Making Fresh Tomini Cheese at Home

Super fresh Tomini Cheese

Tomini Cheese, in this part of Piemonte, Italy, means a soft fresh cheese that looks a lot like miniature ricotta cheese. Looking up Tomini in the large Piedmont chapter of our Slow Food book on Italian cheeses, Tomini is referred to as Tomini di Talucco, which happens to be the valley just on the other side of our on hillside, and it refers to it as pure goats cheese. It also states that the territory of origin comes from not only Talucco, but Grandubbione, which is where our road deadends  5 km further up the road from our house. It is the only Tomino listed in book which covers ever single region of Italy. So this type of cheese really is from our neighborhood. 

Here the Tomino is eaten in it's fresh state after a day of settling and letting the water drain out, it is salted top and bottom. Tradition is also to mature the cheese after it has firmed up by dusting them with some black or red pepper, or domestic or wild thyme and then place it in a earthenware vessel called an "ule", or glass jars, till it is ripened to the cheese makers taste. My mother in law loves to ripen them till they are quite aromatic.

Earthenware "ule" for ripening tomini cheeses, missing its lid

Ripened Tomini using black pepper and hot red pepper

So in our part of northern Italy Tomini was made completely with whole goat milk, although with changing times and palates you will find it also made with half goat and half cows milk or an all cows milk variety for those that like the style of cheese but not so fond of goat milk. I love goat cheese, so I'm a fan of the original, but not opposed to the other varieties. They are all delicious.

There is also a variety of Tomini that is sometimes called dry Tomini that has been innoculate to form a white crust similar to brie cheese. Most cheese makers here call this type of cheese Pagliarine. It's a great cheese, but to me it tastes nothing like the Tomini type that is typical to here. 

Dry Tomini or what most cheese makers here call Pagliarine

I've seen a variety of cheese makers work their their magic and thought why not give it a go at home since it seems relatively easy and I have access to fresh unpasteurized milk from what I like to call our mechanical cow over in Pinerolo.   It's great because it still has the cream on top once it sits and it truly is delicious. It's our very own local milk without the milking. 

Fresh unpasteurized milk, €1 per liter

We have a lot of cheesemakers in our valleys and a long history of being famous for our cheeses. Its been said that General Hannibal, of the elephant fame, crossed the Alps around 3through our valleys because it was not only the quickest way to cross, but it was an opportunity to try and nourish his dwindling number of men on our Alpine dairy products, most notably cheese. 

A few years back we went to a Tomini cheese making demonstration in Talucco at Agriturismo Pinareul Arios, which just happens to be cousins in the extended way that people are related when your family has lived in the neighborhood for many generations. They still make their Tomini over a wood fired stove and it all done by hand within the family. They also operate a charming dining room that features their delicious genuine home grown and made food and is famous, not only for their Tomini, but for also their Fritto Misto alla Piemontese , an extravaganza of all sorts of savory and sweet fried foods. It's a popular indulgence in these parts and they do it well.

Hand produced Tomini di Talucco at Pinareul Arios

We also take guests up our Chisone valley to Vento Grigio Farm for a demonstration of milking and Tomino making complete with a light picnic lunch outdoors with a fabulous view of the Chisone valley and a change to have a go at milking a goat if you want to. Naturally we get to sample some of Cesare's pure goat cheese Tomino and you won't be disappointed. 

Milking Goats at Vento Grigio

So now you can try and make some at home, as it isn't difficult, you just need some good quality whole milk, cows or goat, a large stainless steel cooking pot (needs to hold at least 5 quarts liquid), some rennet for producing the curds, something to hold the curds  and shape the cheese while allowing the water or whey to drain out. 

There are proper forms that you can find from cheese making suppliers or some cheese cloth lining a strainer or colander that you could use  while you decide if this is something you might make more than once in a blue moon. 

Tomino making steps

Tomino Cheese 

12 approximately cheeses, depending on how well you fill them

Equipment:

1 - 5 liter cook pot, stainless steel best

Cooking thermometer

5 cm x 4-5 cm (2inch x 1.75 inch) round cheese form for draining cheese in (strainer lined with cheese cloth will work) 

Ingredients:

4 liters ( 4 quarts) whole milk, best if unpasteurized, but can make it with pasteurized milk

2 grams per liter (8 g = 1.6 tsp ) caglio ( rennet or vegetable rennet) 

Method:

If the milk has been refrigerated, let the milk set out to bring it to room temperature before heating. 

Place ambient temperature milk (37*C /  98.6*F)  in the large pot. 

