Ottolenghi - Mike in Piemonte

Mike in Piemonte

Mike Britten, manager and most familiar face of Ottolenghi, Belgravia, is back from Italy with a very visual travel log:

Another year, another trip to my wonderful friends Neil and Richie and their home in the hills of the Piemonte region of Italy, an area abundant in naturally grown produce that is converted into some of the best quality cheeses, wines, salamis and meats I have tasted.

This trip was full of (mainly) foodie excitements:

A ten course fish supper at the Sardinian owned Trattoria Fabiana perched on the edge of a beautiful valley.

The wafer thin shaved octopus, sea bass fillet on crushed peas with hazelnut sauce and an octopus lollipop croquette were particular highlights of this girth expanding supper.

A trip to the beautiful and historic Turin.

A very tiny cheese and wine festival in Murrazzano, where we met an organic farmer who invited us to his kitchen canteen and farm for supper (more of this later).

The obligatory trip to Alba for Prosecco in the central Piazza, followed by a drive through the wine lands of Barolo and a little stop off in this medieval town perched on top of a hill. Sadly, being in Italy and it being a Monday everything was closed (Next time – wine tasting doesn’t escape me that easily!)

Finally, back to our organic farm invite. At the end of a tiny gravel lane, down a valley we find, Finnochiona Verde Farm. Literally translated as - Green Fennel Farm, locally known as The Green Gay!

Amusing but lost in translation. The beautiful food made and served here using mainly produce from this farm, worked much better than the local humour.

After watching the livestock milking, we ate peppery salami, extremely ‘hoofy’ goat’s and sheep’s cheese, super-fresh raw broad beans, excellently flavoured carne cruda (something I can never normally get my head around) followed by simple pasta and a rabbit stew.

The piece de resistance however, was the wild strawberry, Moscato and mint jelly dessert. Quite simply - stunning! The wild strawberries are everywhere across the valleys at this time of year.

The Finnochiona Verde is affiliated with W.O.O.F, an organisation that allows volunteers from all over the world to come along and learn about organic farming. No better way to get your hands dirty.

Next up for me: Biennial Bra International Cheese Festival in September - another reason, should one be needed to take a trip to Piemonte.

Comments

1. Ali said, on 17 June, 2011 08:58

Fantastic photos Mike! :)

2. Anne Marie said, on 17 June, 2011 17:27

Guys, I absolutely adore your cookbooks and I have posted riffs on two of your recipes. But I had to comment here since I just returned last week from visiting family in Piemonte. I will be posting later this week on the open market in Ivrea, but my favorite thing I saw there was a traveling RAW MILK coin vending machine. Here in San Francisco you have to go to particular stores and it costs and arm in a leg. Anyways, keep up the fantastic work!

3. Chelsea said, on 17 June, 2011 20:01

I am an Australian whose not travelled Europe but am planning a trip next May to Italy and Spain. This post gives me a real kick in the pants to start my arrangements - I love the idea of visiting a W.O.O.F. property for some hands on travel.
I'd also love a recipe for the wild strawberry, Moscato and mint jelly dessert; if you could muster one up. Superb combination for Summer. Gorgeous!
thank you

4. Francesca said, on 19 June, 2011 06:03

Great to hear that you enoyed Piemonte! Next time if you can you may like to try the less anthropized landscape and flavours of the Alta Langa, less tourists (Barolo's hills have no woods and trees left, only vines) and more hazelnuts and different cheeses (Robiola by the Cooperativa Caseificio of Roccaverano for example, and the various toma, with all the cugna' and other jams)... and then come over to the Monferrato hills area (Asti and its 100 Medeival towers! Forget Spumante, try Barbera, Barbaresco, Grignolino, Dolcetto, Freisa, Bonarda, Ruché, and Cortese- a stunning white-). A warm ciao from Piemonte PS: Leonetto Ottolenghi was a famous benefactor from Asti, there's also a street dedicated to him and its family near our sinagogue, pls tell Yotam if he doesn't know-another reason to come and have a look!

5. Sami said, on 22 June, 2011 07:16

Oh the goodness that my tastebuds are experiencing is indescribable. I just popped into the Nottinghill Ottolenghi and decided to treat myself to some Quinoa and goat's cheese fritters after splashing out on cakes for some friends So exquisite, bursting with so may exciting yet comforting flavours....thank you so much! I have both the Ottolenghi and Plenty cookbooks but can't seem to find the recipe...please may I have it, they are just too divine! Knowing your brasserie is only a 15 minute walk away from my new flat is such a comfort in this stressful moving and packing process. :-)

6. Yotam said, on 26 June, 2011 02:35

Thank you all.

