Speeding Through Tuscany on an Empty Stomach

Our public bus rips through the winding, dirt roads of Tuscany. Due to my sheer terror, I pay no attention to the emerald fields, lush with Italy’s spring bounty. My knuckles clench the seat back in front of me, but I briefly look up to search for others who may hold the same fear of this speeding diesel bullet.

Embarrassed, I find the other passengers blithely chatting away with fellow travelers oblivious to my terror. I try to maintain focus on the unknown culinary delights that await me inside the famed ancient walls of Siena, our final destination.

Something magical happens when the first springtime sun shines on the Italian countryside—locals begin to linger a bit longer in the piazzas, the rolling hills turn a jeweled green and the outdoor markets are abound with a rainbow of fresh spring produce.

For traveling gourmands, the trek to Siena is worth the effort to find just the right café for an afternoon respite. The city’s ancient cobbled pathways offer a modest workout with challenging peaks and valleys to work off your hearty Italian meal.

The bus stops and passengers gleefully depart. As my sandals first hit the cobblestone roads in Siena, the city’s medieval charm quickly soothes my soured stomach. I am ready to eat.

Not knowing a word of Italian or having a guidebook in hand, I randomly select a café tucked deep into a back alley and order the springtime specialty that my waiter points to: “Asparagus with Poached Quail Egg”. Bravo to the chefs of Italy for taking only three or four seasonal ingredients to create a masterpiece for the mouth. This purist attitude towards cooking can often elevate Italy’s homegrown produce to rock star status.

After a long meal and a casual stroll through the shops, I reluctantly head back to the bus for my return to Florence. The 90 minutes of twists and turns on the rural Tuscan roads now seem like a cheap price to pay for the memorable spring meal I relished in that obscured alley café.

Cook’s Notes:
In effort to replicate the appetizer I ate in Siena, I adapted a classic Italian asparagus recipe, Asparagi Con Uova, by roasting the asparagus to bring out the latent sweetness of these spring spears. Salty pecorino contrasts with the grassy and floral notes of the asparagus while the soft poached egg creates a silky sauce that marries the two in a happy union.

Asparagus, Soft Poached Egg with Shaved Pecorino Romano
(Asparagi con Uova)
Serves 4 . . . or 2 hungry people

4 slices Italian country bread
1 garlic clove, cut in half
6 stalks of asparagus
4 fresh eggs
Couple of ounces of shaved Pecorino Romano
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt/fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375˚. Lightly brush olive oil on top of the sliced bread slices. Place on baking sheet and toast in oven for about 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned. Take crostinis out of the oven and rub the toasted tops with the open end of garlic clove.

Place asparagus drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper on baking sheet and roast for 5-7 minutes. Pull out of oven immediately. Spears should be al dente. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on top of the garlic crostini.

Simmer 2 inches of water in a skillet or sauce pan on medium/high heat. Break eggs, one at a time, into a bowl. Carefully slip eggs into the simmering water and cover pan. Cook eggs for 3 to 5 minutes for a medium runny egg. Gently lift each egg from the water with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water, and place on top of the asparagus. Shave fresh pecorino on top of the eggs and serve immediately.

–Shelly Connors, RED Editorial Staff