Posted by Seeds from Italy on 17th Jan 2020
If you’re the kind of gardener who likes to flex your horticultural muscle with a challenging crop, may we suggest Italian artichokes? Artichokes are perennial in their Mediterranean home, where it never gets too cold or too hot. In the U.S., there is only one area of California that is naturally suited to growing them as perennials. For the rest of us, artichokes need to be coaxed along. But it’s a fun process and if you succeed, you deserve to… Read more
Posted by Seeds from Italy on 15th Jul 2019
Paste tomatoes are essential to every dedicated gardener who wants to preserve a bit of summer by making their own passata. With so many Italian paste tomato varieties available, how do you choose? Weather, soil, and scheduling can have a huge effect on tomatoes. What grows well for you one year might not another year. What grows well for your friend across town might not do well in your garden. So we advise trialing several varieties side by sid… Read more
Posted by Lynn Byczynski on 30th Jun 2019
In the U.S., most people grow basil into large plants and pick individual leaves from them all summer. That's how we did it when we were market farming: we would start the seeds indoors in winter, transplant them into the field with at least 12 inches between plants, harvest leaves and side shoots, and bag them up for sale.In Italy I noticed that many cooks have a pot of basil growing right outside the kitchen door. But not just one plant. Often… Read more
Posted by Sheryl Ness on 28th Feb 2019
½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)¾ cup sugar1 large egg1 tsp. vanilla extract¾ tsp. baking powder¾ tsp. sea saltLemon zest (1/2 lemon)2 tsp. dried lavender flowers (crushed between your fingers)8 ounces white chocolate (chopped)4 tablespoons candied ginger chopped fine½ cup roasted almonds (whole)2 cups all-purpose flourPreheat oven to 375 degrees.Cream together the butter and sugar. The mixture should be light yellow and smooth. Add the e… Read more
Posted by Seeds from Italy on 28th Feb 2019
We import 40 varieties of Italian tomatoes, all of them traditional favorites, and our selection represents every possible shape, size, and flavor. They all can be grown in the U.S. and, because they are heirlooms, they all have been passed down for a simple reason: They taste great. So what tomato is the best for you to grow?We wish we could tell you, but it’s really impossible for us to say. What works here in Kansas, where summers are (usually… Read more