Baked Snapper with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Capers.
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Please enjoy this wonderful whole baked fish recipe with cherry tomatoes, olives and capers that Sioban has been making this year in Tuscany.
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Caprese Pasta with Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil Pesto
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As we head back to Tuscany I look forward to cooking one of my all time favorite pasta recipes. Caprese pasta with buffalo mozzarella and Basil pesto is inspired by the abundance at this time of the year of garden fresh tomatoes and basil. We are so spoilt in Italy to be able to access the beautiful best quality Buffalo Mozzarella.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
Read MoreThe Essential Oil Chef's Fig Tart
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Carlo and I recently returned home from a holiday in Cambodia. I loved the heat and the beautiful fruit - it was all so bountiful and inexpensive, too.
My dear friend Andrea taught me this wonderful raw recipe, which you can top with tropical fruit or figs, depending what is in season. She's a chef too, and a dedicated doTerra oil fan, and uses them in the most wonderful way in her recipes.
This tart is raw, and super simple to make. It requires just a little patience - waiting for the tart base to chill, and delicate handling, but you'll be richly rewarded by the luscious clean flavours.
Read MorePollo Arrosto con Pomodori, Cipolla e Aceto Balsamico
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My new favourite roast chicken recipe. It's inspired by our annual onion harvest in Tuscany when we have an abundance of sweet new onions fresh from the garden. Tomatoes and the best quality balsamic add a piquancy; a delicate balance between sweetness and acid.
Read MoreVanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Gin and Blueberry Soup Recipe
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Hands up gin lovers? I have an amazing fact for you - 90% of the worlds gin is made from juniper berries grown within 100km of Cortona, Tuscany. Wild juniper berries literally cover the paddocks around our home town.
So I'll soon be making my own gin, with neighbour Tina who has a still, which I can use in this panna cotta recipe as well as the odd gin and tonic (yum!)
Read MoreCanape Recipe: Crostini with a Peperonata Salsa
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We arrived home in Tuscany after spending the Australian summer in our Yallingup home, Wildwood Valley.
With so many friends to catch up with, I've been making little nibbles and canapes each day. This recipe is a winner - it's easy, everyone loves it and you can make it ahead. Enjoy!
Read MoreCiambellone (Italian Olive oil cake)
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You can always depend on this cake - it always turns out just right, with a zesty lemon flavour to boot. Olive oil gives it a marvellous moist texture, and it stays fresh even a day or two after cooking.
We recently harvested over 700kg of olives from Carlo's family property and they have been cold pressed into a peppery olive oil. So it's the perfect time to make the luscious Tuscan ciambellone to eat with our coffee.
Read MoreCantucci di Noce (Hazelnut Biscotti)
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I'll always remember it fondly - finishing my first meal in Florence with a plate of biscotti and Vin Santo. It was utterly delicious and felt so authentic. I was travelling with Mum and a week later I met Carlo.
Vin Santo is a traditional Tuscan sticky (dessert wine) and I'm sure you'll be able to find a bottle in your local liquor store. You could always swap it for your favourite dessert wine - perhaps a Juniper Estate Cane Cut Riesling or Vasse Felix Cane Cut Semillon.
Many cantucci recipes use almonds but I particularly love hazelnuts in this recipe.
Read MoreMaking Olive Oil in Tuscany
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Our Italian tour season ended a few weeks ago so we've been spending time with family and friends. We spent the last weekend of October picking olives with Carlo’s family, and the glorious sunshine has made the olive picking season an absolute pleasure.
It was a generous harvest this year - we picked 700kg of olives. Carlo’s dad took them to the local pressing factory and it produced 110 litres of superb olive oil.
Read MorePotato and Ricotta Tortelli with Ragu
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A rainy day is the perfect time to get out the pasta machine and your biggest Le Creuset pot and make a beautiful batch of fresh pasta and ragu. I'll often make a double batch of ragu and freeze some to pull out as dinner after a busy day. Italian "fast food"!
This ragu has a 50/50 mix of beef and pork mince for ultimate flavour. You could skip the tortelli filling and make wide strips of pasta instead, but this is worth investing the extra time and the kids are fantastic and creating the little tortelli. Teach your children to make pasta too - they can turn the handle from the age of about 2, and will graduate to eventually make you dinner!
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