During a recent Umbrian tour, I hosted guests Kerry and her parents Judie and Bill. My rural friend, Giuseppa, was kind enough to invite us all for a banquet at her home near Deruta. The family prosciutto with an organic melon was just the starter. Little did we know what was to come!

A buonissima pasta all’amatriciana followed. The tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, and pancetta used in the sauce were all from their land, logicamente. After our primo piatto, a beaming Giuseppa carried from her adjacent kitchen a tray of oven-roasted pork with potatoes. Yes, all ingredients sourced from their land.

Italian cuisine always pleases the eye as well as the palate. Giuseppa’s zuppa inglese dessert was served in bellissima Deruta maiolica which crowned our “simple” rural feast. Ready to join me near Deruta for a rural banquet? Giuseppa awaits!