Market in Montepulciano

Market in Montepulciano

Weekly market every Thursday in Montepulciano

A visit to the local farmers market in Montepulciano is a very characteristic experience for any traveller. It is the best way to explore the authentic Italy. At the farmers market you find an amazing array of local produce that you don’t find in a supermarket.

The weekly market in Montepulciano is every Thursday morning from 8 am till 1 pm.

Address: Piazza Pietro Nenni in Montepulciano. The Piazza Pietro Nenni is nearby the busstation, just outside the historic centre of Montepulciano.

Happy shopping!

The stall holders feature the best local products. Buying food at the market in Montepulciano is a tradition. It became a hub for shopping and socializing in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere.

The Italian have always their go-to stalls for everything they need. Market stalls often put signs up warning “Non toccare” means do not touch the products. So, obviously it is up to the stall owners to do it.

The vendors are more than friendly and they will always choose the best pieces of fruit and vegetables for you. They serve you with a smile and you can always ask for a recipe or how to prepare it. They are very happy to answer all your questions.

At the market everything is sold by weight. You can also state the number of products you need.

It is a typical Italian market with fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, salumi, prosciutto, olives, honey, different types of pecorino cheeses, cod, mozzarella di bufala, “aglione-giant garlic- roast chicken as well as kitchen utensils, clothes and shoes. There is always something for everyone!

Mini market in Montepulciano every Tuesday and Friday morning

Every Tuesday and Friday morning is a small outdoor market in the Via Marino Cappelli in front of the Banca Tema, just outside the historic centre. This small market is mostly frequented by locals.

There are only two market stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables and fish. The fish market vendor offer a wide range of fish and seafood, such as salmon, tune, calamari, squid, cuttlefish and prawns. In addition to the fresh fish, you’ll find all kinds of fried fish and fried vegetables like “fiori di zucca”. Fiori di zucca are blossoms stuffed with ricotta cheese. Super delicious!

Weekly market in Chianciano Terme – Montepulciano

From Montepulciano after 6,5 km drive you arrive in Chianciano Terme.

Every Wednesday morning from 8.00 am to 1.00 pm many market stalls in Chianciano Terme offer a huge range from both food and non-food.

Address: Via delle Pace, Via dell’Abetone en Via dello Stadio in Chianciano Terme
Parking is free.

The weekly market in Chianciano Terme is the place to be to do your shopping. The most stallholders are the same as in Montepulciano, like food stall “Rosticceria Volante” that sells roast chicken, potatoes, lasagne, fright vegetables and grilled pork.

Why going to the market?

I love to buy local produce at the market. I like knowing where the food I eat comes from and supporting local farmers. It is good for the environment and it benefits the local economy. 

The food is super fresh compared to the grocery store foods. There is a huge Conad supermarket in Montepulciano, but on Thursday morning many Italian families and visitors prefer shopping locally at the market.

The market stalls showcase their locally fresh (seasonal) fruits and vegetables.

Italian specialty foods

Every week I go the market in Montepulciano. I often do my shopping at my favorite market stalls. Barra Francesco from Foiano della Chiana (AR) is the best stallholder to buy fresh mozzarella, olives, anchovies and burrata.

They have a small market stall, not only for cheese, but they sell also other delicacies from Southern Italy. It is a real family owned businesses where mother, father and son are all involved.

Mozzarella di bufala is a traditionally soft cheese produced in the region Campania. Mozzarella is a ball of fresh cheese and has a better texture, richness and overall flavor than the mozzarella cheese from a grocery store.

The family Barra also sells delicious taralli (typical snack from Puglia), taralli napoletani, different kinds of cheeses and dried tasty sausages. 

Fresh food market video

Below a short impression video of the farmers market in Montepulciano. The market consists of a huge number of stalls with vegetables, fish, cheese and many more!

I have made this video during the first week after the lockdown in Italy. The market returned with food vendors only so that visitors had enough space to keep a distance from each other. Household goods and clothing weren’t available at the moment.

Buon divertimento!

 

Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva recipe

Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva recipe

Recipes for ossobuco vary wildly. Although the “Ossobuco alla Milanese” from Lombardy may be one of the most famous and well known Italian secondo piatto.

My favorite recipe is: Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva!

Ossobuco di Chianina IGP

You can pair ossobuco with other dishes. I am talking about delicious saffron risotto such as: Risotto alla Milanese.

As a side dish you may choose to eat ossobuco with polenta or with mashed potatoes.

The Italian ossobuco is a beef shank from the cow’s leg. It is a cut of meat butchered from a cow’s or bull leg.

