If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a little surprise!

pork chop in Vin Santo and wild fennel flowers

If you were to look for our small village of Allerona on a map , you may or may not notice that we are situated at a point close to where three regions meet, Umbria , Tuscany and Lazio. A place I like to call the triangle of Abundance. These three regions converge in a natural reserve called Monte Rufeno, not only the home of( as i mentioned last week)  wild boar , mushroom pickers and possible a wolf, but also  a great  restaurant called “La Baita di Villalba”. This little cabin is run by a small group of local people ,one of whom is a good friend of ours called Adio.  A lover of nature and good food ,he regularly collects herbs , flowers and wild vegetables from the surrounding area to use in their cooking . With only a hand full of tables inside ,its cozy and warm in the winter. But, during the summer , there are plenty of long wooden benches outside where you can and eat and drink under the cooling shade of the forest .  You can imagine the place. Not long ago we went there for dinner and had a fantastic pork chop cooked in Vin Santo ( fortified wine) and sprinkled with wild fennel flowers. It was delicious. Honestly , I really don’t have an investment in this place. I just  think so many restaurants are a disappointment that when you find somewhere good ,you should let others in on the secret. Knowing that many of you won’t have the opportunity to visit Allerona, last night  I tried to do a similar dish. In this way, I hope that you too can enjoy some of the pleasures from  our little triangle of abundance!

 Serves 2
2 slices of pork chop
½ cup Vin Santo
1 Italian coffee cup of Mosto (red grape juice concentrate)
1 clove garlic
Evo oil
1 tablespoon fennel wild flowers
Salt
 How it work:
In a pan heat Evo oil and garlic. When golden remove garlic add the pork chops and cook over high heat . Browning on both sides. Add the Vin Santo , Mosto and salt. Cook on a high heat for 2minutes more and then reduce heat and cook for another 8 minutes. When the  wine  becomes creamy, add wild fennel flowers and serve.