Day 3 at La Petraia

Day one was good.  Actually it was great.  Apparently my first day was also the first day of hunting season.  One whole deer butchered down and it's only day two.  How lucky am I?  Welcome to Italy.  


I started my first day blackberry picking.  For any newcomers to blackberry picking  Tip #1 is wear pants even when it's 40 degrees.  I accidentally stepped off a rock while reaching for a large bunch of blackberries...and discovered why you  need to wear pants while picking blackberries.  All is well, with the most damage from the day being a farmer tan.  Tip #2 - wear sunscreen. 


After blackberries we were onto tomatoes, figs, hazelnuts, pears, and zucchini.  I'll have to send pictures of this amazing garden.  They have these zolfini beans, which apparently are very expensive as they are so difficult to grow.  La Petraia has a few good rows of them and they are featured specialties.


I worked on staff meal, (oh the fond memories of staff meals back home), and I made pizza.  Like I said..fond memories.  


We also hosted a cooking class for four people where they come into the kitchen and learn how to make bread, see how some of the products are prepped, make their own pasta and gnocchi, and then relax on the patio with an eight course meal highlighting their creations or some of the prep they have seen happening in the kitchen.  I kept myself busy that night watching the plates go out, and even helped plate some of them.  We had this amazing Citrus Glazed Pork with a tuscan spice.  Out of force of habit, when you are guest in someone's kitchen and you see an amazing product, you ask "where did this come from?" Susan looks at me and says "outside".  It was a duh moment...as 95% of everything served comes from this piece of land.  


Anyway, we're off to town for pizza before work today.


Ciao