25 February 2016

Hiking and Trail Maintenance in the Neighborhood

My father in law Dante, on top of Cucetto peak a few years ago
This winter just hasn't really gotten off the ground like some of our winters. Mind you, I am not complaining, especially as our livelihood doesn't depend on it like so many other people in the ski industry does. That of course wasn't always the case. Snow farmers are what we use to refer to ourselves when I worked for a ski resort back in my Colorado days.
Fabrizio working on making new trail signs this winter
Anyway, I find myself looking forward to hiking the hills around our house these days since skiing and snowshoeing just aren't accessible right outside our door this year. However since I started writing this post we are waiting for a big snow storm to arrive, so I just may be dusting off the snow shoes for a romp around the neighborhood yet.
Fabrizio and Dante trail reclaiming
We have already done a search and recovery of an old circular path that has potential, in spite of some of it being lost to  the ravages of time and disuse. One of the things I love when we are tramping around in the woods here in our neighborhood, is discovering all the old rock walls and structures that are left behind to stand witness to a different time. It always make me think of what life was like back then. I am always in awe of the labor that went into all the rock structures. They must have been mighty hungry after all the days of dragging those stones around and fitting them together to last all of the years later. Always impressive.
Rock retaining walls and old stone houses left behind 
Then when you think about what they must have been eating back then, cheese, cabbage, leeks, potatoes, repeat, and repeat again. They certainly must have been happy when there were some new greens pushing up through the winter brownness to offer something fresh to eat. I have developed the theory that may be why Italians or Europeans are so fond of their bitter greens, because when something fresh use to come up after a long winter, it tastes mighty good no matter if it might be a tad bitter. I've developed a fondness for the bitter flavor as well.
Primula -harbingers of spring
Fabrizio has spent a lot of time with his father making signs for the mountain trails that meander throughout our neighborhood. These paths were once the only means of people moving about  as they took their cheeses into town to sell, or made charcoal from the abundant chestnut forests that gave themselves up for this source of heat and cooking fuel. Once our paved road came in in the early 1960's, and the car became the main mode of transportation, it didn't take long for many of the old trails to begin to disappear.
Reclaiming and signing our trails
About 5 years ago our Regione Piemonte got involved in a program with Switzerland called Vetta and then  announced a program here to help reclaim the old trails and offering equipment to map out the trails and put them on GPS. My husband Fabrizio Roncaglia and Silvano Damiano took on the challenge along with help from Silvano's two children, Valentina and Matteo, as well as Fabrizio's father and our local C.A.I. walking association, that have been cleaning and marking our local trails. Silvano has done a phenomenal job with the actual GPS mapping and photography of the paths, as well as getting it all online.  Now these local paths will be GPS mapped and won't easily disappear and will be GPS accessible. Nice job on all the hard work everyone.
Silvano Damiano
there has been a lot of effort that has gone into the cleaning and marking of our paths.  There is still much to do to tie all of this hard work together, but it is exciting to see it all progress.
Fabrizio Roncaglia painting trail markings.
These photos taken by Silvano Damiano
New signs, new connections to old paths that are easier to find.  We have paths that head up for the big views and down to the river for the idyllic idle complete with a few deep pools for splashing your hot tired feet in. We also have lots of contour paths that go round the mountain and expose all of those old rock buildings and remains of walls and fences. A bit if this and that for everyone.

Merla Peak cross and the Grandubbione pool in the river
If you like to walk in the woods and feel the healing presence that nature offers, then visiting with us is a great choice.  If we are in the middle of a path cleaning day, you are always welcome to tag along and help if you like. 
Dante and Fabrizio clearing a path and CAI sprucing up our signpost
However there is plenty of opportunity to make the most of picnicking in the mountains with trails that aren't as challenging as others.  We are situated in the mountains and that in of itself is a beauty worth discovering.  We look forward to sharing it with you when you come, so come on! 
Bella Baita View this winter

