Toffia Summer Festival

Toffia, our medieval village, attracts thousands of people every year for the summer festival in mid August. The 2009 festival just ended and we all had great fun. There was plenty of music, with 4 or 5 live bands playing every night, art exhibitions, artisan's shops, amusing street performances and of course plenty of great food and wine at every corner.

Most residents volunteer to help, which makes this festival work really well.

This year, I was part of the beer-and-organic-barbecue team!

Pesche alla Piemontese

Pesche alla Piemontese - ready to be placed in the oven

Summer fruits are now at their absolute best, especially peaches. So, here is a delicious dessert from the northern Italian region of Piemonte. Enjoy!

Pesche alla Piemontese (Serves 6):
7 peaches, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 30 g of butter, 4-5 amaretti biscuits, 1 egg yolk.

Cut peaches into halves. Scoop some flesh out of each peach and put it together with the flesh of 1 whole peach. Make this into a puree. Mix in sugar, crushed amaretti biscuits, egg yolk and butter. Put peaches into a tray and bake at moderate heat for 45 minutes (or less if using forced fan oven). Serve with a sweet sauce made out of half a glass of red wine, a tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam, all brought to the boil.