Well it is official the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few! And if you love Funghi Porcini check Lucca Villa Rental as La Collina del Sole is surrounded with this delicacy, Funghi Porcini appear around the location of villa rentals in Tuscany and this year is a bumper crop! You can book your forestry guide for the experience of a lifetime foraging for Funghi Porcini at La Collina del Sole you can also read the feedback from past visitors who collected 3 kilos in one walk. Funghi Porcini are a delicacy worldwide and are used in the local cuisine of Holiday villas in Lucca year round. Funghi Porcini appear approximately 10-12 days after rainfall when there has been gentle wind for the dissemination of the spores to take place. It is such a special experience to have in the autumn when you rent a villa in Tuscany that we highly recommend it ! Particularly if you are dreaming of a holiday around the special dates of September and October in a villas for rent in Tuscany alternatively you could find them at the local delicatessenAnd after you have found kilos and kilos full you will need to either preserve them by drying them or keeping them in oil as seen in the collinadelsolewordpress blog or cook them in as many ways as your palate will enjoy, the secret is to have a base that will absorb as much of the Funghi taste and aroma as possible like Polenta or pasta, to help you on the way we share a few of our favourite recipes:

FARRO E FUNGHI or spelt with funghi porcini for 4 people INGREDIENTS 300 grams of barley or spelt 300 grams of fresh Funghi Porcini 2 cloves of garlic Fresh parsley 6 tablespoons of olive oil salt and pepper 1/2 cup of dry white wine 2 ripe tomatoes Broth either vegetable or chicken 1 knob of butter 6 fresh mint leaves Clean the mushrooms and cut into small pieces, mix with the chopped garlic and parsley and place into a pan with the olive oil to brown. Add salt and pepper and leave it to cook for about 10 minutes having added the wine, allow the wine evaporate. Add the diced tomatoes, and allow the flavours to mix together as they cook for about 6 minutes then add the spelt or barley which has been properly cleaned , stir for 5 minutes then begin to pour in broth until fully cooked , which will be about 25 minutes. Finally in the last minute add the butter and mint leaves.

PAPPARDELLE AI FUNGHI or “Butterfly” shaped pasta with Funghi Porcini for 6 People INGREDIENTS 400g Butterfly or “bow tie” shaped pasta 300 grams of funghi porcini 2 cloves of garlic 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil mint chopped 50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese Beef broth salt and pepper

Place the oil, garlic and chopped mint in a pan and fry, add the mushrooms well washed and cut into slices. Cook for a few minutes, add the broth, salt and pepper and let it evaporate over low heat. As you are cooking the funghi porcini boil the pasta in plenty of hot water, once cooked drain and dress with the funghi porcini sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. This shape of pasta is preferred for this recipe as the openness of the shape will allow a generous quantity of sauce to be on it and as it is eaten the pasta will be more exposed to the taste buds and hence intensifying the flavour of the funghi porcini.

AND in case you wanted an alternative way of preparing Funghi Porcini in oil here it is: INGREDIENTS Per kilo of mushrooms: 2 cups water 2 cups of wine vinegar salt peppercorns fresh herbs like thyme and parsley garlic extra virgin olive oil

Clean the mushrooms and cut into medium-sized chunks, boil the water and add the vinegar, salt and herbs. When the water re-boils put the mushrooms in and boil for 3 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and place them to dry on a cloth for one day. Put the mushrooms in glass jars with garlic, peppercorns and thyme then cover with extra virgin olive oil close the jars and keep them in a cool, dark place. BUON APETITO !