Pomarola ~ Simple fresh tomato and basil sauce
During our cooking vacations in Italy, we teach you various tomato sauces, some that are packed with tasty vegetables and some that have a purer tomato taste. This simple sauce relies on good, tasty, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a good olive oil.
Risotto
The best types of rice for making risotto are: Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone nano. These have round grains and are starchy, becoming creamy when cooked.
Eggplant /Aubergine Croquettes
One of the most delicious things invented! Best fried just before you serve them, but they are fine at room temperature too if it’s a hot day. These go quickly when we make them at our cooking school in Tuscany!
Potato Gnocchi & Potato and Spinach Gnocchi
The less flour you use, the lighter the gnocchi will be, but the more likely it will be to go mushy while you wait to cook it, handle it and when it is cooking in the water.
Fried Zucchini Blossoms
This is a dish to be made and savoured immediately. You can even make it as a pre-dinner nibble while you finish cooking something time-consuming with friends.
Sundried Tomatoes
Sundried tomatoes prepared like this tend to much tastier than the ones you find already prepared in oil.
Small Onions in a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
Your guests will be fighting over these tangy onions! Remember to provide plenty of bread to mop up the delicious caramelized sauce coating them. At our cooking school in Tuscany, this side dish is one of the biggest hits!
Vegetable-based Tomato Sauce
This is a good alternative to a classic tomato and basil sauce. It has more texture and a more subtle, less tart flavour.Great with potato gnocchi, pasta, or any recipe that calls for a tomato-based sauce.
Cantuccini
These are the classic “biscotti” as they are often known in the US (in Italian, this just means any “cookies”). Using the finest flour available results in the most mouthwatering morsels.
Salt Cod in a Tomatoey Sauce
This is the classic way to prepare salted cod, but you can use any firm-fleshed fresh white fish.
Pear and Fig Tart
You can make this tart with pretty much any fruit, but the combination of figs and pears is divine! During our cooking classes in Tuscany, we use ripe figs from the trees at the top of the hill.
Fresh Basil Pesto
In the summer, nothing beats the pungent, aromatic flavours and satisfying texture of a home-made pesto sauce.