The desmonteghea of Falcade, with the parade of 150 garments, concluded the mountain pasture season, but now the agrichef season arrives. Of the owners of the agritourisms who are the farmers (bringing the herds to pasture), the dairy farmers (working the milk), the hospitality managers and the chefs in their respective kitchens. A world to be known.
With agriaperitifs, first courses and appetizers, obviously all based on cheese, three agrichefs from Belluno will be protagonists at Caseus Veneti, next Saturday and Sunday at Villa Contarini in Piazzola sul Brenta. In the area of the country cooks of Campagna Amica it will be possible to attend the showcooking with tasting thanks to the presence of three cheesemakers in the kitchen. They are Fabrizio Pescosta, breeder of Falcade, owner of “La Piccola Baita”, Alessandro Boschetto, agritourism operator of “La Casera” of Chies d’Alpago and of the herdsman Giovanna Giuffrida of “Malga Ciauta” in Vodo di Cadore. An all-Belluno team that plans three tests a day to entertain citizens, consumers visiting the show, now a fixed appointment for many fans.
“Thanks to the presence of the peasant chefs of Coldiretti Veneto, consumers will be able to taste traditional rural dishes based on typical local cheeses, even produced by the three protagonists of the zero km cookers”, announces the president of Coldiretti Belluno, Alessandro de Rocco.
Hulled barley with pastin and seasoned Piave; pumpkin gnocchi on Morlacco fondue: schiz croquettes breaded with sesame; croutons of sponcio corn polenta with early and creamy goat radicchio, with the addition of figs: these are the Dolomite proposals, which Fabrizio Pescosta, breeder of Falcade, owner of “La Piccola Baita”, anticipates. Together with him, Alessandro Boschetto, an agritourism operator from Casera Pal in Chies d’Alpago and the expert dairyman Giovanna Giuffrida from “Malga Ciauta” in Vodo di Cadore will prepare the best of Belluno cuisine.
An all-Belluno team that plans three tests a day from cicchetti for aperitifs, to first courses up to snacks. “The ingredients used for the preparation of the recipes are an expression of territorial distinctiveness and the affirmation of seasonality”, comments Pescosta, provincial president of the farms of Terranostra Coldiretti Belluno. “The agrichefs are the natural ambassadors because they cultivate, breed directly and have matured skills and abilities in the kitchen by graduating from the Coldiretti Academy, dedicating many hours of preparation to study in terms of communication, welcome and hospitality”.
Giovanna Giuffrida comes from Codognè, in the Treviso area. In the summer she takes 10 head of cattle to mountaineering above Vodo, as many sheep, rabbits and chickens. His “Malga Ciauta” offers hospitality and catering. Giovanna divides her time between the pasture, the stable, the pets, the cheesemaker’s workshop, the kitchen of the restaurant, the hotel, getting help from some temporary collaborators. But it is she who watches over the herd at night. Her passion is cheese making. Although he is a chef, cooking is the third element: «The value of our products involves great sacrifices. It would cost too much if we monetized it. But our guests are aware of this and do not object if, with the energy price increases, we dare to ask for some extra price ».
In these days Mrs. Giuffrida has brought the animals downstream to overwinter.
Pescosta, who runs a hut facing the Biois valley and the furthest mount Civetta, also came down from Passo Valles on Saturday.
“First the drought, then the increase in costs, then the low temperatures: this summer,” he says, “we really didn’t want for anything.”
Boschetto manages Casera Pal in Chies. He left his Lamon for Chies. Outside the Pal you can find the tub for the Finnish bath. He grows cabbage, cabbage, radicchio, potatoes, maize, leeks, honey and then chickens, horses, sheep. He has 50 sheep. And the fear of wolves is the challenge of every night. «To Piazzola sul Brenta», he tells him, «we will bring the best not only of what we know how to pack, but also of what we produce».