Slowly raise the temperature of the milk to at least 75*C (167*F) that will pasteurize the milk. 

The milk can go as high as 85*C (185*F) 

According to some cheese makers, bringing the milk to 75*C-85*C (167*F-186*F)  pasteurizes the milk but leaves some good bacteria that adds flavor and nutrition. 

If you heat the milk all the way to 90*C (194*F) it sterilizes the milk. 

Once the milk reaches the desired temperature hold the milk there for at least 5 minutes.  

My pots hold the heat quite well, so I turned the heat off and kept the thermometer in the milk to make sure the heat didn't dip below the 75* mark until after the 5 minutes. Descriptions of making Tomini states the milk needs to go to 85*C, but cheese makers seem to have varying opinions on this point. It seems to be their twist on making the Tomino recipe their own.

Allow the milk to cool down in the cooking pot to 38* (194*F). 

While the milk is cooling measure out your caglio (rennet) and have it ready to add immediately at 38*C (195*F) 

The temperature can drop quickly so keep a close eye on the temperature of the milk.

Add the caglio (rennet) and stir throughly to distribute the rennet. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to cool undisturbed for at least 40 minutes - 2 hours.  You can raise the lid to peak in just don't stir or move the pot gently if needed so as not to disturb the milk curds. I did the 40 minutes one time and it didn't seem to be enough time for mine to set properly, so now I just go with the 2 hour timing. 

Once you let it cool down you will find that the milk has softly solidified and pulled away from the sides of the pan. There will be a clearish whey formed between the cheese and the pot. 

Take a long handled spoon or metal spatula and start by making a long cut through the top to the bottom of the curd and draw a line horizontally toward you. Lift the spatula out make the same motion horizontally across the curd to form the blessing of the cross. 

Then gently cut the curds up the same way throughout the whole of the pan until the curds form and the whey begins to be throughout the whole pot. Let the curd set for a few minties and then either scoop up the curds with your form or fill the forms gently lifting the curds and pouring then into the draining forms. Fill a few forms and keep going back to refill, as the curds will give a lot of whey even after sitting. 

**Do not let the cheeses sit in the drained whey because it is bitter from the rennet and will give an off flavor to the cheese. There are draining trays here for helping with that problem, but even with those you must keep watching them for a few hours as they will give off whey for a couple of days. After the first few hours the amount will slow down, but be very vigilant with making sure the cheese does not rest for very long in the whey. 

They can be eaten after a couple of hours, but will be quite soft. I would let the others sit at least over night if you can before unmolding them to stand on their own. If desired, you can sprinkle a bit of salt on the top and bottom of the individual cheeses, but not everyone does that. Many people here prefer them with out the salt to taste the freshness os the milk. its a bit like unsalted and salted butter. They both have their place. You can always salt them to taste when eating. 

The cheeses will last several days to a week ot so depending on your salting or not and how you hold them. I keep the nin the refrigerator unless I am going to salt them and dry them with a bit of pepper or herbs. After a day or two of air drying you can then put them in the jars or earthenware jar. They will get strong tasting after a week or so and you can ripen them to taste. Usually for us, they never get that far, as we will have eaten them with tomatoes, and a drizzle of good olive oil or hot pepper oil, a few cranks of fresh cracked pepper for a delicate fresh cheese that you made yourself. 

Do enjoy.

Fresh Tomini cheese with a parsley garnish

*The whey is good as an addition to bread and some types of baked goods. It has also been used in making home made soap. You will find that many animals will enjoy the rennet also, but not all. 

Pasta and Potatoes / Pasta e Patate - A Classic Recipe to Chase the Chill Away

Pasta and Potato

Pasta and Potatoes

It's still chilly these days even though February this year was milder than usual and bowls of hearty vegetables and pasta still go a long way to taking the edge of that chill off. This particular recipe I started making this summer after one of our volunteers, Mascia, prepared us one of her favorite dishes, her grandmother's recipe for pasta e patata, or pasta and potatoes. It's always a treat when someone cooks for us, and especially so when its from one of our volunteers. We've had a variety of International cuisines over the years, Japanese, French, Dutch, Italian vegan / macrobiotic and even my familiar American. 

Most everyone can always use another pasta dish to add to their repertoire.This one seems to be a classic dish in many parts of Italy with as many variations as their are cooks I would imagine. In it's simplest form it is very much like what many of us think of as minestrone soup without the beans. Some people like to add a bit of saltiness and flavor punch by adding in some form of porky cut of meat with various levels of fattiness and smokiness or not. Some like a bit of red pepper zippiness or a touch of oregano. Most are a thick "stick to your ribs" kind of consistency. The Neapolitan version is  finished off in an oven proof dish smothered in smoked, or not, provolone cheese slices and heated till the cheese melts and served right away. 

