Authentic Italian Cuisine: Meet Terra & Tu’s Private Chefs
Located on a remote hilltop, the Terra & Tu villa offers picturesque views of the Crete Senesi, which is famed for the distinctive color of its hillsides. Constructed as a farm in the 19th century, the property was abandoned in the 1950s before its restoration by Belgian architect Christine Conix in 2002. The villa seamlessly blends the rustic beauty of its original architecture with contemporary luxury amenities, making for a truly one-of-a-kind accommodation. The villa serves as our central hub for most of the trip. You’ll have ample opportunity to relax by the pool with a cocktail, dine on freshly prepared dishes under starlight, and treat yourself to a private massage.
Our villa staff provide an unparalleled luxury experience. Rita, our private chef, dazzles guests with authentic dishes that include homemade pasta, Florentine steak, and fresh fish. She never compromises on the quality of her ingredients, using only the freshest produce and olive oil from the trees on site. Her meals are enhanced by her expert local wine selections. Our villa’s manager and Rita’s husband, Johny, brings his historical and cultural knowledge to the table—literally—by providing guests with the history and significance of each dish and wine pairing.
In their search for a higher quality life with plenty of soul, Rita and Johny moved from Belgium to Italy in 2000. They decided to put down roots in Tuscany and created an agriturismo startup close to Montepulciano. In 2006, they started another company renting out exclusive properties in Val d’Orcia. Then in 2017, incorporating top service and delicious local foods, the dynamic duo took over management of our private villa. Though the farmhouse is completely renovated, Rita and Johny enjoy introducing updates to the property each year, so their guests always have something to look forward to when they return. “Our goal for our rental properties is very simple: to offer a home away from home,” the couple shares.
Upon arrival, our guests are welcomed with a bottle of Prosecco and a tour of the house, which includes an outdoor infinity pool and pergola, a charming inner courtyard, and a panoramic view of Tuscany’s famous rolling hills. Rita and Johny assure guests that they are available 24/7 to assist with any needs and desires during their stay. Hotel-level comforts and services include housekeeping, laundry, breakfast buffets, childcare, grocery shopping, and cooking classes. For those who wish to explore outside of the property, Rita and Johny can happily recommend and reserve a range of activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, hot air-balloon rides, wine tasting tours, and cultural walking tours.
“Hosts, Rita and Johny were very kind, accommodating, and made us feel right at home! Rita is a fantastic cook and one of her specialty dishes is eggplant parmigiana – don’t leave without trying it! Rita offers a private cooking class and can teach one about cuisine of the region as well as wonderful recipes that will be sure to impress your friends and family at home. Johny was very helpful and provided us activity suggestions based on our interests. If you’re seeking an adventure on two wheels, Johny can help with selecting the best bike or e-bike tours. An avid biker himself, Johny is very familiar with the nearby hilltop towns of Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, and Siena. There are also fabulous wineries in the area and one can expand their knowledge and taste great wines such as Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or Chianti,” writes sommelier Rachel Dickinson.
Our Terra & Tu travelers are also quite fond of the hosts! Here are a few of their reviews from last summer:
“The Villa staff were kind and attentive. I can't say enough about Johny and Rita and the outstanding food and drink!”
“The whole villa staff was great, they were fun and amazing cooks. They were very flexible with random requests.”
“The kitchen crew was very attentive, especially at dinner. We really enjoyed the cooking class.”
“I loved the villa staff! They were friendly, polite, welcoming, and attentive to our every request.”
“The Villa staff was exceptional. The service and food and wine were outstanding.”
“The staff at the villa was so attentive and gave us incredible meals and lots of good wine.”
“The food was incredibly fresh and beautifully prepared. It was delicious! Brava Rita!”
“The service was top-notch and accommodating. Every meal was creative and delicious.”
“Every meal was incredible. Delicious, beautiful, perfect pacing of the courses and the wine. I'm still dreaming about some of the pasta and that caponata we had on our picnic. Oh, and the fig almond tart!”
“The meals at the villa were amazing.”
If you’ve just returned from a trip with us, or you’re getting excited for an upcoming departure, and you want a taste of Tuscany to hold you over, look no further. We have insider access to Rita’s “secret” recipes! Try this one out for yourself and let her know what you think:
Eggplant Parmigiana
(Yields 4 servings)
Ingredients:
2 or 3 fresh big eggplants (the round variety is better)
Flour for frying
Peanut oil
1 large buffalo milk mozzarella
200 grams freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the tomato sauce:
1 kilo good-quality ripe tomatoes
2 peeled garlic cloves
1 fresh small chili pepper
1 dessert spoon sugar
A large handful fresh basil leaves
100 grams Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Tools:
1 saucepan
1 frying pan
4 individual baking dish or a large one
Paper towels
Cooking Instructions:
I take a saucepan, put the entire tomatoes in it, add sugar, salt, the cloves of garlic, and let it cook slowly without cover. Once my tomato sauce is reduced (after about half an hour) I season it with olive oil and add a whole little chili pepper, basil, next I reserve the sauce.
Then I wash the eggplants, remove their stalks and slice them up regularly into half cm thick slice.
Now I coat them in flour. Then I put a large frying pan on medium-fire. I pour enough peanuts oil to coat the bottom well.
I fry 4 eggplant slices at a time until the first side is golden, then I turn it and fry on the other side (about 2 or 3 minutes per side). Once fried, I put the slices on a large quantity of paper towel in a plate: doing 3 tiers of paper, 1 tier eggplants, then paper…
Now I take a weight (something heavy) and lay it on the top on the last paper towel layer.
I place the plate with eggplants to drain in the refrigerator for one day.
The day after, I take off the paper towel and put my slices in some new one for about half an hour, you don’t need to put a weight this time.
Now preheat the oven to 180 C.
I take a baking dish (I prefer to use little individual oven-to-table baking dish, it’s so pretty on the table and very handy).
I start making a layer of eggplants on the bottom of the tin, I spread the tomato sauce topping the layer with Parmesan. I repeat the layers 3-4 times. For the last layer: I put the eggplants, then the buffalo mozzarella in slices, then another layer of eggplants and a final sprinkle of Parmesan.
I bake it for 30 minutes 180 C. and when the cheese is melted and gratinéed I serve the Parmigiana immediately
Buon Appetito!
P.S. The Rita’s Eggplant Parmigiana is perfect paired with a bottle of nice red wine; at Tuscan-experience we serve it with a beautiful ‘Rosso di Montalcino’ from winery ‘Gianni Brunelli’.
If you’re looking try out some of Rita’s renowned Italian cuisine for yourself, you can join us one of our upcoming Tuscany departures!