Much is written on which part is best. It’s been said that veal shanks from the hind legs are the best! Meat from those parts is more voluminous and fleshy.

Ossobuco literally translates to “bone with a hole” with meat. You can prepare ossobuco from veal but also with other kinds of meat such as pork.

However, the finest meat for cooking, in Tuscany, is Chianina breed. It is high valued meat with a more intense taste.

For this recipe I bought the ossobuco di Chianina at the Fierli farm in Foiano della Chiana. Fierli is an organic farm. The animals have a long life and they are treated well.

Recipe

The Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is a true Tuscan recipe. Many people don’t prepare it at home. Some cuts of veal from the store may be chewy.

Tip for buy-in, first look for shanks that are > 2 inches. If they’re too thin, they’ll braise too fast.

My style Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva needs the following ingredients:

Ingrediënten

Recipe for 1 person

  • 1 ossobuco di Chianina
  • flour
  • red wine “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG” – Il Convento
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 onion (soffritto)
  • 1 celery (soffritto)
  • 1 carrot (soffritto)
  • 1 bay lief
  • pepper
  • salt
  • olive oil

When braising the ossobuco you may as well use meat broth or any other liquid (water). I prefer to use only wine. I do not mix the wine with other liquids. That would be a no-go, especially when it’s a high quality wine.

Also mixing tomatoes or tomato paste with red wine is not what I recommend. But that’s my personal opinion.

What else do you need

Stew pot.

Braadpan

How to cook

Chop the onions, carrots and celery.

Peel the garlic.

Heat the pot until the olive oil is well heated. Instead of olive oil you may also use butter.

First stir-fry the garlic. When the garlic begins to colour reduce heat. Add the soffritto and cook the vegetables until they begin to soften and caramelize.

Meanwhile cover the Ossobuco with the flour.

Ossobuco di Chianina IGP

When the soffritto has a golden wheat color, remove it or move it to a side. It depends on the size of the stew pot. Sear the ossobuco on both sides until nicely browned. Sprinkle the ossobuco with salt and pepper.

Pour the red wine over the ossobuco and bring it to boil to evaporate the alcohol. Reduce the heat and add the bay leave and cloves.

Cover the pot and check occasionally. When the wine is absorbed just add a little extra. The meat should be left at a low temperature for about 2-3 hours.

When the meat is tender it will fall off the bone. The marrow in the hole of the bone is the best part of the ossobuco. It is a real delicacy and super yummy!

Serve the ossobuco on a plate and the warm wine sauce on top of it.

Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG

What to serve with ossobuco

Due to its massive taste ossobuco goes well with a creamy risotto, mashed potatoes or polenta.

Wine

If you’re cooking beef or stew Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (sangiovese) is your friend. It affects the taste of the dish. The ripe flavors in this wine give complexity to the sauce and the meat. Chianina is a traditional and genuine meat with an intense and pure taste.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a full bodied wine. It is best when paired with the right food. In particular Chianina beef.

Nothing beats the magic of a brilliant wine and food pairing.

Buon appetito!

Video

Watch this video recipe to see how to cook Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva.

 

 

Biking in Montepulciano

Biking in Montepulciano

Biking in Montepulciano – Tuscany

The region Tuscany is a land of cyclists, it offers a variety of itineraries. Biking is one of the best ways to explore more of this wonderful wine region!

Montepulciano is a scenic hilltop town. It stands on a limestone hill. This area is the right place for road and dirt road cycling routes, but good fitness is required.

The best period for cycling Tuscany on bike are from March to October. Riding in the summer can be hot, but you can bike early in the morning, avoiding the heat of the day. Many find it’s a great time to relax and plan their day.

If you are planning about cycling in Tuscany, the most important biking needs are a good bike (MTB or race), a helmet and a repair kit. Cycling with a helmet is really recommended!

Bike itineraries to Pienza

There are amazing bike routes from Montepulciano to Pienza. The trail types are mostly asphalt and dirt roads. You ride along the hills overlooking the amazing views of Val d’Orcia.

Most of the trails are suitable for advanced – experienced riders. They are quite challenging but definitely worth it!

1) Mountain bike route Montepulciano – Pienza

This is a gravel road and a road itinerary. Ideal for MTB, not for tour or racing bikes. You’ll bike through hills, valleys, olive groves and vineyards. This is a spectaculair itinerary for experienced mountainbikers.

Distance 27 km.

2) Road cycling route Montepulciano – Pienza

Explore this amazing cycle route to Pienza! The start and arrival point is Montepulciano. From here you start the bike tour among the hills of the Val di Chiana valley. Passing Montichiello you’ll see the very best of the iconic Val d’Orcia valley.