This version is a simpler straight forward version that Mascia insisted that the butter used to sauté the vegetables was her nonna's secret ingredient.  Here in the north they are fond of using butter and it does make a tasty addition to this simple dish and is highly recommended. What ever your preference might be I think you will find this classic pasta dish a great comfort and "go to" recipe for any day of the week. 
Thanks Mascia for sharing your nonna's recipe. 

Yield : 4 servings

Ingredients:

2-3 T olive oil, extra virgin

30g / 2 T butter

50 g smoked pancetta, prosciutto, or guanciale (optional)*

80 g / 1/2 c  white onion 

80 g / 1/2 c carrots, diced

80 g / 1/2 c  celery, diced

100 g / 2/3 c cherry tomatoes or pachino, blanched, peeled and diced
or some ready made tomato sauce or a combination of the two

3 ½ – 4 cups water or stock

1 vegetable bullion cube, use if you don't have chicken or vegetable stock

500 g / 2 3/4 c potatoes (peeled and cubed)

160 g / 1 1/3 c small shaped pasta ( small tubes, wheels, gnocchetti, mixed pasta, half penne)

2 -3 Parmigiana or Grana Padana crusts (optional)*

Parsley chopped to garnish  or some oregano as some recipes call for 

Grated Parmigiana to sprinkle

Salt and pepper  or hot red pepper to taste

*Variation: In Naples and other southern parts of Italy they will put the finished dish in oven proof bowls and cover the top with some slices of smoked provolone cheese. Heating it to melt the cheese before serving.

Directions:

In a medium pot, at least 2 qt/L, heat your pan, then add the butter and olive oil.

Once the butter has melted and the oil is heated, add the diced onion, carrot and celery.

Sauté the vegetables on a medium heat for a few minutes.

Cook until the vegetables are soft, but hasn't picked up any color, about 3-5 minutes.

Then add the meat if using, and tomatoes, cook a few more minutes.

Add 3 cups of water to the sautéed vegetables along with bullion cube, if using

and the potatoes and pasta.

Taste and adjust seasonings keeping in mind that the crusts will add salt to the dish.

Add the Parmigiana crusts if you have them.

Cook until the potatoes and pasta are cooked, adding the other ½ -1 cup of additional water to reach a creamy texture, but not too soupy.

Serve hot and garnish with Parmigiana if desired. 

Buon appetito!!

Serre Marchetto Mountain Trail Mix for National Trail Mix Day 2016

My Serre Marchetto Trail mix and local maps of our area

Who knew that August 31, was National Trail Mix Day? I didn't, that's for sure, until the folks over at Nuts.com let me in on this American designation. So, when they told me about a contest they are cosponsoring where the winner of the contest's recipe will be featured on their Nuts.com blog, I thought it would be fun to participate. What's not to love about making a great snack worthy of tucking into your rucksack, backpack, or hand bag  for when you are hitting the walking, running, cycling or traveling trail. I thought, hey, why not? Why not indeed, as hiking, or as the Brits much prefer to call it, just plain ole walking, is one of my favorite pastimes and our very own Serre Marchetto neighborhood in Val Chisone, Italy is just full of trails in every direction from our house. Our Bella Baita B&B -Italian Alps Retreat is a great choice for exploring the trails and beauty our neighborhood has on offer. 

All roads lead to Serre Marchetto, well at least some do

My husband has been making wooden trail signs, marking and cleaning paths in collaboration with our local chapter of C.A.I. (Club Alpino Italiano, passionate mountain enthusiasts), for a number of years now to reclaim our neighborhood paths for all to enjoy and find their way round our neck of the woods.

Some of Fabrizio's , my husband, handiwork

In collaboration with our "Regione Piemonte", Fabrizio Roncaglia and our friend Silvano Damiano, have worked tirelessly to clean, reclaim and map out our trails, putting all the trails on a GPS system. We are one of the first communities to utilize this equipment that literally puts our trails on the GPS system. They have made a small map of the area with descriptions of 6 classic walks in the area for all to use. We're really proud of this undertaking and happy to help make this happen in what ever way we can.

The Pinasca trail map resulting from all that hard work

This is an ongoing project with many paths being dusted off and made walkable for the public to discover and will continue to maintain the trails for years to come. 

