of destinations around the world truly show you what others only tell you. They have become renowned for their visual excellence, which includes unparalleled photography, 3-D mapping, and specially commissioned cutaway illustrations. This is my favorite guide to travel with as it is small, light and packed full of important information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deborah

May 5th, 2010