Petraia


Introducing Lyle Rose. Lyle recently returned to Petraia after spending four months somewhere. We’re not sure where exactly. Just like the song says, we thought he was a goner. But he’s back with this exciting 2 ½ minute video. Turn up the volume and switch to full screen to enjoy Lyle making his evening rounds in…

It’s the middle of May and Chianti is covered in white blossoms and smells like heaven. Aromatic acacia and elder flowers have taken over the landscape and our roses are in full bloom. Here these blossoms are  fried in pastella, a simple flour and water slurry and the resultant nectar-filled elder and acacia flower fritters are served either lightly…

At Petraia we work with Maria Thun’s biodynamic planting calendar and our sewing, harvesting, pruning and trimming is governed by the different lunar and planetary cycles that affect plant growth. Each month there are different days, and in some cases different hours of the day propicious for planting or harvesting fruit, flowers, leaves or roots. In the orto…

  At Petraia I count on the fingers of one hand the principal staples I use we that we can’t easily produce on the farm. Chocolate, coffee, some of our flour and salt. Food shopping for me is a real luxury and I take great care and pleasure in seeking out the few ingredients I…

Perhaps I have custard to blame for my vocation. In the era I grew up it was one of the first solid foods given to babies. My mother’s egg custard is one of my earliest sense memories and it made a big impression. Slightly sweet the taste was probably reminiscent of mother’s milk but the…

  Semolina Bread from Sicily (Adapted from Piano, Piano, Pieno: Authentic Food From a Tuscan Farm)   As one ventures into the mezzogiorno or southern Italy, bread takes on a golden aspect as if it has spent more time in the sun than its northern cousins. This is especially true in Sicily where much of…

With a couple of days left on the island our plan was to drive around Etna, cross the Nebrodi Mountains and head north up the coast to Termini Inglese where we had a reservation for the ferry back to Civitavecchia. Approaching Etna we realized she was acting up. The volcano was spewing black lava dust…

Christmas at Petraia comes at the end of our busiest season when I am already exhausted and seriously in need of some dietary reform. This year I decided to limit my holiday baking to sugar and gluten free items. My plan was to use nut flour and honey to make traditional cookies and cakes like Torta…

It’s almost Christmas but the harvest season at Petraia is not finished yet.  At this time of the year we are busy preserving winter vegetables to keep us going over the coming months.   Brassicas and root vegetables do well left in the ground till spring and it is wonderful to have them there.  Going…