Caught on camera last night at Bellaugello Gay Guest House in Umbria, Italy our guests enjoying a convivial dinner on the terrace. It had again been a wonderfully sunny day and the evening brought a cooling breeze, just perfect for dinner ‘al fresco’

A great friend and neighbour had brought me some summer truffles found here in Valdichiascio with the express instructions that I should share them with my guests, so being one to obey I did.

I prepared gnocchi with truffle oil and grated summer valdichiascio truffles as a primo.  For secondo I made my version of Porchetta, the local pork speciality of whole roast pork stuffed with herbs.  The garden is overflowing with herbs, the sage being particularly prolific, so they were chopped and combined with lemon zest and stuffed into the rolled up pork which was slowly roasted.  Stephen had opted for a crostata for pudding this time an apricot flavour.

Guests seated round the table were from Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland, we all found common languages and shared our day’s experiences.  Some guys had been cycling to the river, others lazing by the pool, others walking the ancient streets of medieval Gubbio, and others driven from Venice and Le Marche. Stories were compared and prefered towns and art and artists discussed as the local Umbrian wines from Lungarotti, Goretti, and Arnaldo-Caprai were quaffed, a thoroughly enjoyable evening