Val d’Orcia

Panoramic roads lead you the Renaissance village Pienza. Once you’ve passed Pienza you take the road back to Montepulciano.

Distance 38 km.

3) Road cycling route Montepulciano – Acquaviva – Montepulciano Stazione

This itinerary is almost my daily bike exercise. It is a short ride from the historic centre of Montepulciano to Acquaviva, Valiano and Montepulciano Stazione.

Montepulciano

Montepulciano, Acquaviva and Valiano are hilly villages. The biking route around Montepulciano Stazione is primarily flat.

After leaving Montepulciano this road passes the villages of Acquaviva and Valiano. Once you reach Valiano you turn back the way up to Montepulciano Stazione and Montepulciano.

In the countryside of Montepulciano you can see the hospital of Nottola.

Distance 27.6 km.

4) Road cycling route Montepulciano – Chianciano – Montallese – Montepulciano Stazione

It is a nice panoramic ride, it has not many up and downs. Starting in Montepulciano you follow the signs direction Chianciano and Chiusi.

Chiusi is the former Etruscan city in the province of Siena.

Along the road to Chiusi you pass my favorite pizza restaurant “Jamaica”. Jamaica is close to the discotheque La Bussola In. The pizza’s at Jamaica are huge and delicious!

Pizza Jamaica

Turning left you take the downhill road to Montallese. When arriving in Montallese turn right and you take the dirt road – cycle path to Lago di Montepulciano (Lake Montepulciano). This path is also called “Il sentiero della Bonifica.”

Sentiero della Bonifica

From there you follow the dirt road to Valiano, Montepulciano Stazione and then the road back to Montepulciano. Cycling uphill to Montepulciano is not easy. The road is not very steep but it is long. For this track you need a reasonable fitness.

Distance 53 km.

Happy cycling!

 

Il brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano recipe

Il brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano recipe

Brasato means braised beef. The best part about the recipe “Brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano” is that it is an easy and slow cooker recipe.

This meat dish is delicious on a cold winter evening. Springtime is not really the season for a beef stew. But when it’s cold and rainy outside it is the perfect food to warm you up a bit!

There are many recipes of braised beef, but when preparing an outstanding brasato it is important to have high quality meat and good wine.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG

What kind of wine would you recommend to use in beef stew?

I prefer a full bodied, robust red wine such as the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.

This wine gives a very special aroma to the meat.

Chianina beef

For this delicious recipe I use the perfect Chianina beef. This meat is expensive, but it is a very healthy meat and low in cholesterol.

Chianina is probably the oldest breed of cattle in Italy. Did you know that? This animal is also called the giant white cow “gigante bianco”.

Chianina farm Fierli

The homeland of the white Chianina cow is the Valdichiana area. The Fierli family is a four generations farm in Foiano della Chiana. A small town located between Cortona and Montepulciano. Today the family keeps 200 Chianina cows on 100 hectares of agriculture land.

Cecilia is member of the family Fierli. She came up with the rich, warm stew recipe “il brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano”. Guanciale di Chianina cheek in Vino Nobile wine.

The cheek is a hard working muscle that needs to be cooked very slow. It takes hours before the meat is tender, but it is worth waiting for!

Besides guanciale di Chianina and Vino Nobile wine other necessary ingredients for this dish are olive oil, soffritto, salt and pepper.

A soffritto is the Italian cooking base for sauces, soups, stews and many more. It is an aromatic mix of onion, carrots and celery.

Besides the basic ingredients I add bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves and fresh rosemary. Really recommended!

Important information

It’s important to bring the meat out of the fridge a few hours before cooking. The meat must come up to room temperature.

In this recipe the marination step is not necessary.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours at least
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients recipe

450 gram of bovine cheek (Chianina)
> 1/2 liter of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine

  • 2 tablespoons extra-vergin olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 stick celery finely chopped
  • 1 carrot finely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 juniper berries
  • 3 cloves

salt, pepper, fresh rosemary

What else do you need

Stew pot

How to cook

Don’t remove the fat before cooking, that gives the meat a unique flavor and texture.

Clean, wash and chop the onions, carrots and celery.

Heat the stew pot over medium-high heat. Brown the soffritto in hot olive oil. Stirring frequently. The soffritto should be cooked until dorata (golden brown).

Add the meat to the pan and season it with salt and pepper.

Pour in the wine and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat, add the bay leaves, rosemary, cloves and juniper berries.

Cover the pot and turn the meat occasionally.

