Pizza in the Tuscan Woods

Last winter Federica Schir of FVS Consulting and PR  federica@federicaschir-pr.com invited Michele and I to come to the Tuscan woods for a pizza party.  I couldn’t wait to go, but it wasn’t until our current visit to Italy this fall that we were able to set a date.

We took the train to Campiglia Marittima, about a two hour trip from Rome.  Federica met us at the train station  and drove us to her home where her partner Francesco was waiting for us.  We had met Francesco last winter and I knew from our conversation then that he was serious about his pizza making.  He had made it clear, however, that he made pizza “his way” and used his own instincts, knowledge, and experience in order to make good pizza.  I couldn’t wait to try it!

At the house, Francesco was already hard at work at the pizza oven.  The air was filled with the delicious aromas of wood smoke and pizza.

Moments after we arrived, Francesco pulled a pizza out of the oven.  We were more than ready to grab a slice.  It was hot, crisp and delicious.

Soon, there were so many pies, I can hardly remember all of the versions we tasted.  Here’s Francesco’s take on a Margherita.

In the foreground above is a whole wheat pizza topped with crumbled sausage and pistachios.  Behind it is a double crust pizza filled with an asparagus omelet made with fresh asparagus that Francesco had foraged nearby.

Between pizzas we nibbled on locally made salame and mortadella followed by

roasted potato slices on foccacia topped with sausages

Francesco explained that he makes several different types of pizza dough, some with whole grain flour.

Here he is preparing one of his specialties, a cheese stuffed crust pizza topped with eggs and anchovies.

Pizza in the oven.  Notice the rosemary sprig he added to the fire to enhance the aroma of the pizza.  Francesco also uses a broom made of fragrant myrtle branches to sweep the ashes in the oven.  He grows all of his own herbs.

Stuffed crust out of the oven.

One of our favorites was a cheesy vegetable pizza

Just when I thought I could never eat another bite, Francesco offered us hard boiled eggs with anchovies, olive oil and parsley.  I couldn’t resist.

There were a number of excellent wines to taste, but my favorite was the Schiava from Rottensteiner made from 100% Schiava. Fermentation and aging takes place in stainless steel. This is an easy drinking fruity wine with hints of cherry, violets, bitter almonds and a note of strawberry. It was the perfect combination with the pizza.

A neighbor stopped by and brought his grappa for us to taste.

It was a very special day filled with Francesco’s great pizza, wine and conversation.  We look forward to the next time!