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In the morning, head out to the charming hills of Chianti, where you’ll meet passionate cook Michela, born in California and raised in Florence. After years working in London restaurants, the spritely half-American/half-Italian returned to her hometown to run her own podere and farm, where she teaches farm-to-table cooking privately. Her enthusiastic approach places the greatest emphasis on quality ingredients.

Coffee in hand, you’ll first talk through the plan for the day, the menu based on ingredients Michela has sourced from local farmer’s markets. Then, you’ll harvest any extra bits from the garden at her restored farmhouse and your location for the class, Podere Sala.

In fall, fennel’s crispness and punch might be paired with Tarocco oranges and Castelfranco radicchio for a zesty salad. After the rainy season, porcini mushrooms fill the stalls, delicious with our homemade tagliatelle. In winter, following the first frost, we get cavolo nero (Lacinato kale), loved by Tuscans on a simple crostini with “new season” olive oil or in the enriching local stew ribollita. Early spring welcomes artichokes, a favorite when ritti (stuffed), fried, or rolled into a tortino di carciofi, a frittata with a hearty amount of the thistle. Fava beans—accompanied by a young pecorino cheese like Marzolino—peas, and asparagus pair perfectly for a vibrant spring medley. In summer, tomatoes take center stage, whether in a tomato salad or the perfect passata al pomodoro. For antipasti, prosciutto e melone remains a beloved national favorite, and friggitelli peppers, sautéed quickly and sprinkled with salt, is simplicity at its finest.

Michela’s podere is surrounded by nothing but the lush green countryside, complete with fruit trees, flowers, and vineyards. During the private five-hour session, you’ll tag team in the kitchen, enjoy a glass (or two) of wine, and craft a beautiful feast: nibbles to tide you over as you cook and a four-course lunch with antipasti, a primo or secondo and lush green salad, and a homemade dolce. In her cooking classes, Michela aims to teach essential techniques rooted in Italy’s the “less is more” philosophy. Good food need not be complex or fussed over; in simplicity, it often finds its purest forms and flavors.