Finally a proper full episode - starting with a recap from a November to remember! We took our first road trip since getting dogs and visited the marble quarries above Cararra for an unforgettable private tour & then our thoughts on visiting: Lucca, Prato, Pisa and Padova! We chat about a few holiday favorites: mazzafegato & cotechino. And Jason is on a new donkey kick...! Happy Holidays and thanks for listening!! Buon Natale!

An autumn episode of all of our favorite October happenings in our neck of the woods of Le Marche, Italy. Truffle season has begun along with each weekend another truffle festival! We took the guests to Sant'Angelo in Vado's festival to see and taste a gigantic frittata made with 600 eggs and 6 kilos of truffles! Then we were invited to the annual boar hunter's lunch which is always small town fun and especially since Gaggi joined us this year! An update on the garden and the saffron harvest is underway! Plus the countdown to closing for the season....

#lifeinItaly #Italianfestivals #truffles #trufflefestivals #expatsinItaly #Italy #travel

The air changed quickly and autumn has arrived, along with hunters of all sorts along our road - from mushrooms to hunting and tomorrow opens white truffles!! A short recap of September and a bit of history on the legendary Club dei Brutti - Ugly Club of Piobbico. And yes, we are both card carrying proud members!

Thanks for listening!!

The height of summer is over but the heat is still strong! This short but jam packed episode is all about August - jarring tomatoes with ol' Dr. Gaggi and the usual shenanigans ensued + we packed a summer worth of festivals in the last 2 weeks: the Corn Races, Rally Drift Car Racing on Monte Nerone, a feast of Crostolo and today's the big Polenta feast in Piobbico!

Thanks for listening!!

And there are only a few spots left for our 4 night Truffle Hunting Holiday!

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMER 3, 2024

NOVEMBER 6-10, 2024

Day 1 - Arrive to Welcome Prosecco Aperitivi,

                   Followed by a Five Course Seasonal Feast paired with Superiore Wines from Le Marche

​Day 2 - Morning Truffle Hunt & Lesson on Cultivated Truffle Gardens with Light Lunch

                 Afternoon: Four Course Dinner Party Cooking Class

Day 3 - Market Tour, Tasting & Lunch

                Evening Italian Quiz Night, Aperitivi & Light Dinner or Visit  the local Festivals

Day 4- Morning free to explore, Afternoon Truffle Hunt - this one is off the trails, over the rivers and deep into the woods

                 Evening - Aperitivi & Truffle Tasting at the White Truffle Festival

Day 5 - Breakfast & Departure

Includes:

• 4
• nights accommodations at our farmhouse inn with your own spacious
• private apartment with ensuite bathroom & kitchen/living room
• breakfast daily
• 4 dinners + 2 lunches
• local Marche wine included in all meals
• 2 truffle hunts with expert guides
• guided market tour/tasting in Apecchio
• half day cooking class with custom handmade apron to take home
• quiz night with snacks & wine
• aperitivo & truffle tasting at the White Truffle Festival in Acqualagna.

Get the details and RSVP: https://www.latavolamarche.com/truffle-hunting-holiday.html

#lifeinItaly #expatsinItaly #Italianculture #Italianfestivals #summerinItaly #Italytravel #LeMarche #trufflehunting #italianfeasts #agriturismo #sustainabletravel #sustainableliving #tuscany

It's the dog days of summer, but here's an update on the garden and growing tomatoes 3 different ways and getting out & about as summer festival season kicks off! Then we discuss Italian kids and car seats or the lack there of!

A fan favorite segment is back - Bitchn' bout Bureaucracy! However, this time it's not about immigration but Italian property taxes. Plus we share our number one tip while making a reservation for a table! An update on the farm, a sand storm and latest with Leroy, plus we voted in the latest EU elections! Thanks for listening!!

www.latavolamarche.com

#latavolamarche #podcastfromItaly #italypodcast #lifeinItaly #italianculture #expatsinItaly #Italytravel #agriturismo #expatlife #expatentrepreneur

Newsflash: Jason broke the plow, right away! So we are calling this the transition year in the garden & we explain what that means and why. After an unsuccessful trip into the woods for mushroom with the guests, it reminds me that we get asked a lot why we didn't get truffle hunting dogs or if we are training our dogs - the answer is darker than you may think as to why we won't ever get a truffle hunting dog. Speaking of animals - I had the opportunity to ride a quarter horse when I accidentally spent a morning with a group of Italian cowboys! Then we talk slice of life - Italian funerals (and Gaggi misbehaving) and 1st communion parties, as well as an unorthodox visit to the doctor's 'office.'

Thanks for listening!!

www.latavolamarche.com

#lifeinItaly #italy #italianculture #trufflehunting #expatsinItaly #expatlife #travel #italytravel #truffles #italianfestivals #italiancelebrations

In this short & sweet or as Jason called it 'quick & dirty' episode we reminice about our first trip to Italy 18 years ago for our honeymoon and a few of the highlights & low points! Leroy is becoming an international stud, literally! And we shout out listeners from across the globe in interesting locations. Thanks for listening!!

Join our Truffle Hunting Holiday in October & November: https://www.latavolamarche.com/truffle-hunting-holiday.html

#lifeinItaly #italy #italianculture #trufflehunting #expatsinItaly #expatlife #travel #italytravel #truffles #italianfestivals #italiancelebrations

An Easter episode and recap of Spring! Jason explains not only how to make Crescia or Pizza di Pasqua a savory peppery Easter bread, as well as making homemade ciccioli (think pork cracklings), plus he shares his thoughts on using spent sourdough starter.

We put our old & new tractor to their first real test, hilarious stories from dinners with Gaggi & his wife Rossana, bidding on farm equipment and a flatbed dump truck at an online auction and then what happens when you 'win'?!

Thanks for listening and Buona Pasqua!

Ashley & Jason from La Tavola Marche (farm, inn and cooking school) in Le Marche, Italy

New dates added for this summer: https://www.latavolamarche.com/calendar.html

#Italy #Easter #lifeinItaly #homesteading #recipes #breadbaking #sustainableliving #sustainabletravel #agriturismo

#165 - Slaughtering our 1st pig, Carnevale Dolce & Boar Hunter's Lunch

Kicking off a new season of the podcast with a whirlwind of activity in our valley! We slaughtered our first pig with the help of our neighbors and then took nearly a week to process it all to be either cured, eaten right away or into the freezer! The same week Jason took his driver's test and we were invited to a hearty lunch hosted by the boar hunters to celebrate the end of the season. We found out the hard way Italian's thoughts on puzzles, it's puzzling!! And of course winter dinners with Gaggi & Rossana a.k.a. our version of the Costanza's! And for any weather station fans - you can find us on www.wunderground.com search station id: ISANTA1503 Thanks so much for listening!

#lifeinItaly #italy #italianculture #trufflehunting #expatsinItaly #expatlife #travel #italytravel #truffles #italianfestivals #italiancelebrations #homesteading

So much is talked about in this jam-packed episode! From buying a used tractor and figuring out the transportation to the logistics of slaughtering our pigs. In local life talk - we take the dogs to the blessing of the animals for Santo Antonio di Abate and Gaggi and Rossana pop over for an impromptu dinner. The winter party time is over and it's time to get back to work with projects before the first guests arrive ...

Thanks for listening!