07 February 2016

Baccala, or Salt Cod, Like Nonna Maria Use to Make

Baccala alla Nonna Maria da Venezia

Italians are crazy about Merluzzo Baccala or Salt Cod as it is known in English. You will find it all over in the markets here in the winter especially. Most cod comes from Norway, where the cod is found and fished in the icy waters of the northern seas. They say that it was originally just air dried, but as salt became more readily available and cheap, it became the preferred way to keep the bounty of fish. this method of preservation meant that the fish was easily transported and kept well for at least a couple of years. Baccala  then came to southern Europe where it became very popular and still is, especially for the Catholic countries that use to observe not eating meat on Friday and during Lent. Even though times have changed and the Catholic edict to eat fish on Friday is no longer in existence, salt cod is loved and served regularly in many various preparations. 
The recipe I am sharing today is something I recreated from a dish that Fabrizio's maternal grandmother, Maria, use to make him when he was young and some suggestions I saw on an  Italian TV cooking show.  Nonna Maria  was born and grew up in the Veneto, which is the province that Venice is located in and famous for its love of fish dishes. Nonna Maria once worked as a cook and house keeper for a wealthy family before she married Fabrizio's maternal grandfather, who was born in an old stone house over by where our garden is today. She was known to be a very good cook and is where Fabrizio's mother learned to cook before Fabrizio's parents pursued their dream to open "La Baita" restaurant here back in the 60's.
As they were getting the business built and established, Fabrizio stayed with both sets of grandparents to keep him out from under their busy feet, so he has lots of fond memories of Nonna's cooking. When I served him my version awhile back, he complimented me saying it was just like what Nonna Maria made. I like that kind of compliment. it makes me feel proud to recreate a flavor from his childhood and one I now love as well.
Merluzzo Baccala - Salt Cod
Just like most Italian recipes, this one is a little loose on exact amounts,  quite easy to make and oh so delicious. I tend to make it to fit my cast iron skillet, that my grandmother and mother did a lot of cooking in too. So this is a nostalgic dish that touches a lot of buttons. So relax and don't worry too much about the amounts, just put it together and either bake it in the oven or cook it on top of the stove like I did. In the end I thought it was a lot easier and true to the fact that Italians are not quick to turn on the oven and make most everything on top of the stove, I thought it worked just fine. Feel free to choose your favorite way, oven or stove. 
Finished dish

Baccala alla Nonna Maria delle Veneto

Serves 2 hungry people

Ingredients:

500g /1 # salted cod, soaked in cold water for at least 24 hours days, changing the water at least 3 times over the soaking time. 
1 medium to large onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, diced enough for flavor but not enough to overpower
2 medium to largish potatoes, your favorite variety, a somewhat floury potato is good, peeled or not as you like but scrubbed and sliced in to thin rounds. I like them about 1/8 inch or 1/4cm thick so that they don't take too long to cook.
250 - 325ml / 1- 1 1/2 c. milk, as needed. You can use all milk, or half and half, single cream and a heavy splash of heavy cream with the milk for richness if you like
1-2 T Olive oil
1 Bay leaf
Paprika

Method:

Heat a heavy  9 inch or 24 cm sauté pan slowly.   
Prepare your cod by pulling any long pieces of bone that might still be in the fish and peel the skin off. 
Slice fish into thin slices by holding the knife at an angle and cut at an angle to the table. This should make thin slices. Don't worry if the fish crumbles some. 
Thinly slice the washed potatoes with or without peels. 
Once you have all of your ingredients assembled and prepared, begin to sauté the diced onion and garlic. 
Add the bay leaf.
Once the onion has begun to turn translucent, lay slices of fish in a single layer on top of the onions and garlic. 
Next cover the fish and onions completely with the potato slices.
Pour the milk or milk and cream combination over the whole top of the potatoes. 
Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with black pepper and paprika. 
Cover the top and cook over low heat till all is bully and the potatoes are done. 
Remove the top if it seems too soupy and you want to reduce the liquid some or if the m ix seems too dry before the potatoes are cooked, then a dad bit more milk. 
You can also cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake it in a moderate oven till all os bubbly. Remove the foil and let the top brown up if you like. 
Serve while hot. 
Ingredients, Layering the pan, Milk added and Paprika dusted, Cooked
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