Life at Case Vecchie

A glimpse into life at Sicily's Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School  www.annatascalanza.com

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After spending several weeks away from the school traveling and refreshing ourselves, our crew arrived back to Case Vecchie the last week of August. Having had such a peaceful rest, we were ready to jump in with gusto.

We quickly transitioned from our normal group to become squadra pomodoro (#teamtomato) and spent five days preserving Sicilian red gold. Our mornings and afternoons were spent with our outgoing and hardworking helpers peeling, slicing, stirring and seasoning the 500 kilos of tomatoes that became the season’s first batch of sauce, paste, and sun dried tomatoes. We had such a special and sweet group to share these days with; there was heaps of laughing and storytelling which calmed our minds and acted as a balm to our acid-covered hands -- spending hours covered in tomato juice turns out to be quite painful!

As we head into fall, we will have lots of warm and cozy summer memories to keep us warm. Thanks to you all for being a part of it.

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We were so pleased to welcome back Luisa Weiss and Rachel Roddy last week for their annual writing workshop, The Language of Food. Here’s a look into how we passed the time:

In addition to hours spent writing, reading, editing, and sharing, we also managed to wander off for walks, harvest baskets full of sun-kissed produce, visit our favorite cheese maker, tour and taste at the winery, and of course, cook and eat. 

One especially memorable (and rainy) afternoon was spent at Luisa and Rachel’s “Tasting Table”. A curated selection of herbs, seeds, and vegetables from the garden were displayed alongside Sicilian pantry staples in order to compile a thesaurus of words to describes the flavors, textures, and sights on the group’s plates and palettes. The writers developed a physical resource in those hours which is equal parts nostalgic and useful: It is both a snapshot of a special afternoon shared in one another’s company and a tool that will assist them in future moments of grasping for just the right term to describe the crunch of the season’s first carrot or the thirst-inducing brine of a salty anchovy. 

The souvenirs these travelers went back home with are of a different variety than what most folks often leave carrying. In addition to tomato sauces and jars of jam, the writers from the Language of Food workshop left with pages of their own words -- carefully crafted and considered in the company of new and likeminded friends.

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There are about one million lovely things that could be said about the past week. We had an absolutely brilliant group of artists here at Case Vecchie and the days were filled with ideas even brighter than the colors used to represent them. We shared food, wine, conversation, and work. Tables that are normally left empty save for meal times were piled with palettes of various types of paint, blue glass cups stuffed with colored pencils, and stacks of sketchbooks and pens.

Everyone’s creative eye and method of representing the world around them was beautifully unique. Images led to stories and the stories led to friendships. It was a beautiful six days; ones that won’t soon be forgotten.

Huge thanks to Maira and Rick for making the week so very special.

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A roundup of photos from our recent Food Styling and Photography workshop with Béatrice Peltre. We had such a fun and informative week with Béatrice, learning best practices for styling and capturing images of all kinds of food and also getting to share stories and make new friends. 

There is so much technicality and creativity required for food styling, and Béatrice is a powerhouse for both. Very grateful to have her as part of our Case Vecchie family!

We’ll be partnering with Béatrice again next year for another week of Food Styling and Photography, this time from August 28 - September 2 (right in the midst of tomato season, weather depending!) To reserve your spot for next year, send us an email at [email protected].

Thanks to all who participated this year -- it truly was a memorable week and one we will think of fondly for many months to come.

After all this inspiration, go buy yourself a copy of Béatrice’s new book! Link here: http://goo.gl/QACloL

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Just one scene from a beautiful week of eating food, styling food, and photographing food with Béatrice Peltre. It was so great to have her and we’re already anticipating her return next year!

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Another day, another batch of cheese in the cave. We took a trip this morning to visit our wonderful friend and shepherd, Filippo, and couldn’t help but stop and smell the wheels of cheese (somewhat like stopping to smell the roses?)

Eternally impressed by this incredible artisan and his craft!

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Perfect spot for a mid-morning cup of tea. All that needs to be added is a good book! Recommendation for excellent things you’ve been reading lately, anyone?

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Ricotta for days, brought to you by our incredible friend, the shepherd Filippo! We so appreciate Filippo’s contribution to our local food system and for providing us with such delicious cheese! #therealarmtotable #cookthefarm

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We’ve been getting some absurdly gorgeous views all over Sicily of late. Mustard, thistles, and poppies are all combined here for a beautiful portrait of the colors of spring. 

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A morning walk complete with wheat, wildflowers, and sunshine. What more could one ask for?

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Charming view from our garden pavilion. The very best place to pass an afternoon!

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The poppies are blooming at Case Vecchie and all over Sicily, it seems! It’s easy spotting these on walks and they truly never disappoint.

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Sunday was pasta day in our kitchen! We gathered together to learn about different kinds of Italian pastas and made and ate busiate, cavetelli, and ravioli. Here you see the talented Judy using a pasta machine to make beautiful cavetelli. Bellissimo!

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Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful women in our lives! We’re saying an extra round of “Thank You’s” today to the hardworking moms who have created and continue to sustain our school. We so appreciate you, moms!

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Our team recently snuck away for a day to take a long, luxurious hike in the mountains of Sicily--we found spectacular views, hundreds of flowers, sunshine and munched on grapefruits and biscotti regina at the top! It was a day to welcome our new intern, Alyssa, and say goodbye to Elke (that's me!), the previous intern. She will be sharing what's happening here with you from now on! Stay tuned for adventures of Case Vecchie and ‪#‎armtotable‬ recipes!

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Summer is approaching and we can already taste the tangy tomatoes of Sicilian summer! Don’t miss your chance to make estratto--the deep red tomato paste essential in Sicilian cuisine--alongside Fabrizia this summer! She’ll be teaching us the art of estratto making, and we’ll taste spoonfuls of the fresh paste with tomato splattered aprons and a glass of chilled wine!

Join us! Learn more here:

http://annatascalanza.com/images/PDF/PreservingAugust-Ing.pdf

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Announcing the release of our short Cook the Farm film!

It is hard to represent all that takes place throughout this ten week course -- it is so rich in information, experiences, discussions and ideas!  Each week left us feeling inspired, sometimes full of questions and eagerness to find solutions, and always with a new and vivid awareness and gratefulness for our ingredients and food.

We hope you enjoy this short insight into the course, and we hope that you'll consider joining us for Cook the Farm 2017! Enjoy the film here and learn how you can apply here!