“Life offers you a thousand chances … all you have to do is take one.“
~ Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun
~~~~~o~~~~~
After that fabulous pappardelle fatte in casa al cinhiale, we head southeast towards our intended stay at a farmhouse in Montepulciano.
The 50-minute drive from Siena takes us along stretches of narrow and windy roads with spectacular views of the Tuscan countryside. And the notion of getting lost on a sojourn in the heart of Tuscany with Mysaucepan is every bit as romantic as I had imagined.
Agriturismo Pescaia, a farmhouse in Montepulciano
Agriturismo Pescaia – farmhouse in Montepulciano (dramatized setting on camera)
Set on acres of olive groves, vineyards and farmland, the farmhouse is spacious with two bedrooms.
The low-season of winter means we have the entire house to ourselves, including a fully equipped kitchen, living and dining areas that walk out onto the garden.
View of olive groves and vineyards from the farmhouse
Countryside tranquility is the essence of the Tuscan lifestyle, one that we came to experience, albeit just for a few blissful days.
The landscape is dotted with silvery olive groves, rolling stretches of farmland and vineyards bare after the last harvest in late autumn.
View of hilltop town of Montepulciano (dramatized setting on camera)
Gazing at the medieval town of Montepulciano across the horizon, I feel warm despite wearing just a thin woollen jumper in winter temperatures nudging zero Celsius.
Maybe the promise of a hearty dinner is stirring my appetite. Or perhaps it is the soft tannins of a Brunello di Montalcino that are keeping me warm and cosy.
Hay and fire logs in barn
I wander into the barn to retrieve fire logs for the fireplace and the wood fire grill.
Judging the pile of freshly cut logs, I think it is sufficient to fire up the grill quite a few times let alone keep the fireplace going for the next few days.
My kitchen stove for the next four days
Although there is a fully equipped kitchen with cooking appliances in the farmhouse, I am looking forward to cook a few meals using this outdoor grill that doubles up as a wood fire oven.
The best of local Tuscan produce
On the way to the farmhouse, we pay a visit to the local supermarket and pick up a hunk of T-bone steak for our bistecca a la Fiorentina.
1.3kg T-bone a la Bistecca Fiorentina
True to the spirit of serving cuts of Chianina in the tradition of Fiorentine steaks, local butchers are more than happy to slice each piece of T-bone from the entire rib according to the thickness requested by each customer.
This ginormous piece of T-bone is particularly lean. I think it is at least 1.5 inches (3.8 centimetres) thick at 1.3 kilograms or 2.9 pounds.
Montepulciano at dusk in winter
Mysaucepan is setting up our dinner table next to the fireplace. I walk around the garden because I love the cold, wintry weather especially in such a beautiful setting in Europe.
Sunlight is fading away as I nurse a whisky rocks in my hand.
Frances Mayes may have relished her time under the Tuscan sun but I am savouring these moments under a solitary Tuscan star.
View of Montepulciano town on the hill
The town of Montepulciano has turned into a huddle of warm glowing lights in the distance without a single ostentatious white florescent.
“Are these people all thinking in concert?” I thought to my self. “This must surely be one of the romantic beauties of the old world!”
Firing up the grill
As the logs under the grill start to glow, I think it is time to wander back into the farmhouse to check on proceedings.
The fireplace is warm and toasty
The logs in the fireplace are cracking and the house is now beautifully warm and toasty.
Table setting for dinner
“We ought to remember to come with friends in future” I tell Mysaucepan.
“I totally agree” she says. “This place is good for at least another two.”
2010 Col D’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino
It is a cold winter evening and we sip a 2010 Col D’Orcia Brunello Di Montalcino as the log fire crackles and warms the room.
True to its 100% sangiovese tradition, this wine exhibits high acidity complemented by well-structured tannins that make you yearn for that piece of charred steak from the barbeque. Thankfully, that is exactly the thing on tonight’s menu.
