Podcast from Italy: Ashley & Jason Bartner

In snowy covered Le Marche, Jason and Ashley chat about a recent trip to Rome, Antica Ostia and Norcia (Umbria) sharing the best places to eat along the way. Jason then explains the trials and tribulations of baking bread in a cold stone farmhouse... Roscioli -Rome, near Campo dei Fiori Il Granaro del Monte - Norcia

A rainy day podcast, we recap Thanksgiving and helping a neighbor build a greenhouse. As usual the conversation turns to food with an update on Jason's bread starter, born and raised here in Le Marche plus talks of a 'secret' lunch spot, the hunter's hideaway in the hills above Apecchio. Jason then shares tips for making creamy delicious risotto. This week's podcast is short & sweet. Let us know a...

This week Jason and Ashley chat about closing down the house for winter now that the guests are gone, road tripping through Europe and the dirty deed of slaughtering chickens. Then we turn the conversation to Thanksgiving and turkey-talk with how & why to brine a turkey. We interview my younger brother Jerome on his first impressions of Le Marche and the food of Italy.

After a summer hiatus, Jason & Ashley are back & just as bubbly as ever - chatting about life in Le Marche on their farm. This week: "What Grows Together Goes Together" Jason talks about cooking seasonally and shares a seasonal truffle recipe, answering the question: "How do you cook truffles?" We talk about local festivals like the "Sturgis of Italy" and the truffle festivals in Le Marche through...

Easter has come & gone - we reminisce on the day & opera singing Zio Albi (incase you missed the clip - watch it here: Easter Concerto ).  During the podcast, learn from our mistakes both in the garden & finding a lunch spot in a foreign city! Then be transported to the attic of an ancient acetaia (vinegar making family & home) in Modena where Jason & I sample 8 traditional balsamic vinegars and i...

We are excited to share an interview with our friends Antonio & Paola, owners of Gelateria Maki in Fano & our most favorite artisan gelato shop in the Region! They stopped by for a visit so we thought we'd ask a few burning questions about gelato: how is it different from ice cream,  difference between artisan & industrial gelato, where their passion came from and much more! It's clear Antonio & P...

Italy is blasted by a Siberian storm & we are snowed-in! In a rare evening podcast from our frozen farmhouse we talk about things that come along with severe weather  & living in the countryside that we've never experienced before! And as the snow accumulates to over 4 feet, we contemplate our next move....

Start your day with a cappuccino and get into the Italian state of mind as we talk about our favorite winter activity - sausage & salami making! Jason shares our simple recipe and explains how simple sausage making is. Currently there are 90 kilos of meat curing in the rafters upstairs! We laugh as we retell stories of Doctor Gaggi & his impromptu sausage tests he gives Jason, not ready to hand-ov...

We visit Cartoceto to celebrate the unearthing of formaggio di fossa - a unique local cheese that has been buried in a pit for months. The Doctor has a bad day, we make an offer on a meat grinder and readying the house for winter (things we never thought of before living in the country). And, its official, the holiday season has started, bringing with it endless eating & cooking....break out the f...

Join us, Ashley & Jason in the kitchen as we crack walnuts prepping for our annual Thanksgiving Pranzo (lunch). Menu ideas for your Thanksgiving are shared. We catch you up on the what's been going on around the farm since the summer and we chat about what I call "the year the fox got fat!" Thanks for your patience as its been a few months since we posted a podcast! Hope you enjoy - Happy Holidays...

So much going on! We participated in the annual transumanza - cow herding through Piobbico up to Mt. Nerone with family & friends. It's that time of year to start making homemade digestivi (after dinner liqueurs) like visciolino (wild cherry liqueur) & nocino (walnut & vanilla liqueur). Garden updates, weather system installed & funny stories around town. Don't miss the Marche Wine & Jazz Festival...

After a busy May, we are back with a jam-packed podcast! Updates on our organic farm & what's in the ground, solar panels have been installed & the chickens. Plus Jason shares seasonal summer recipes from our cooking classes. We run through a few fabulous June festivals in Le Marche and share our day at sea on a wooden yacht in Fano with a not to miss artisan gelato shop - Maki. Fano Yacht Trip &...

