Mangiafagioli -- The Bean Eaters
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Fagiolo Zolfino Salad
On our recent tour of Tuscany, we met up with my friend Enzo. He wanted to introduce me to a group of farmers near Cortona that are committed to producing food in the ancient traditional way. Enzo said, “let’s meet in the square in Cortona and you follow me because the farm is not easy to find.” He was right! Poggio Sorbello farm was only a few miles away, but you need a Tuscan to find it!
When we arrived, Enzo introduced me to the Baldetti Family, Daniele and Simone a young and attractive couple and Happy their father. Enzo filled us in on their story. Happy has been farming in the Val d’Chiana, the beautiful verdant valley below Cortona near Lake Trasimeno all his life. He grows olives, wine grapes and a few other crops. A few years ago, his son Daniele convinced him to plant a few acres of organic, ancient grains, legumes and beans and raise them organically. Not just any beans, these are ancient and traditional varietals grown only in this valley, black chickpeas, pink chickpeas, zolfino bean and the cowpea of Lake Trasimeno. Happy was skeptical there was any market for these but was willing to give it a try.
Tuscans are known in the rest of Italy as “mangiafagioli”or bean-eaters because so much of the traditional rustic cuisine of the region is based on beans. Cannellini, white kidney beans, are perhaps its most popular bean and these are simply referred to as fagioli. Other popular Tuscan white beans include soranini, toscanello, corona and schiaccioni. While many cooks will substitute one white bean for another, each strain provides its own individual shape, texture and flavor to a given dish. Of course, white beans are cultivated in other areas of the country, but Tuscany seems to be their rightful home.
Daniele walked us into the new building housing the wonderful barrels of Syrah wine they had put down a couple years ago and lead us into the tasting room to sample some of these wonderful beans. The spread of food was amazing. They had prepared several different antipasti highlighting the different flavors of beans, and other crops they grow on the farm. Daniele explained that his goal was to bring back the traditional foods of his ancestors and to promote a
“a healthier and more direct relationship with food, the land and with themselves by learning the true meaning of good eating.”
We gorged ourselves on crostini with bean spread, farro salad, homemade barley bread with the nuovo olivo (new olive oil) they had just finished pressing, and paired it with a delicious glass of wine from their vineyard.
Another item that graced the table was a basket full of beautiful purple flowers. Daniele pointed out they were the new crop of saffron they had just harvested a couple weeks earlier. Then Happy’s wife brought out yet another platter with saffron-infused pasta. Yum!
We could have stayed all evening talking about the history of these foods, but the sun was setting. Enzo had to get home to his family for a special birthday dinner and we didn’t want to try and find our way back to the main road on our own!
We said our good byes and thank yous, as we juggled all the sample packages they gave us, and promised to be back soon with our tour guests. The Baldetti family are true artisans and we look forward to introducing you to them and tasting their wonderful beans again!
http://www.poggiosorbello.it/