Toasting bread crumbs
I try to capture the spirit of Tuscany’s cucina povera (cooking of the poor) … tearing leftover bread into crumbs and dry roasting it in a pan with just a touch of olive oil, salt and Tuscan dried chilli, garlic flakes and herbs.
After just 5 minutes of tossing, these bread crumbs are super crisp and good enough to eat on its own as a pre-dinner snack.
“Stop eating it all!” I try to restrain Mysaucepan as she is feeling peckish in this cold weather. “I need it for my soup.”
Tuscan style peasant soup
On the simmer is a small pot of Tuscan style peasant soup with carrot, onion, celery and tomato.
Well, it is not quite “peasant” as I added generous chunks of Italian smoked ham hock. After slow simmering for about 2 hours, this is a hearty soup for a chilly evening.
Tuscan style peasant soup with toasty bread crumbs
Call it minestrone if you like, but I prefer to see this as a decadent bowl of peasant soup with crispy bread crumbs.
Red glowing coal and embers
After an hour, the logs under the grill has turned into devilish red glowing embers.
The grill is ready for that 1.3 kilogram bistecca a la FIorentina.
Watching the bistecca sizzle away in the cool wintry night
With just a light drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt and black pepper, I slap the steak onto the grill.
Despite this cold Tuscan winter, I feel incredibly warm with a Brunello in hand and the sizzling aromas from the grill.
Bistecca Fiorentina with a Brunello di Montalcino
The spirit of the bistecca a la Fiorentina is a smoky charred finish with rare to medium rare pink inside.
After resting for a good fifteen minutes, I carve the sirloin and rib off each side of the T-bone and slice them into smaller pieces.
Deliciously good down to the bone
Washed down with an easy-drinking Brunello, I could spend six months eating this Tuscan Chianina meat.
Breakfast at our farmhouse
We have been eating almost a kilogram of citrus fruits each morning since we first arrived in Venice.
Blood oranges are in season and though they look a far cry from those in Aussie supermarkets, these are sweeter and juicier by a long shot.
Our host brings us 2 carafes of red wine from their vineyards. From my limited Italian vocabulary, I decipher that one is the sparkling version of the other. The embedded reason for my fondness of Italians, apart from their rich food heritage and culture is I get to drink red wine for breakfast.
Italian style sausages and a rib-eye steak
I could not resist this piece of rib-eye and a few Italian style sausages from the butcher yesterday.
Even after a 1.3 kilogram T-bone last night, I am hankering for more meat.
Click on the image above and check out the sizzle on these sausages!
With just a sprinkle of salt, black pepper and a sprig of rosemary, the flavour of these Italian pork sausages with sweet ripened Tuscan tomatoes are truly unforgettable.
The beefy aromas of this rib-eye are mouth-watering.
Resting the rib-eye steak for 10 minutes
Although it is not the thickest cut of meat, I let this rib-eye rest for fifteen minutes with a sprinkling of salt crystals, black pepper and charred rosemary.
Medium rare deliciousness
Laced with a small sprig of charred rosemary and pepe nero, this is an unforgettable mouthful of our Italian food sojourn.
The meat is packed with flavour, succulent and effortlessly melts in my mouth.
A delicious eye of fat
I love my steaks with a dollop of French Dijon but in this case, the natural seasoning of salt, black pepper and rosemary is all that is needed.
This chunk of fat is yet another eye-closing moment I will remember for a long time.
Preparing sandwiches for our lunch
Italian breads make beautiful sandwiches especially with dried Tuscan herbs and some salad leaves.
Steak sandwich and prosciutto sandwich
What’s leftover from our bistecca Fiorentina and prosciutto are going into scrumptious sandwiches for our road trip exploring the Montepulciano countryside today.
Our accommodation details:
Agriturismo Pescaia
Via di Pescaia, 8, 53045 Montepulciano Siena, Italy
Tel: +39 329 387 7027
http://www.agriturismopescaia.it
