Cooking Together Local Organic in Florence Hills

We cook together, slowly at the same time that we chat and taste wine, cheese and our work - all the while listening to a wide selection of music that can go from bossa nova, tangos or Neapolitan underground, to whatever the evening whispers... In the garden and surrounding fields we'll look for herbs to cook with and branches and flowers to dress the dining table.

We'll be immersed in the Florentine hills landscape, in the outskirts of Impruneta, a small village on the Chianti Classico border renowned for its beautiful square and church. It has been a point of pilgrimage for centuries with its amazing terracotta pots and sculptures. You will reach it by a beautiful uphill road that goes through olive groves, vineyards, Renaissance villas and local homes. It's just 12km from Firenze - 20 mins driving, 30-40 minutes by bus. Through private roads, woods and olive trees we'll get to my 18th century farmhouse.

We love cooking with local seasonal organic & biodynamic products using old traditional Italian recipes. Sometimes we even take them a step beyond with our own experience, as well as create new recipes with what grows locally. Jo's partner owns a shop www.Solmeo.it selling organic and biodynamic products by local farms; we use just their high quality products.

In summer, spring and autumn weather permitting, we'll eat outside with a view over the valley, olive groves and woods. The wine, white and red, is from our friends' organic vineyard in the Chianti Classico, just a few kilometres from us.

Often Jo's partner sits with us and, if you bring children, our three children may be around too...

You can also reach us by bike or electric bike from central Firenze through a splendid countryside road. We will take care of renting, guiding you and, once here, of returning the bikes. It would be an additional experience of roughly one hour, with a cost, if interested, let us know.

* From time to time, we organize a visit to our friends' vineyards and have a wine & cheese tasting, an atypical experience for its privacy and its authenticity as they normally don't open for visits. We generally do it in the morning. If you are interested, let us know.

Here are some examples of possible menus: