As I was blogging about my day I realized I needed to stop immediately and make a separate post just for the lunch I ate in San Donato because it was that good.
The food in Italy y’all is no joke. I know you always hear about how amazing it is, but I’m here to confirm that statement! HOLY MOLY!
After visiting the home of Leonardo Di Vinci, we rode through the rolling hills of Tuscany, weaving our way through a teeny tiny street, all the way up to the cutest little farm where a nice couple had made lunch for us using all things they had grown or made there. After lunch we learned about how they make olive oil!
Leonardo Di Vinci’s home/olive trees. (look at that orange one!)
San Donato!
As soon as the lunch bell rang, we walked into the room to see this as our noses filled with an amazing aroma of Italian foods.
I’ll start at the most logical place to begin: Cheese. Or “formaggio” in Italian. Freshly made ricotta with olive oil and sun dried tomatoes and bleu cheese, YUM!
And then I’m not entirely sure what this one was but the homemade honey on the top was a winner. Those sure are some happy bees. (I got some for you dad).
Next was salad with olive oil, some mushroom, artichoke mix, pickled onions, garlic bread, olives (Olives here are SO GOOD) 3 different types of prosciutto (that’s Italian for ham) pasta, and spelt! Oh and don’t forget a little vino 😉
My whole body was on sensory overload at the beauty of the sight, smell and tastes of this magnificent meal. What I loved the most was how simple it was. There wasn’t a ton of crazy stuff they did to the food and hardly any of it was processed.
It was all displayed in whatever platter or bowl they had laying around, yet it was so aesthetically beautiful and probably one of the best meals I ever had.
The good news is, I don’t think this will be the last good meal I’ll have here. More to come!
Ciao for now!
Love always,
Nicole Renard xx #DoStuff
Big fan of pecorino cheese and The Fenzi family who own and run the farm at San Donato.
The cheese with the honey was fresh pecorino. It comes hard for grating, medium soft for antipasta like for our lunch and really soft to melt on anything. I know because I am addicted to it while here. With the honey it is an outrageous treat. The blue chhese is also homemade. I agree with your blog. There is something so honest and inviting about the tastes and the simplicity of the aesthetics. When I cook at home I try to remember this lesson. You just need a few fresh ingredients so you can enjoy each taste and aroma. It is a sensory experience and brings me joy. Penny
YES YES YES!!