Wine isn't the only reason to eagerly await the grape harvest: There's also schiacciata con l'uva, the pastry traditionally made by Tuscan farmers in the fall. You will need wine grapes, because those sold for consumption at table are too watery and not sweet enough. This is a fairly elegant, city version the schiacciata, in which the traditional lard and honey have been replaced by olive oil and sugar.

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cups flour
• A packet of yeast
• White wine or water sufficient to make a smooth, workable dough (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 k wine grapes (either white or red), stripped from their stems, washed, and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnut meats (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 °C (320º F)

Mix the egg, sugar, flour, yeast, and enough wine or water to obtain a fairly soft dough. Knead it till it's smooth, and roll it out about a quarter of an inch thick.

Grease a 9x14" cake pan and line the bottom of it with half the dough, making sure that it reaches about an inch up the sides of the pan. Fill the pan with about 3/4 of the drained grapes.

Use the remaining dough to cover the grapes, sealing them in with care, then spread the rest to the grapes on top of the schiacciata. Dust the schiacciata with sugar and bake it in the oven for about an hour, or until the crust is browned.

You can vary the recipe. Some cooks use considerably more sugar, and others put chopped walnuts within the schiacciata and sprinkle them over it. Still others sprinkle anise seeds or rosemary leaves over the schiacciata; whereas walnuts and rosemary are sometimes used together, anise seeds are used alone.

Schiacciata con l'uva goes wonderfully with a red wine.