An Afternoon At The Farm

  What great luck to be invited to join in on a luncheon/tour of a nearby organic farm, known for it's cheeses and wines, spelt pastas, olive oil and more….

  Thanks, Ruth and Tonino!

  

  In a chance meeting at Bar Gallo, we met this lovely couple, intent on living a simpler, healthier and all around "greener" lifestyle, all the while spreading the word that living organic is just a hell of a great idea. 

  They are very fortunate to have a farmhouse outside of town, near an area where Johnny loves to paint, where they can grow much of their own produce, as well as raise goats for milk and hand made soaps, and chickens, of course, for wonderfully flavorful eggs. 

  Ruth is actually a major part of a local CSA style weekly co-operative produce distributer…and Tonino is an artist, as well as a local chef, and generally mellow guy.

  Hey, I like these people ….a lot!

  So, about an hour or two after our first meeting at Bar Gallo, Johnny and I were out painting, I was taking my usual walk in the fields, and who do I run into, but Ruth! We were meant to know each other….anyway, we shared more of ourselves, as we walked, and looked forward to seeing each other again….which was a day or two later back at Bar Gallo….

  This is when they invited us to the afore mentioned "Day At The Farm", and we jumped at the opportunity…given basic directions, and a time to meet, we were off on another grand Italian adventure. With lunch. And goats.

Which way do we go?
The perfect moment on a "Strada Bianca"…white road.

  Podere Il Casale is located down a white road between Pienza and Monticchiello, in Tuscany. 

  Johnny and I are always astounded by the landscape in this particular area. It is the landscape you think of when you think of Tuscany…rolling green hills, winding roads bordered by Italian cypresses, vineyards and olive groves... and old farmhouses that have been restored by someone with tons of money.

  Yes, it's quite pretty.

  Once we arrived at Podere Il Casale, we loved that the place was an honest to goodness working farm, down to earth, without pretension.

  Oh, and yes…it's also quite pretty…..

The view from Podere Il Casale…..
This is the Val d'Orcia, in all her glory.

  Our hosts, Sandra & Ulisse, have made a lovely place here, with a real eye for detail. There is a main home, a restaurant, a B&B, camper area, sweet campers to rent…and then the whole farm thing. It's a true labor of love, you can tell.

The entrance to the dining areas...

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Beautiful details everywhere

The main house

More detail, in the courtyard.

  There are lots of farm animals around, including pigs, sheep, goats,…and Johnny's newest pal, a family dog, Bruna. Good doggie, good doggie…..

  I, on the other hand, was taken by the peacocks…two of them, making the most god-awful racket. But I was just mesmerized by their resplendent appearance.

  These birds are seriously fashion forward.

Who came up with this?

"I am soooooo good looking'."

  There were some really cute babies hanging around, too. But we were gently warned not to get too close…this little bitty was only days old, and Mama wasn't going to fool around if she thought you may be a threat.

It was hard not to pick this little one up for a cuddle.

  It's impressive that the folks here allow the animals to just move about, some behind fences, but many just cruising through the yard.

  We were there with a large group of school children, and I was so impressed with their attention of and respect for the animals.

  We were shown all around the barnyard, seeing the goats and sheep that make the milk for the various cheeses sold here. The animals are all treated so well, and the cheese we would have later just proved the point...

  

One of the indoor areas of the farm. There are acres and acres of land
for the herd to roam, too.

A couple of wise guys, just looking for trouble to get into.

  After the barn yard, we got to tour where the cheese is actually made. We loved seeing the pristine facility, but the best part was the cooler…

It starts here….

….but the magic happens in theses rooms.

  I can't begin to tell you how incredible it smelled in here...

Cheese made for Gods. And us, too.

  After touring the vegetable gardens, and seeing the rest of the grounds, we still had some time before lunch, so Johnny set up to paint. He was quickly surrounded by some of the kids that were with us for the tour. They were so fascinated, and just watched for awhile.

  We tracked down Ruth and Tonino, and found a spot inside to settle down for lunch.
  We decided on one of the farms' own wines, of course. A nice white, which we all enjoyed very much.

  Lunch was veg forward, with lots of things from the garden, fields and barnyard. Just what we wanted!

Salad with herbs and garden greens, edible flowers and a perfect dressing,
made with oil from the farm, of course.

Spelt, organically grown on the farm, used to make this very pasta.
 A sauce of veggies from the garden...

Carrot soup...

Farm-fresh ricotta, with a caper "pesto" accompanying.
This was fantastic.

 What more can you ask from a day? Good food, friends, quality living at it's best. We can't thank Ruth & Tonino enough for including us…And a huge thanks goes out to the lovely folks at Podere Il Casale,  the people who work so hard to make a day like this happen.

After lunch discussion, farm style.

The dining room of Podere Il Casale.

  You, too, can have a wonderful day at the farm.
  Podere Il Casale is open to the public, you just need to let them know you are coming. You can camp, stay in the rooms, or just come for lunch or dinner…a phone call or email is required, as it is primarily a working farm.
 For more info:
 Podere Il Casale