TBT: SMELLS .OF TUSCANY

 Last Thursday our cookbook writer Pamela had us start with sofrito-  tiny chopped-up carrots, onion,  celery and garlic for our main dish the Tuscan traditional ribollita, more stewy than soupy. The base, a day old bread soaks up most of the broth along with the fragrant garden herbs. More chopping to add potatoes, tomatoes, kale, squash and canneloni beans are added.

We enjoyed garden appetizers of batter fried squash blossoms, sage leaves, cauliflower and  zucchini (too busy eating them hot for a pic)

followed by mushroom stuffed with gorgonzola topped with a walnut.  

Time for lunch... Ribollita,

Chicken turkey sausage with sauteed red peppers

For dessert, there was yummy crostina di marmellata (fig) and chestnut honey topping a smooth ricotta.  

As always there was an aperitif/wine/ with our meals followed by a an expresso/ macchiato courtesy of our barista Johnny accompanying our dessert.

Take a look at this Halloween pie decorating by Colleen ...

(I'll add my journal page when I am able to have cell phone  usage again since my account is blocked due to being stolen at O'Hare airport on Tuesday.)

*It was traced btw to the Chicago suburb of Rosemont to an address of a professional business building. My children unknowingly to me, put a tag on my phone, 3 years ago to make sure they knew where I was. Well, my phone will never be in my hands again. 

TBC..