This post is more or less an excuse to share some autumn love. Fall is my favorite time up in Umbria. It’s the time of year when it’s equally tempting to stay inside by the fire, or take long walks in the crisp air outside.
What I love best, though, are the colors. While Umbria doesn’t turn technicolor like the East Coast, there are still bursts of color so rich, so saturated, that it just about breaks my heart.
So here are some photos from last weekend. Along with a recipe for a fall salad. The vegetable garden is looking fantastic this year, and all the cabbages, radicchio, fennel and broccoli that we planted mid August are huge and leafy. The cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) will continue to grow throughout the winter, but I couldn’t resist snipping a few tender, early, leaves for this salad. A handful of the last of the concord grapes, a pear and some almonds made this about as seasonal as you can get. Since we were having grilled sausage, I made the dressing on the sweet side- with honey and balsamic – to compliment the salty porkiness. Enjoy!
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Kale, Grape and Pear Salad
Prep
Total
Yield 4
Ingredients
- 6 cups Kale leaves
- 1 cup seeded concord grapes
- 1 pear, firm but ripe, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds
- Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons good quality balsamic
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp red or white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Strip the kale leaves off the tough stems, then slice into 1/4 inch ribbons. Place in serving bowl.
- Cut the grapes in half, and remove the seeds. Add to bowl.
- Chop the almonds roughly, then toast till golden in a pan or in the oven.
- Add almonds and cored and sliced pear to bowl.
- To prepare dressing: place the honey in a small bowl. Using a fork or mini whisk, add the balsamic slowly, to incorporate. It should be thick. Add the olive oil slowly, drizzling it in, and whisking, to emulsify it. When you’ve added it all, taste it and adjust. If it seems too sweet, add some vinegar.
- Toss the salad with the dressing, seasoning it with salt and pepper.
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Lovely. The top photo looks like an Impressionist painting.
And a great picture of Pico!
glad you noticed!!
Was so great to meet you a few weeks ago at the market in Rome on October 16th.
Wishing we had more time than just 2 days. I would have loved to join you for a food tour or cooking class.
Fell in love with Rome!
Continuing to enjoy all you share!
Thank you!
Hi Jan! It was such fun running into you too! And thanks so much for sending me the photo. It’s very cute!
Very, very pretty.
I miss the fall most of all the seasons so my visits home are always in October/November (Colorado). But even though we are 8,021 miles away I can make this salad with locally grown Tuscan kale and, alas, imported grapes and pears, but our Mac Nuts instead of almonds and island honey can cancel out those two, right? 🙂 ok, maybe not, It’s still nice to know I can make your lovely recipes –thanks for this one.
I love salads with macadamia nuts!!! And use some other type of local fruit.
Of Course! Mango would be perfect. I just read your Nov Newsletter–Buon Compliano! Once I find a blog I enjoy I always go back to the beginning and read all the archives, All! I just finished Diva’s archives and I must have cooked a dozen recipes just from 2007! So you’re next on my list for archives–can’t wait! You folks who do this are so unbelievably generous with your time and willingness to share so much of your lives with readers–It is a pleasure to watch blogs grow and change and often those old ones are a great trip down memory lane, so thank you for sticking with it. I for one and in awe–and grateful. Aloha!
Thank you!!! What a sweet note to wake up to. It’s so nice to get such great feedback and I’m very impressed you’re going back to the beginning. Eeks! I hope it’s not full of too many mistakes. 🙂
Well here you go, Elizabeth–I read Iris Origo’s bio many years ago and was reminded of her in something else I read recently which prompted me to order 5 of her books. And today I read your March 2, 2010 archive which talks about Val D’Orcia and available villas to rent. We’re coming in 2017 and who knows? Maybe we’ll rent one for a week. Hurray for archives! and books….lots of books….:)
The villas for rent at La Foce are gorgeous. A few are featured in my book, Italian Rustic.
Gorgeous photos of Italian fall! This sounds like my kinda way to eat kale…
Hi Elizabeth! I made this salad last night. My only modification was the addition of a crushed garlic clove to infuse the dressing. What an amazing recipe! Thank you so much! 🙂
Garlic is always a good idea!
Beautiful photos. I also love fall.