A long Sunday lunch {& Infiorata} in Lubriano

We are back in Italy and what a treat to start off with a drive into the Tuscia region to join Alice Kiandra Adams {proprietress of Latteria Studio and author of the always inspiring RusticaRetro blog} along with family, neighbors and friends for a long Sunday lunch in Lubriano , sitting down under the vine-covered pergola of her enchanting garden with views of the surrounding valley and neighboring Civita di Bagnoreggio.

And it turned out it was not just any Sunday, coinciding with Lubriano's Infiorata, an annual festival held on the Sunday of the Ascension, turning the small towns narrow streets into colorful canvases of intricate flower carpets ~ a rather temporary spectacle of flower petals, leaves and seeds set up by the town inhabitants overnight and swept away after a ceremonious procession leading over the flower carpet to the main church in the morning.

  

And while we missed seeing the Infiorata in 'full bloom', we were lucky to arrive just in time for an incredible summer menu to be served ~ all while catching up with the lovely Alice and Emiko Davies, finally getting a first glimpse at the beautiful cookbook Acquacotta they photographed together at Il Baciarino while we were visiting last year ...

~  Alice's basil, ricotta and oven roasted tomato tart

~ tomato bruschetta

~ pecorino cheeses from Pienza

~ Carla Tomasi's famous pickled vegetables 

~ grilled salsiccia and fresh pancetta served with spicy rucola and grilled zucchini 

~ cherry crostata, apricot frangipane tart and fresh cherries