A Passion for Hazelnuts
We are in the Piedmont region of NW Italy, close to the town of Alba, famous for its white truffles and home to Nutella, the hazelnut dynamo that has taken the world by storm.
Throughout this region countless hazelnut trees fill the valley floors and entrepreneurs such as Stefano and Isabella Barroero in the hamlet of Cortemilia have turned the nut into a thriving family business producing nearly 20 types of coated hazelnuts, creams, confectionery products, baked goods and more on their farm Cascina Barroero.
Stefano graciously spent a few hours with us this morning explaining the hazelnut business from grove management, harvesting, shelling, sorting, roasting and how the little nut gems are transformed into taste tempting products that he and his family ship worldwide, including to the United States. Isabella, meanwhile, was busy in the production kitchen and we learned the manic business of cookie production….and a little taste testing along the way.
Thank you Stefano and Isabella!

Carrara, Italy has been famous for its remarkable marble deposits since the Roman times. The whiteness on the tops of the mountains by the sea north of Pisa are the traces of marble. Thanks to our friends Christina and Carolina of Cave Di Marmo Tours we received an extensive up close look high up in the mountains at how the marble is quarried. Our 3-hour tour in 4-wheel drive trucks was not for those scared of heights as we climbed up and down steep narrow pathways. But the bone-jarring trip was worth it as we ventured through several quarries, “cave” in Italian, and even went deep underground to see an excavation inside the mountain. If you are a fan of James Bond 007 you’ll remember the chase scene down the steep quarry roads.

What has 50 cows, acres of Vernaccia grapes on the vine, 2,000 olive trees, breathtaking views, a welcoming restaurant and 11 rooms and apartments for guests?

Welcome to Fattoria Poggio Alloro, “Bay Leaf Hill Farm,” an Agriturismo property we visited this week. The Fioroni family has been working the farm since 1955 and purchased the land in 1972. The working farm overlooks the walled Tuscan city of San Gimignano and became part of a growing trend in Italy when in 1991 the family added a few guest bedrooms, eventually transitioning into a hospitality destination. We met manager and head chef Sarah Fioroni back in Virginia when she visited our area last March. Besides her involvement in the family’s growing business, Sarah is a busy lady with a bestselling cookbook and last October Sarah was a guest chef at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Back in Tuscany, the Fattoria Poggio Alloro complex includes 10 double rooms for guests plus one apartment with adjoining bedrooms. Rooms are simple, no television but free WIFI, and the terraces have commanding views of the Tuscan countryside. Americans comprise 40% of the visitors. The Fioroni family produce their own wines, olive oils, honey and other products for sale and use on the property. The organic farm produces 90% of the food consumed on the property. Guests are welcome to tour the farm, sample wines and even take part in a cooking lesson or two.

We are adding Fattoria Poggio Alloro to our list of preferred Italian Agriturismo properties.

Ireland may get all the press about being green, but in Tuscany this spring the fields are green seas of winter wheat swaying in the wind. The harvesting has begun at some farms but today we saw acres and acres of wheat destined to become Italy’s famed pasta and breads.

Did you know that the area around the town of Bassano del Grappa in the province of Vicenza north of Padua and Venice is known for its white asparagus? Legend has it that Saint Anthony of Padua brought asparagus to the region when he visited the area to appease the tyrant Ezzelino da Romano. By tradition, traditional harvesting season ends on 13 June, the anniversary of the Saint’s death in Padua in 1231…..This coming week the restaurants of Bassano will be outdoing themselves during the annual Bassano White Asparagus Festival with menus celebrating the tender pinkish white Bassano asparagus, especially the “Chiaro” variety of Bassano, which holds a national P.D.O. [Protected Designation of Origin].