In the square of the nearby town of Panzano, the wine bar, Enoteca Baldi, run by local character Mimo and his wife, serves the very best of raw Italian ingredients . . . local cheeses, homemade salamis and sausages, cured meats and relishes, all washed down with gutsy regional wines to the sound of the butcher a few doors away, Dario Ceccini, singing opera as though he were Pavarotti.

A hour down the road into Florence, and a trip to the huge food market Mercato San Lorenzo is definitely worth a visit.

After we stocked up on our groceries we sometimes stopped off for a late lunch at the very popular, and really fun and good value Da Nerbone, where you get an eclectic mix of farming and financial types in their lunch hour.

Here are some typical Tuscan recipes to try at home.

La Ribollita Serves 8 This is such a common dish to see on cafe menus in Tuscany . . . it is usually made on one day and reheated the next, when the flavours will be even more delicious. La Ribollita means 'reboiled', and it is usually ladled over toasted garlic bread, trickled with olive oil and served with lots of Parmesan cheese.

250g dried cannellini beans 150ml extra virgin olive oil One onion, finely chopped On carrot, finely chopped One celery stick, chopped Two leeks, finely chopped Four garlic cloves, finely chopped One large potato, peeled and chopped Two medium courgettes, chopped 400ml Italian sieved tinned tomatoes (passata) Two sprigs fresh rosemary Two sprigs fresh thyme Two sprigs fresh sage One whole dried red chilli 500g cavolo nero (Tuscan black winter cabbage) or savoy cabbage, finely shredded Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper To serve Six thick slices coarse crusty white bread One garlic clove, peeled and bruised Extra virgin olive oil Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Soak the cannellini beans overnight in plenty of cold water.

Heat half the olive oil in a heavy stockpot and add the onion, carrot and celery.

Cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Next add the leeks and garlic and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the potato and courgettes, stir well and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the soaked beans, passata, rosemary, thyme and sage, dried chilli, salt and plenty of black pepper.

Cover with about two litres of water (the vegetables should be well-covered), bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for at least two hours, until the beans are very soft.

Transfer two-three large ladlefuls of soup to a bowl and mash well using the back of the ladle. Return to the soup to thicken it. Stir in the cavolo nero or cabbage and simmer for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool then refrigerate overnight.

The next day, slowly reheat the soup and stir in the remaining olive oil.

Toast the bread and rub with garlic. Arrange the bread over the base of a tureen or individual bowls and ladle the soup over it.

Trickle with extra olive oil and serve with plenty of Parmesan.

Agnello al rosmarino (marinated roast leg of lamb with garlic, rosemary and sage) Serves 6-8 This is so typically Tuscan, with the robust and gutsy flavours from the herbs and vinegars. Cook this on the barbecue or in an oven, as described below.

Two kg leg of lamb Four garlic cloves, crushed Three tbsp chopped rosemary Two tbsp chopped sage Three tbsp red wine vinegar One tbsp balsamic vinegar 200ml extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper To bone the leg of lamb yourself, find the place where the longest bone running down the length of the leg appears to run quite close to the skin.

Using a small sharp knife, slit through the thin surface along that bone and carefully peel the meat back from either side.

Work round the bones at the thick end to release the meat, so that it opens up like a book and you can lift them out.

Open out the meat, skinside down . . . it should vaguely resemble the wings of a butterfly. Trim out any excess fat and score the meat where necessary to make it all the same thickness. Make deep slits all over the meat.

Mix the garlic and herbs with the vinegar and olive oil and rub all over the cut side of the meat. Season with black pepper. Lay in a shallow dish, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a least one hour, preferably overnight.

The next day, remove from the marinade, reserving the marinade for basting. Barbecue the leg of lamb over medium hot coals for 15-20 minutes, basting, then turn over and cook for a further 20 minutes, basting with a brush of rosemary sprigs from time to time. Alternatively, place the leg of lamb on a foil-lined grill rack and cook under a medium hot grill for 20 minutes, baste then turn over and continue for a further 20 minutes . . . the meat should be medium.

Once cooked, remove the leg of lamb from the heat, season with salt, then cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving into long thin slices.

Ricciarelli (almond biscuits from Siena) Makes about 16 These are the most divine biscuits . . . you see variations of these all over Tuscany.

They are fantastic enjoyed with a cup of strong coffee.

175 g ground almonds 200 g caster sugar, plus extra for rolling 1/2 tsp baking powder One tbsp plain flour Two large egg whites Three drops almond essence Icing sugar, to serve Put the almonds in a bowl with the sugar. Sift the baking powder with the flour into the almonds and sugar. Whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry, then stir into the almond mixture. Add the almond essence and blend until you have a soft paste.

Pour some caster sugar onto a plate. Roll heaped tablespoons of the mixture into small balls, roll in the sugar, and then press into the traditional oval or diamond shape by rolling into a fat sausage, tapering the ends, then flattening slightly with the palm of your hand.

Put the ricciarelli on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Bake in a preheated oven at 2000C, gas mark 6 for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Do not overbake or they will be too hard.

Remove to a wire rack to cool. Press the tops into icing sugar or simply roll in icing sugar and serve piled high on a plate.

Recipes and images from 'Flavours of Tuscany, Recipes from the Heart of Italy' by Maxine Clark available from Ryland, Peters and Small

ASK RACHEL When cooking with wine, does the quality of the wine make any difference to the finished dish? I've seen bottles of cooking wine for sale in my local off-licence but someone also told me that you should only cook with wine that you'd also drink?

Clare, Louth, by email Yes, I think that the quality of the wine does make a difference. Personally, I do not use 'cooking' wine, though nor would I use a very expensive wine as you are going to lose a certain amount of the flavour in the cooking process anyway. Most recipes only call for a glass of wine at the most so why not open the bottle and enjoy the rest of it your guests.

A handy tip is if you have some wine left over in a bottle at the end of the night, you can freeze it in an icecube tray, and use it to cook with when you like. One icecube equals one or two tablespoons of liquid.

If you have any cooking queries for Rachel, email her at food@tribune. ie