Fabrizio, Silvano and Valentina, Silvano's daughter working on the trail signs and others coming along for the guided walk

 We live in the Italian Alps, off the beaten path, in the lower part of the Piedmont Alps where we are spoiled for choice, where every type of mountain exploring is possible. A high energy snack that is easily portable is a necessity to keep you going when the energy levels dip. Sounds like a handy, energy filled, natural snack is an essential part of what to take along when you are out on the trail, don't you think?

Hitting the trail in nearby Val Pellice

So why take the time to make a trail mix when there are so many options available and they are all just the same, right? Well no, not exactly. I have to admit, that often I find commercial blends to be just a tad boring or they don't have the right combinations or proportions of the ingredients I like, so making ones own is a smart and often economical choice.

So you say a trail mix is a trail mix, which is just another trail mix? Well, I might agree with you except I just happen to think that roasting your seeds and nuts make the flavors stand out rather than the somewhat bland and familiar raw taste of the seeds and nuts. Maybe that's just me. I like to  add a little saltiness by way of using soy sauce to the seeds after I have lightly pan roasted them to give that little "je ne sais quoi"? ( translates as "I don't know what" ), or what I think of as an added depth and flavor profile to this mixture, which for me, makes this combination a real knock out. Naturally, like most trail mixes, the amounts are variable depending on your particular preferences. If you prefer your mix without the saltiness or can't be bothered toasting the seeds and nuts, then by all means, don't, but I think you'll be happy that you did if you go to a little extra effort. Happy munching and tramping around in the woods, or enjoying this mix in all the ways this powerhouse of flavor and energy can stand in for your average neutral trail mix.

Serre Marchetto Trail Mix

Serre Marchetto Trail Mix Recipe

Yields about 5 1/4 cups

Ingredients:

1 c / 5 oz /150g          Sunflower seeds
1/4 c / 1 oz / 30g       Sesame seeds
1/4c / 1 oz / 35g        Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
1 Tb / 1/2 oz / 12g     Soy sauce
1/2c / 5 oz/ 150g       Almonds
1/2c / 2 oz / 75g        Hazelnuts
1c / 5 oz / 150g          Golden raisins
1c / 5 oz / 150g          Dried Cranberries
1/2c / 1 oz / 40g        Dried Apple cubes
1/4c / 1 oz / 25g        Goji berries
3 Tb / 3/4 oz /25g    Cacao nibs 

Method:

• Measure out all of your ingredients so they are ready to toast and mix. 
• I like to begin by warming up my heavy  cast iron skillet.
• I toast my almonds and hazelnuts in the pan, stirring or shaking the pan to evenly toast to desired color. I tend to like them only slightly  toasted. Remove from the heat and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool until you add the other ingredients.  Place your pan back on the heat. **You can do this in the oven as well, but I don't like to turn the oven on for such a simple task that doesn't require a lot of time to achieve the right color and flavor. Your choice, just don't walk away and forget your nuts as they toast up fast either way. 
• Now add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds to the pan and lightly toast them, stirring or shaking the pan regularly. As the seeds begin to get a little color I sprinkle the sesame seeds in and stir them to toast. Note that the sesame seeds will pop and dance about, so you might want to have a lid handy to keep them in the pan. 
• Once you have the seeds to a light color, turn off the heat and add your soy sauce to the seeds and stir to coat all. The heat makes the seeds stick to the pan a bit, but also adds a bit of flavor as well. Let cool a bit before adding to the other nuts. 
• Add all of your other ingredients while the seeds are still warm as they will soften the dried fruits and slightly clump up for your snacking pleasure. 
• Let cool completely before storing in an air tight container. 
• Take along whenever a high energy snack is needed. 
• Happy Trails!!!!

Serre Marchetto Trail mix and local maps of our neighborhood

Farinata, farinata... (Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?)

Farinata with Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Black Pepper

Ok, so just a little play on words from a song that I think many of us learned as children in our French classes, Frère Jacques or also know in Italian as Fra Martino...  "frère Jacques,  frère Jacques, dormez vous, dormez vous....farinata, farinata....ok ok, so I'm easily amused.

