Today we take the long way home, poking along the Arno circling the south and east side of Florence to visit our friend Tom Müller in Diacetto-Pelago and see his nifty restoration of Santa Maria a Ferrano. A green, golden and occasionally pericoloso (dangerous!) journey along Tuscan switchbacks and curves, but a beautiful and fragrant trip nonetheless. 

We smell burning leaves and catch the occasional baking whiff. It is Sunday, after all, and everyone is heading to nonna’s for a big Sunday lunch. We are blithely heading for Tom’s on the off-chance he will be home. He is not.

Ciao, Tom, ci vediamo.  And by the way, your views are spectacular.

A Favorite Tuscan Lunch:

Tortelloni with Sage (salvia) & Butter

Fresh sage, preferably from your own Tuscan backyard, growing wild.  Pick 7-8 big leaves and cut into slivers. Melt butter and add sage. Cook until butter just begins to brown and bubble; the sage will be fragrant and a little crispy. Bring a pot of water to a boil but first make sure it is as salty as the Mediterranean. Add fresh tortelloni, ravioli, or pachetti pasta and cook al dente. Drain and toss with butter & sage. Add a little cooking water if necessary, pepper to taste, and grated parmegiano reggiano. We traveled with hunk from our downstairs neighbor “Ruggero”  all the way from Rome to La Spezia to Como and Florence and back. Wrapped in paper. Rugged stuff. •