The Art of Eating Well: Discovering food artisans, olive oil and traditional recipes in Tuscany

Join Emiko Davies, for a 6-day gastronomic getaway in Tuscany during the olive harvest season at Villa Campestri olive-oil resort.

Cook the recipes of the great-grandfather of Italian cuisine, Pellegrino Artusi and discover why his cookbook Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well is a classic and one you’ll find in practically every Italian kitchen.

Stay at the peaceful Villa Campestri, a stunning Renaissance property north of Florence. The villa produces excellent olive oil and seeing as the course takes place during harvest time, this is your chance to become an expert on olive oil.

Join in on in-depth olive oil tastings, wine tastings and visits to a local cheesemaker, an artisan knife bottega in the historic town of Scarperia, a traditional flour mill that dates back to the Middle Ages and explore Florence’s produce market for ingredients and to enjoy a traditional Florentine lunch.

The 6-day getaway is planned for October 20–26, 2014.

The program looks a little like this:

Day 1: Arrival at Villa Campestri, Tuscany. After a welcome aperitivo, enjoy the first olive oil tasting with agronomist Gemma Pasquali and dinner at the villa’s award-winning restaurant.

Day 2: Visit Florence. Visit the Mercato Centrale, Florence’s best known market, for ingredients for the next day’s cooking class. We’ll have a traditional, informal Florentine lunch then there’s time to look around Florence or have a private tour of the centre before a late afternoon transfer back to the villa. Dinner at the villa.

Day 3: Cooking with Artusi. The first cooking class, following the nineteenth century recipes of Pellegrino Artusi, uses seasonal ingredients from the market and covers typical Tuscan dishes. After lunch, there is a second olive oil tasting with Gemma Pasquali.

Day 4: Cheese and wine. Head to a famous winery in the heart of the area of Chianti Rufina, where we will visit the vineyards and cellar of the estate. We’ll have lunch there then in the afternoon we’ll visit an artisan cheesemaker of raveggiolo, pecorino and ricotta – and don’t worry, there’s a chance to taste it all too! Dinner at Villa Campestri.

Day 5: Olive oil 101. We’ll start with a stroll through the olive grove to learn more about olive oil, and Gemma will conduct her third olive oil tasting. Today’s cooking class will feature Artusi’s recipes that feature olive oil as the hero. After lunch, visit a romantic old flour mill that has been around since the ninth century to see how traditional, stone ground flours are made. Here we’ll buy some special flours for the last cooking course. In the late afternoon we will have an interesting wine tasting with author and wine expert, Burton Anderson.

Day 6: Knives, beef and flour. A visit to the historic town of Scarperia, where we will see how artisan knives are produced in a traditional workshop. Then lunch in a restaurant high up in the mountains between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna famous for its “bistecca fiorentina” grilled over an open fire. Back at Villa Campestri the last cookery course features the unique flours from the mill for some very traditional dishes. Dinner at Villa Campestri.

Day 7: Departure

The cost of this wonderful, full immersion into Tuscan food traditions with all meals, accommodation, classes, visits and trips/transfers included (airfare excluded) is per person €2,199 for 3-4 person apartment; €2,499 for double occupancy; €2,700 for single occupancy.

There are only 10 spots available!

For bookings or enquiries, contact: villa.campestri@villacampestri.it