I meant to get this recipe post quite awhile ago as it does require heating up the oven and for some of you that may just not be in the cards for you these days, but alas life happens and blog posts languish. Here in the Alps we are have such a mixture of weather that turning the oven on is still a viable option. So if you plan to have the oven on for something else perhaps with a little planning ahead you might enjoy this subtly flavored chickpea pancake. It's good hot out of the oven and in Piedmont you usually you find it served up  as big rectangular slices or wedges piping hot out of the oven, alongside pizza by the slice. It is usually baked in the oven in copper bottomed pans about 40 cm  or 15 inch round pans, traditionally, but you will also find it cooked in large sheet trays as well, just like focaccia. This culinary treat is native to Liguria and also a popular dish from Provence where it is called Socca. You can find variations in Tuscany and Sardinia as well. I'll let the 2 Mediterranean regions battle it out for which one is the birthplace of this dish.
At home I go for a bit of garnishing with sometimes just black pepper and lime juice squeezed over it once it comes out of the oven, right before serving. I like it with soft cheese slathered across it and maybe some chives or other fresh herbs to taste with a sprinkle of gourmet salt, or a sprinkly if fresh rosemary as well.  It can also be rolled up after smearing it with soft cheese and any other sprinkling of garnishes that strikes your fancy, like finely chopped radish, sun dried tomato bits, olive slices, capers, roasted peppers and on and on.  Fill and roll it up like a jelly roll and cut it into to swirled slices for finger food or stuzzichini. You may need to hold it together with some toothpicks to keep them from unravelling and easy serving as well.  Have at it and give it a whirl. It is delicately flavored, but for those of you, like me, that just can't get enough of that mysteriously subtle chickpea flavor, this is one to try.
 I hope you enjoy it.
Marla

Preparing the batter and pan for baking

 For the best results give the batter a long resting period for the chickpea flour enough time to absorb and soften, at least 2 hours and some recipes call for 8 hours. Mix it up in the morning or the evening to cook later on.

Farinata Wedge

Farinata al Rosmarino

Serves: 6 people

I have a large 12 "heavy pan with a removable handle that I use to bake this in to two different batches. Cast iron skillets work well also. I have used sheet pans, but it didn't work quite as well, but I might not have gotten the pans quite hot enough either, which is key to success. Hot preheated pans, then pour in the oil before pouring the batter in. This is the one of the main keys to success. 

This recipe easily halves and is good for just 2 people. 

Ingredients:

300g chickpea flour (10.5 oz)   (150g/ 5.25 oz for a half batch)

1 liter water, tepid (1 quart with a little splash more) (1/2 liter or quart half batch)

1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground 

1 T salt (1/2 T half batch)

110ml extra virgin olive oil (3.75 oz/ 7.5 T) (55ml / 1.8 oz /3.75T half batch)

2 sprigs or so of fresh rosemary leaves removed from stalks

Method:

I like to use my immersion wand blender, but a whisk works just fine as well.
I will put the water in a tall narrow container like or a large bowl. 

Gently pour in the chickpea flour, whisking to avoid lumps. 

Add the pepper and salt, stir, and allow to sit in a warm place for at least two hours and up to 8 hours. the soaking time 

Preheat the oven to 230*C / 450*F 

Remove the foam from the top of the batter and stir in 110ml olive oil. 

Pour a further tablespoon of the oil into the farinata pan or frying pan and put into the oven until the oil is just smoking. 

Quickly remove the pan and pour in 1/2 of the chickpea batter. (I do this in 2 batches for best results in my pans you might have 3 batches with a cast iron skillet) 

The farinata should be thin – no more than 2cm deep. (If you make the full batch at one time, it will be thick and will need to cook longer, which is fine, totally up to your taste)

Sprinkle the rosemary leaves over the top and return to the oven. 

Bake for about 10 minutes until the top is brown and crisp and the middle is still slightly soft.

Remove from your pan if it is a no stick pan before cutting into to wedges and garnishing.
Serve warm with whatever toppings suit you.
Buon appetitto!

My happy husband Fabrizio getting ready to dig in

Ride the Cottian Alps with an E-Bike

View of Monviso and Cro from the area just beyond our Bella Baita home.

As spring continues to come on here in the Alps of Piedmont, one can not help but think of getting out and about in the mountains as the snow recedes and the green takes over in earnest. The usual harbingers of spring, birds singing their little hearts out, wild flowers popping up sometimes only to have a layer of white cover them up to slow them down but certainly not able to stop the tide of green that is surely on its way. Thoughts of gardening and yard work turns to reality and signs of life are everywhere after a long winters sleep. Out thoughts have turned from the winters discussion to the reality of a day out mountain biking with a twist. 

