Here is a charming, Romeo and Juliet type balcony off to the side of the house:
And the grape vines and olive tree groves which have been brought back to life by a local gardener who knows the land well:
Okay, I'm
My family is from the east coast of Italy. I am not talking generations and generations ago, either; my mom could not speak a word of English during the early part of her life. My cousins in Italy would write long letters to my mom and I would watch her write out English translations to simple Italian phrases because they wanted her to teach them English.
Of course, none of my Italian family owns a villa. They are simple people with simple lives.
I, if I win a big lottery, will be the very first villa owner in my family. And I will invite the entire clan there to drink the wine made from my grapes and eat bruschetta made with olive oil from my harvested olives.
BRUSCHETTA CON POMODORI (GARLIC BREAD
WITH TOMATOES)
6 slices crusty Italian bread, halved crosswise
1 lg. garlic clove, crushed and minced
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 lg. firm ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 c. minced fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet and broil 5 inches from the heat until lightly browned. Turn and brown the other side.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, and 3 tablespoon of the olive oil, and brush the mixture on one side of the bread slices.
In a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat, add the tomatoes and salt. Heat until the tomatoes are just heated through. Stir in the basil and vinegar.
Top the toasted slices with the tomato mixture.
Serves 6.
And I will invite all my blog and bookclub friends! So, get your passports ready.
Cara mia, ti voglio bene.
