Here in Itri, Italy we live among the olive groves, in the months since we have moved here we have walked amongst the groves and enjoyed the suns golden rays between the branches at sunset. The olive trees are beautiful with their silver grey leaves and gnarled trunks.
Today is the first of October and already the mornings and evenings are getting cooler and there is a crispness in the air. The fields of pumpkins are ripe and ready for harvest. I couldn’t resist buying one today at the fruit stand that is spilling over with fresh produce.
During a recent dinner party I felt bad serving Tiramasu to our guests and leaving out my Keto crazy husband. So in an act of solidarity I got busy looking for a dessert he could have on the Keto diet. He had already bought a sugar substitute in the form of Erythritol so I was ready to create something delicious for him.
I have made this Polenta and Ragu on several occasions now. My first attempt was actually not mine at all but a generous Italian friend volunteered to come over and cook this hearty dish for some visiting friends. I loved the experience from top to bottom. My friends gathered in the kitchen and began preparing the polenta.
Mmmmm, Pumpkin Risotto! It was one of my first acquired recipes while living in Italy and one of my favorites! The Autumn, with its sunny days and cold nights is the perfect time to enjoy this Autumn vegetable while it warms your home and your family. Pumpkin Risotto is like eating macaroni and cheese, the color is orange and the texture creamy. The addition of butter and parmesan at the end adds that cheesy goodness that we all crave.
The Autumn days of October when the air is crisp, the trees are changing colors and the weather is unpredictable. Today we had some rain in Italy and what better way to welcome Autumn and cozy up in the house than to cook up some hearty soup. Farro is quite popular in Italy and is grown in the Northern regions such Umbria and Tuscany and mine, the Lazio Region.
Autumn is gently rolling in and the late summer harvest of Pumpkins has arrived. I love when I start to see the pumpkins with their large spheres and pale pink skins start to show up at the farmers market. The pumpkins here are different than our American version that are orange skinned. The pumpkins in Italy have pale skin and dark orange interiors. They call them ‘zucca” and this is my favorite variety.
Seasons are changing and here in Italy fall is in the air. The mornings have that cool crisp feeling and we are starting our day a little later as even the sun wants to stay in bed longer. This slight change is bridging that gap between two seasons: the waning of Summer and the start of Autumn.