Carlo, owner of Holitaly and Fabrizio of Bella Baita B&B

Our friend Carlo Grangetto of Holitaly has the concession for electric mountain bikes in Italy and has been telling us about how much fun they are, so, of course we couldn't resist a day out and about a few weeks back past, when he offered to take us out on a beautiful spring day in our neighborhood now could we? Of course not, and what a grand day out it was!  

Delivery and guiding service all included

He brought the bikes to us and after we adjusted them to fit us and a little practice with the ins and outs of gears and using a bit of "go get em" juice from the electric power, we were off and pedaling. 

We went back towards the end of our road in the Grandubbione area riding to the end of the pavement and off into the woods. We rode a bit of double and single track and a good dose of stopping to take in the fantastic views of our gorgeous Cozie alps. 

Views and challenges were just the right mix

What a fabulous day out enjoying the views and reawakening of nature and the feeling of enjoying our neighborhood in a new way. When you come to visit here there is so much to see and do and precisou little time to pack it all in, so the use of an electric bike with a guide to make sure you get the most our of your time riding in the woods is a great value I think. 

"Country roads....take me home...to the place, I belong....."

Carlo's guided tours are very reasonably priced for a full day out with a guide to make sure all goes smoothly, you really couldn't ask for more. On our little backyard jaunt, we made a stop for a piece of tarte tatin and a hot tea, which helped fuel us towards home. You can find all the details here on his site, Holitaly. It's still all in Italian,  but the English version is coming and naturally, we can always help you out with information too. 

We hope you'll come and stay with us this summer and give yourself enough time to add this wonderful day out on mountain bikes to your holiday. We're convinced you'll love it too.  

We're waiting for you!

Agretti Spaghetti - An Ode to Spring

Agretti Spaghetti with lemon and blue Toma cheese

If you have ever had the pleasure of eating agretti, barba di frate, which translates to friars beard, then I know you have probably been in search of it ever since. This is a veggie that just screams "spring" to me. It's also called saltwort, and was once highly sought after throughout Europe for it's leaves that were reduced to ashes which were then used in the process to make glass. 

Italian Agretti. barba di frate or  Salwort

This harbinger of spring has a short lived appearance in the markets and when I spy them, I make sure to bring them home. It's a funny looking vegetable that resembles a bunch of skinny succulents. The flavor of these fleshy needle like leaves are a little reminiscent of pencil thin asparagus with a subtle and slightly mineral taste. 

Lightly boiled and then slightly sautéed in olive oil and garlic before adding cooked  pasta

Most of the time I lightly boil or steam them, drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. They do need a bit of salt even though I have confused them with seaweed, as they are sometimes referred to as land seaweed. I thought they would be salty, but they are not. Their delicate flavor is almost nutty sweet and they taste best when least fiddled with.  
Most agretti and spaghetti recipes I have found call for boiling them together before saucing it all with a gorgonzola cheese sauce and maybe a light sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts or walnuts. That sounds great, but in the end I found that I preferred a light handling of the cheese,  a few cheese crumbles on top and was fresh out of nuts and found that we liked this version very much. I preferred to boil the spaghetti and agretti separately so I didn't over cook the agretti. Next time I might start the spaghetti first and then add the agretti a little while into the cooking for a one pot wonder dish, and I will definitely sprinkle a few nut pieces, or I might just make just like this again, cause to me it was just that good. 

Moncenisio Blue Cheese

Agretti and spaghetti united 

Agretti (barba di frate/ friars beard)

 Ingredients for 4 :

• 500g spaghetti 

• 400g di agretti o barba di frate

• 1 lemon, juiced and the zest from the peel  

• olive oil

• 1 clove of garlic

• salt and fresh ground pepper

• 100 g or so Blue cheese crumbles, I used a local toma called Moncenesio - ricotta salata or parmigian are other good choices

Method:

Wash the agretti thoroughly and trim the roots off from the stems.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Mince the garlic and have your other ingredients ready to go as it all comes together quickly at the end. 

Either cook your agretti first till desired tenderness, about 5 minutes and remove from the water and then add the spaghetti and cook till al dente.

or begin to cook your pasta adding in the agretti a little later so they cook at the same time. 

While the pasta is cooking heat the oil in a large flat sauce pan 

add the garlic and only let the garlic barely cook and then add the cooked agretti.

Cook a minute or two to coat and soften the garlic before adding the cooked spaghetti. 

Once all is coated with olive oil and thoroughly mixed, season with the lemon juice and zest. Season with the salt and pepper. 

Serve the pasta and sprinkle the pasta with blue cheese crumbles to taste on individual servings. 

Agretti spaghetti with lemon and blue cheese crumbles

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