Leave the meat at a low and slow temperature. 

The wine will evaporate. Let the wine reduce a bit and add more wine or other liquids when necessary.

After a few hours, when the meat is tender, remove it to a carving board. Slice the meat. Before serving make sure you remove the woody herbs stems and any bay leaves.

Arrange the meat on a serving plate and pour the wine sauce on top.

What to serve with beef stew

Serve warm with mashed potatoes, polenta or roasted potatoes with rosemary..  my favorite contorno!

A delicious antipasto

Antipasto misto di Cinta Senese: coppa, capocollo and speck.

Cinta Senese is an ancient Tuscan black pig with a white belt. They live free and they have a long and good life. The cinta senese meat has a DOP classification. It is top quality meat.

Wine

The main course pairs with the high tannic red wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.

Red wine and fatty or high-protein foods is a perfect wine and food pairing.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG wine is an outstanding wine in the Tuscany region. Buon appetito!

Watch this video recipe to see how to cook il Brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano!

 

 

I pici alle vongole recipe

I pici alle vongole recipe

Pici is a local pasta specialty from the province of Siena. It is a thick hand rolled pasta made from flour and water. Pici Toscani are similar to fat spaghetti.

The local people from Montepulciano “i poliziani” eat pici quite often. Since I moved here, I only eat pici. This pasta is amazing. So delicious!

Normally I buy fresh pici in the supermarket. It is a 300 gram packet, just enough for two meals. They are fresh and can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Obviously dried pici are available as well in grocery stores, but I prefer the fresh homemade variety!

Le vongole veraci

I don’t live near the beach, but I eat fish regularly. Fish is one of my favorite dishes.

There are different types of clams. They live in the Mediterranean and Adriatic sea. On the Italian coast you find a wide range of good restaurants where they serve the best fish and fresh seafood.

In Italy we eat plenty of fish. I personally always prefer the clams “vongole veraci” for my pasta. This shellfish is bigger and they give an essential “sea” taste to the primo piatto.

A primo piatto can be a risotto or a pasta dish.

Recipe

Pici alle vongole is my personal recipe. I enjoy to experiment with different flavors and herbs. For the best pasta recipes I often ask locals, or I check out various recipe websites. Mostly I use the website of Giallo Zafferano.

I always put emotion and love in a dish, cooking is one of my greatest hobby. Besides wine tasting and running of course.

There are rules about Italian food that Italian follow and I respect that. Also the wine is important because the meal I prepare must pair with the wine I choose. It’s important to have a balance between the food and the wine.

I pici alle vongole

  • Primo piatto
  • Tuscan cuisine
  • Recipe for 1 persoon
Ingredients
  • 1 clove garlic
    Remove the skin, place the flat side of the knife over it and press down.
  • 1 fresh red chilly
    Chop the chilly into small pieces.
    How many chilly pieces you want to use for your pasta depends on how spicy you prefer to eat.
  • 150 gram pasta i pici
  • 100 ml white wine
    Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC
  • 300 gram vongole veraci
    Normally 250 gram is enough, but if you love vongole, the more the better.
  • half a bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley
    chop the parsley
  • extra vergine olive oil
    two table spoons of olio Italiano
  • salt

Preparation

Bring the water to boil in a pot.

Scrub the clams clean. They are unlikely to have sand in them. But to be sure that they are all clean and healthy I recommend to clean them.

Put two table spoons of olive oil into the hot saucepan. Add the garlic and some slices of chilly. Swirl a few seconds and make sure that the garlic doesn’t get too brown.

Pour in the white wine and bring it to boil. Then add the clams and increase heat to high. Cover and cook the clams until they are open. This will take at least 6 minutes.

After the water for the pasta has started to boil I add some salt. Cook the pici al dente. The recommended cooking time on the pasta package is 10-12 minutes. I always prefer having the pasta al dente.

Meanwhile keep on stirring with a spatula. Add the pici to the pan with clams, cook over high heat, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce.

Remove the garlic, add the parsley and some pasta water if the sauce seems dry.

Serve your pici alle vongole directly while its hot.

Buon appetito!

PS: to pour the wine in the pan before the vongole is a recommendation from a fish market vendor in Montepulciano.

Can I store the pici alle vongole in the refrigerator?

You can store the pici alle vongole for maximum one day in the refrigerator, but it’s not recommended. Le vongole should be eaten fresh and immediately with the pasta.

Wine and food pairing

  • Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Millesimato
  • Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC

Both wines are wonderful wines from the winery Toffoli in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area in the Veneto region, available on my wine webshop.