This all about food & the farm. We chat about our Easter menu & the local traditions with an interview with our friends Giorgio & Michele. A gift of fresh ricotta means Jason is using it for sweet & savory dishes - Jason shares simple ways to use this delicious creamy cheese. Plus bread baking tips from focaccia to whole wheat with raisins & nuts. We are back to chicken wrangling, training our new...

This week after a whirlwind trip to Rome, Jason & Ashley share their Top 10 Ways to Save Money on your next trip to Italy. The word of the week will come in handy at the market: un mazzo - a bunch. Plus updates from the garden & off to a good start with over 700 onions in the ground! Thanks for listening, Ashley & Jason Please leave comments/feedback/rating on iTunes to show your support. La Tavol...

Ciao tutti!  Spring is in full swing & its hard work being an organic farmer! Fields are full of wild poppies & daffodils, the salami are done curing and we just got a delivery of manure for the orto! The Palio della Rana (Frog Race) of Fermignano is coming up & we chat about how they 'celebrate' the frog. Plus this week we list our Top 10 Day Trips from our farmhouse in Le Marche, Umbria, Tuscany...

Join us this week in part 1 as we interview our friends and members of the ProLoco of Piobbico Giorgio and Michele.  They give us a little lesson in dialect and take us through the three stages of drinking on a Saturday night. (We will post part 2 closer to Easter.) Thanks for Listening!  Please leave comments or ratings on itunes. Ciao - Ashley & Jason, La Tavola Marche Agriturismo & Cooking Scho...

This weeks episode from Podcast from Italy we update the "State of Ca'Camone," discuss buying hens at the hardware store, pick wild greens in the field with nonna & how SNL (Saturday Night Live) mucked-up my Italiano with a single word! Plus long term car rental solutions for non-EU residents from AutoEurope . But most importantly when driving in Italy don't trust your tom-tom (GPS) - we've learne...

This week's episode: Ides of March, guests arrive in 10 days & the kitchen is in shambles, Cat of the Year announced, biscotti vs. cantucci and the constant struggle of "la bella figura!" Plus the word of the week! Thanks for listening!

Doing the "Baywatch," celebrating Festa della Donna & Fat Tuesday and an interview with our friend Fabio. This week's podcast is jam packed with updates from our farmhouse and a great interview with Fabio, reminiscing of his college years in the States, helping us with our VISA & why Urbino is the #1 city to visit in Italy! This week's "word of the week" is about shopping hours & the changing wind...

After a week-off with a broken computer & stuck in the snow we update on the happenings of rural Le Marche. We announce the winner of the Italian Song Festival of San Remo, get ready for Carnival in Piobbico & Apecchio and address the rumors of a roaming wolf pack!  Ashley vents her frustrations after a visit to the Questura (Police Station) for immigration business. Then talk turns to the health...

So, you want to move to Italy, now what?! We get this question all the time, so we decided to breakdown a few of our top answers on taking the 1st steps to moving to Italy from language lessons to estate agents! This week Jason makes the Carnival sweets- castagnole. Plus how to properly order a coffee in a bar. Thanks for listening!

This week Jason & Ashley chat about their favorite places to visit in Italy "off the beaten path" and what to eat once you are there. From north to south there are a few hidden jewels to add to your list for your next trip to Italy besides Rome & Venice. As always, the conversation turns to food & this week we focus on local Carneval treats & how they are made with a very special ingredient - pork...

This weeks podcast is jam-packed! We chat about taking raw pork & making cured sausages & salami. We visit Deruta in Umbria the home of Majolica pottery to make a big purchase at a discounted price! Plus commentary on the controversial documentary Videocracy about Berlusconi's media hold & how it affects politics, media & culture in Italy. What's in-season? Jason offers up a delicious Stuffed Arti...

After a busy & festive holiday season we are back with our podcasts. In our first 2011 podcast we wrap up what we've been up to in the past few months - traveling to Sicily & Napoli, slaughtering chickens, participating in the living nativity scene in town & much more! Thanks for listening & let us know what you think about the segment ideas!

Ciao tutti! We have been busy & haven't podcasted in a few weeks - so we are back in full force! Celebrating ferragosto's summer feast & festival, an epic Pizza night for 50 with the local folk band performing to farm updates-whats coming up from the garden & a simple green bean recipe! Plus we answer your question: How did we get our VISA - oh the Italian bureaucracy and their love of stamps! Tha...