As with the dining arrangements at La Palma, guests come here to enjoy authentic Sicilian cooking in comfortable converted barns and stables set around a delightful central courtyard. La Palma and Casabianca are leading examples of the agro-tourism centres which are starting to appear around the Sicilian countryside. This comprised fresh ciabatta bread moistened with olive oil and filled sparingly with finely-chopped garlic, onions, tomato, herbs and anchovies. Originally a food for peasants and deceptively simple to prepare, we could have happily feasted on this alone. The addition of orange zest to more traditionally seasoned risotto provided a curious yet effective variation to this classic Italian dish.
Vegetables are hugely important in Sicily.
Mix fried aubergine with salted ricotta cheese, garlic, basil and fresh tomato sauce to create a delicious dish which we devoured on its own but which also makes a wonderful pasta sauce or bread topping. Sicilians have a unique way of cooking artichokes. They loosen the leaves, season with herbs and sea salt, drizzle on olive oil and grill the artichokes on a bed of embers. The artichokes are ready when the outer leaves are charred, leaving a tender heart and an exquisite flavor. My favorite of the main dishes was without doubt the involtini.