A Bountiful time in Umbria

Late summer is a bountiful time here in Umbria. Tavernelle market had many bargains in deliciously ripe fruit. These peaches were 4 kg for 5 euros, that's about A$1.90 per kg.

The home gardeners and market gardens are picking their extra sweet tomatoes because it is sugo time. Time for the tradition of getting together and preparing the tomatoes into tomato sauce to be used for pasta and other winter meals throughout the coming year. Our friend Katia tells us that her family makes about 200 bottles of tomato sugo each year.

In the last couple of weeks the lucerne has all been cut and baled and the bales carted away. After some rain last week the lucerne fields are looking green and already producing another cut.

I have been watching the sunflowers as many of them have turned brown. Yesterday morning the big harvester had arrived in the field quite near our house. By evening the crop was all cut, and this morning we see that the stems have been ploughed into the soil and all is ready for another crop.

The grape harvest is not far off as can be seen by looking at the grapes.

We are keeping our eyes on the figs too because they are nearly ready and figs and prosciutto are just as delicious as melon and prosciutto.

The olives still have until October before they are picked but they are filling out and the locals will be hoping for a good season. We are situated on the 'Strada dell' Olio, extra virgine d' oliva DOP "Umbria," one of the prime olive oil producing areas in Italy.

Bountiful perfectly describes the applause received by tonight's artists at the Musica Insieme concert at the Sbarra. Christian Schmitt, renowned oboist and Alessandra Gentile on pianoforte, gave us a magnificent  night's entertainment, one that won't be forgotten easily. The applause led to many curtain calls and an encore, it is amazing to think that we can see artists and entertainment of this calibre for free or a small donation.