Foodie Tales: Anna Boglione

Food and nature have always been central to Anna Boglione, daughter of Petersham Nurseries founders Gael and Francesco. After struggling with digestive issues, Anna began delving into the world of holistic medicine and nutrition, going on launch food and wellness platform The Gut, which is all about living in balance with the natural world. Her new book, Recipes to Reconnect, includes conversations with influential thinkers and writers, alongside a whole host of recipes from an array of chefs, including Anna and the Boglione family. 

Interview with Anna Boglione

What’s your food philosophy? 

Eat healthy as much as you can, enjoy your food with no guilt, indulge at times, know where your food comes from, try to eat local and organic when possible. 

What was the first dish you learnt to cook? 

We made Sunday roast every week growing up, so probably a roast chicken. 

What’s your favourite in season ingredient? 

I love crunchy fennel, I use the bulb all the way to the tops in salads. They are also great in the oven, the taste transforms with nutty undertones. Also, the boiled tops make a very nice medicinal homemade iced tea, just add lemon and honey. 

Your favourite ‘throw-it-together’ dinner? 

At the moment I am really into the simplicity of great produce in its purest form. The tanginess of a Cherokee purple tomato, for example, with a rich fresh burrata, spicy virgin olive oil, topped with basil leaves. 

What’s in your fridge right now? 

It’s stuffed full of organic veg, ready to make baby food – today’s combo was beetroot, parsley, chickpeas and olive oil. Then we have yogurt, some yummy cheeses, homemade kimchi, lots of condiments and a bottle of sake. 

Comfort snack? 

It used to be peanut butter, chocolate covered dates – but I made them and ate them in huge quantities when pregnant, so they are now off the menu. Cheese, I love snacking on cheese and creating a mini cheese board for one. 

And how do you use up leftovers? 

My family always teases me, as I’m constantly saying that I’m ‘elongating’ a dish – aka adding into last night’s meal to feed people for lunch. Soup, curry and salads work well for this. Or I turn last night’s meal into a salad, that’s another go to – chicken, fish and roasted vegetables work well. 

Recipe: Pesche e Vino

Anna says: ‘Another Italian classic that celebrates simplicity and fine produce, this pudding was our grandmother’s favourite. She would make this for us when we were children and it would represent the coming of summer. Sharp, yet sweet flavours with the freshness of the lemon verbena picked straight from the garden.’

Ingredients:

Serves 10

Try to source biodynamic or organic ingredients where possible

• 1.5 litres white wine
• 250g sugar
• 100g lemon verbena, plus extra to decorate (if you don’t have verbena, use mint)
• 5 yellow peaches
• 8 flat peaches

Method:

1. Pour the wine into a big saucepan and add the sugar and lemon verbena.
2. With a knife, make a little cross on top of each peach – this will make it easier to peel once it’s cooked.
3. Drop all the peaches in the wine, and bring it to simmer for 5 minutes, and then let it cool down. Once the peaches are cold, remove them from the wine and cut them into pieces.
4. In the meantime, bring the wine back to the boil and reduce the liquid to a syrup.
5. Serves the peaches in a glass and add a generous amount of syrup to cover them. Garnish with a tip of lemon verbena and some sorbet. 

Recipes To Reconnect (Kyle Books, £35)