From Libellula's Kitchen & Land — cake recipe

In the early 1100s, an evil duke named Guido III ruled the small Italian town of Ivrea. Now Guido was your typical cruel ruler; mean to his servants, demanding taxes so high that his townspeople were on the brink of starvation, and handing out harsh punishments to anyone who dared to disagree with him. But one night, Guido took his cruelty one step too far. On a snowy winter's evening, Violetta, the miller’s daughter had just sat down to her wedding feast. Beautiful, brave, and spirited, Violetta was beloved by the whole town. And as such her wedding to the...

While our Libellula family is based in northern Italy in the Sabina region, we love visiting fellow farmers all across Italy. With its beautiful coastline and warm weather, Sicily is one of our favorite spots. And nothing says “Sicilian breakfast” more than a cake made with pistachios and lemons – two of the region’s agricultural specialties. Add to the mix extra virgin olive oil, which gives the cake a wonderful sponginess and depth of flavor, and you’ll be transported straight to the Sicilian coast! We recommend saving a few pistachios on the side to sprinkle over the top of the...