The Grain Mill and a Garden

This morning, we all headed out to visit Mulino Val d'Orcia. Prior to leaving for Europe, this was the subject of the book War in Val d'Orcia that we read during our Maymester. Having read the book, it was great being able to visit the location of what inspired the title of the book. We had the opportunity to tour the grounds, including the grain mill in the front along with the B&B out back. This really cute Italian guy gave us the grand tour. His eyes were absolutely gorgeous and I for sure had the biggest crush on him! Francesco's eyes had me in a trance and the group kept teasing me simply because I made a comment about them. They were funny as they kept pushing me up to the front where he was leading us. I soon regretted even saying anything because I didn't even think he was THAT cute. It was just his eyes that had me enamoured; they were the prettiest and purest baby blue color. Anyways, it gave everyone a good laugh as I couldn't keep a straight face when they would make quick asides regarding him. After we had finished walking around for a little bit, we headed back to the mill where we would help make our lunch, spaghetti.

Once we were seated, the first dish that was brought to us was a farro salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, and carrots. After our experience at Salcheto Winery, we knew to ask for some balsamic vinegar to liven up the taste of the bland, fibery dish. It was quite good after the special ingredient had been mixed in for more flavor.

The next dish was pici pasta, like Johnny had taught us how to make. It was even served in a tomato sauce similar to that we had seen at Poggio Etrusco. I personally thought the pici we made was better, but I may have been a bit biased.

Of course we couldn't have a true Italian meal without having prosciutto and pecorino served in a seating because that's what was brought out for the third

Finally, for dessert, a plum crostata was brought out. It looked similar to the design of a homemade pie with the decorative woven crust. It tasted like jelly with pie crust so I couldn't really complain. The sweetness from the crust mixed into the tart jam was the perfect compliment.

For dinner we would eat at Dopolavoro after a tour of the gardens. The spectacular view over the valley of the Orcia and the Amiata mountain was a great way to end the evening. Again, this activity tied into the material we had prepped for prior to the trip. Afterwards, we headed off for dinner outside.

Menu:

- Bread with olive oil

- Pecorino cheese and prosciutto

- Meatballs and rosemary potato wedges

- Apple cake with whipped cream

This was a nice change of cuisine. The meal was clearly an Italian made meal but with a nice take on famous American dishes i.e. french fries and apple pie. It was evident that there was still an Italian touch presented in the dishes, but the light meal was much appreciated after feeling the need to eat everything that was served.