AN INTRODUCTION TO ITALIAN FARMHOUSE COOKING.xii APPETIZERS AND SNACKS"1 Tantalizing platters of salami, stuffed vegetables, and herb-redolent olives welcome you to a meal or fill the spaces in between. A Very Happy Farmer O or Is He a Baker? O on Lido".7 The Maneras of Piedmont"27 The Vena Brothers of Gangi"30 An Agronomist, a Genius, and a Lucky Farmer"36 The Buffalo and Their Cheese"44 SALADS"47 From the simples mix of greens to the famous Tuscan bread salad (panzanella) and the citrus-infused salads of Sicily, Italian farmhouse insalate are as varied, and as interesting, as the regions of Italy itself. The Real Balsamic Vinegar"57 The Capers of Salina"67 SOUPS"73 Soups on the Italian farm table are hearty, satisfying paeans to the past. Steaming bowls rich with the freshest vegetables, aromatic herbs, and flavorful beans speak of ingenuity and tradition. The Lancellottis: A Farm Family off the Farm"80 FIRST COURSES"99 At the farm table, dishes are presented like a vast patchwork, seemingly without rules and without end. However, in Italy, pastas always come first, and so they lead off this chapter as well.

The second part of the chapter includes a tempting selection of other classic first courses O Garlicky Cheese Polenta, Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings, Artichoke Frittata O that can easily be turned into entrees. Pasta"101 Two Sicilian Brothers"106 COS"124 A Look at Parmifiano-Reggiano"141 Mondo X"146 First Courses"151 The Best of the Mountain"156 A Living Relic"172 SECOND COURSES"187 In the past, farmers reserved meat and gish for celbratory occasion, and in fact still treat them with infinite care. Lamb is a favorite, as is pork, and chicken as well as guinea hen and rabbit are fixtures. Plates of succulent Herb-Marinated Leg of Lam, or richly spirited Guinea Hen with Vin Santo, take their rightful place as the nourishing secondi. Alcala"216 Malvarina"224 THE VEGETABLE GARDEN"243 The farmhouse table would be incomplete with the many offerings from the garden. Whether from an open-air market, a truck garden, a country field, or someoneIs small kitchen garden, fresh vegetables and herbs are the epicenter of Italian Farmhouse cooking. Gorgeous Grappa: The Noninos of Friuli"246 The Italian Orto"250 On A Ligurian Slope".258 FabioIs Babbo O The Urban Pepper Farmer"276 Biodynamic and Organic Farming"284 FROM THE BREAD OVEN"289 There is nothing more welcoming than the warm scent of freshly baked bread, or the golden heat that emanates from the hearth.

For the Italian baker, the fruits of this labor of love are crisp-crusted loaves, fragrant pizza and focacce (flat breads), and biscotti, all of which you will find in the pages of this chapter. Prosciutto with Love"299 A Mysterious Flavor"319 SWEET, SWEET"335 Desserts are one of the great pleasures of the Italian farm table. Finish a meal with fresh fruit heaped in a bowl and served alongside a richly flavored torta di nocciole (hazelnut cake), or with pastries like crostate, crisp-crusted tarts bursting with everything from ripe apricots to lemon marmalade. These simple and delicious desserts beg to be made often, and with abandon. The Train Going IRound the Mountain"341 An Afternoon with Maria Maurillo"363 THE PANTRY"387 The well-stocked pantry, with its lively array of pepper- and herb-infused oils, jars of fresh tomato sauce, and jam made with ripe figs and grapes straight off the vine, hints at the many possibilities of the Italian farmhouse kitchen. The Italian Pantry"392 Dominic and terranova"401 Alcatraz"406 THE BASICS The basics are the simple little recipes that every Italian farmhouse cook knows inherently. They are the rustic tomato sauce, the homemade pastas, the perfect dough for tender pizza O all the from-scratch foods and seasonings that are elemental to the success of any dish. Pecorino, As It Once Was"430 CONVERSION TABLE"442 INDEX"443.