Saturday’s Cooking Day with Stefano Manfredi was simply delightful, for everyone involved. From the peaceful start – me with armfuls of flowers from the garden to arrange; Stefano loading up the Dairy benches with tantalising ingredients, getting things underway for the busy day ahead. I enjoy the early morning preparation for an event – the chink of cups & saucers and hauling basket loads of ingredients, pots & pans, in anticipation of everyone’s arrival….several hours of quiet, methodical activity, before all hell breaks loose!
While I think of it, all the butter Stefano used throughout the day came from Pepe Saya – who’s beautiful ’rounds’ can be found dotted around the shops now (I spied some at Whole Foods in Danks Street last week while picking up some extra ingredients for the day, though I collected what we needed from Pepe’s factory in Tempe on the way home one afternoon): Click the link above to learn more about Pepe and his butter story.
Then everyone set off to the Kitchen Garden to collect a basket load of cima di rapa – the leafy green veg Stefano asked me to grow earlier this year. Regular followers of this post will know I sowed the seed with much trepidation and have been coaxing and nurturing it ever since (in hope that we would have enough to pick for the day’s event!). I’m so relieved there was enough to fill my favourite big basket; and I’ll certainly be growing more of this punchy Italian green (we harvested almost the entire row!). That means I’ll be heading back to Franchi seeds for another packet or two….
And so, with the table set, and the beautiful mission loaves Stefano had collected early in the morning from the Sonoma Bakery, everyone piled in to enjoy an autumn feast of Stefano’s Chestnut and Leek Soup, Polenta with Pork Cheek and Mushrooms and……a delicious accompaniment of kitchen garden grown cima di rapa!
I doubt any of us required dinner! Perhaps participants may put their recipes to good use next weekend?!!
Thank you Stefano! We all enjoyed your delightful stories and insightful explanations….as well as your delicious food. It was a day of general bonhomie and learning for us all.
