From Libellula's Kitchen & Land

Ahh Ravioli. One of the most loved dishes of Italy!  Little pockets of fresh pasta filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables served in a variety of sweet, spicy, and savory sauces.  Ravioli have been enjoyed in Italy since the 14th century. At the court of the Gonzagues, stuffed pasta was offered to noble visitors as a royal treat!  But what about the Italian Christmas Eve classic, Ravioli di Zucca (Squash Ravioli)?  Well, it all started when farmers began growing squash in Northern Italy after it was brought back by explorers from South and Central America. The Italian nobility quickly became...

Located in the northwest corner of Italy, and isolated from most of Europe by the Alps, is the region of Piedmont. For centuries, residents of the hills of Piedmont would journey into the woods each autumn to gather hazelnuts, which flourish here due to the ideal climate and topography of the region. They would then dry and roast the nuts, using them as a key part of their diet all year round. Torta di Nocciole, like many old-school Italian recipes, is based on “cucina povera,” a concept that we often feature in Libellula dishes. “Cucina Povera” is Italy’s “poor cooking”...

It was the summer of 1487. Lucrezia Borgia was about to get married. For the third time. You see, her dearest father,  Pope Alexander VI and mother (who happened to be one of his favorite mistresses), had decided that they would marry their daughter as many times as they could to advance their political standing.  As soon as one husband didn’t quite give them as many political or financial benefits as they had hoped, they moved onto a new conquest for their daughter. And they weren’t too subtle about it either. Her father ordered the execution of her first husband....

In the final weeks of this dry, hot summer, we’ve kept a close watch on our olive trees. Many of you know the story of our harvest last year; Buran winds blew in from Siberia, killing all of our tree’s blossoms. In a single night, our harvest was almost entirely destroyed. So you can imagine our hopeful monitoring of the weather each night as the summer grew to a close… We are elated to share that our olive buds survived and have grown into a truly spectacular harvest! The town’s olive mill, which has been closed since February, has reopened...