@Sami, the recipe is inspired by Heidi Swanson. We add goat's cheese. Have a look:
http://sparrowsandspatulas.blogspot.com/2011/04/heidi-swansons-quinoa-patties.html

7. Mike said, on 26 June, 2011 05:32

Chelsea this is the link to the WWOOF website http://www.wwoof.org/
I have to say its something I would really love to do as well. I think its a min 3 weeks so you get really get into the swing of things.
I dream of making my own smelly cheese perhaps this is how ill do it!
If you could get decent and large quantities of wild strawberries in England id be tempted to convince one of our fabulous chefs to give it a go but they just arent available!
Francesca, my pals live in Mombacaro which is high up in the Alta Lange (900m) right in the middle of hazelnut territory. I will take up some of your suggestions next time im there.
In the autumn at the Tartufa festival there is a seasonal double cream Gorgonzola mixed with champagne served on a spoon, which is quite possibly the most divine cheese ever created!
Thnaks for the tips
Mike

8. Mike said, on 26 June, 2011 05:33

ps Anne Marie - Please post a link to your open market blog. Would love to read it. Mike

9. Mike said, on 27 June, 2011 06:37

ps Anne Marie - Please post a link to your open market blog. Would love to read it. Mike

10. sarah said, on 23 July, 2012 08:14

Hi Ottolenghi

Firstly to thank you for your amazing food I absolutely love every recipe I've ever done! (yesterday was herby lamb shoulder with broad beans)

I wondered if you'd be willing to support this appeal - a Syrian cookbook written by a friend of a friend to raise money for the Red Cross out there.
http://tasteoffreedom2012.wordpress.com/

thanks, & keep the wonderful flavours coming :-)

1. Ali said, on 17 June, 2011 08:58
Fantastic photos Mike! :)
2. Anne Marie said, on 17 June, 2011 17:27
Guys, I absolutely adore your cookbooks and I have posted riffs on two of your recipes. But I had to comment here since I just returned last week from visiting family in Piemonte. I will be posting later this week on the open market in Ivrea, but my favorite thing I saw there was a traveling RAW MILK coin vending machine. Here in San Francisco you have to go to particular stores and it costs and arm in a leg. Anyways, keep up the fantastic work!
3. Chelsea said, on 17 June, 2011 20:01
I am an Australian whose not travelled Europe but am planning a trip next May to Italy and Spain. This post gives me a real kick in the pants to start my arrangements - I love the idea of visiting a W.O.O.F. property for some hands on travel.
I'd also love a recipe for the wild strawberry, Moscato and mint jelly dessert; if you could muster one up. Superb combination for Summer. Gorgeous!
thank you
4. Francesca said, on 19 June, 2011 06:03
Great to hear that you enoyed Piemonte! Next time if you can you may like to try the less anthropized landscape and flavours of the Alta Langa, less tourists (Barolo's hills have no woods and trees left, only vines) and more hazelnuts and different cheeses (Robiola by the Cooperativa Caseificio of Roccaverano for example, and the various toma, with all the cugna' and other jams)... and then come over to the Monferrato hills area (Asti and its 100 Medeival towers! Forget Spumante, try Barbera, Barbaresco, Grignolino, Dolcetto, Freisa, Bonarda, Ruché, and Cortese- a stunning white-). A warm ciao from Piemonte PS: Leonetto Ottolenghi was a famous benefactor from Asti, there's also a street dedicated to him and its family near our sinagogue, pls tell Yotam if he doesn't know-another reason to come and have a look!
5. Sami said, on 22 June, 2011 07:16
Oh the goodness that my tastebuds are experiencing is indescribable. I just popped into the Nottinghill Ottolenghi and decided to treat myself to some Quinoa and goat's cheese fritters after splashing out on cakes for some friends So exquisite, bursting with so may exciting yet comforting flavours....thank you so much! I have both the Ottolenghi and Plenty cookbooks but can't seem to find the recipe...please may I have it, they are just too divine! Knowing your brasserie is only a 15 minute walk away from my new flat is such a comfort in this stressful moving and packing process. :-)
6. Yotam said, on 26 June, 2011 02:35
Thank you all.

@Sami, the recipe is inspired by Heidi Swanson. We add goat's cheese. Have a look:
http://sparrowsandspatulas.blogspot.com/2011/04/heidi-swansons-quinoa-patties.html
7. Mike said, on 26 June, 2011 05:32
Chelsea this is the link to the WWOOF website http://www.wwoof.org/
I have to say its something I would really love to do as well. I think its a min 3 weeks so you get really get into the swing of things.
I dream of making my own smelly cheese perhaps this is how ill do it!
If you could get decent and large quantities of wild strawberries in England id be tempted to convince one of our fabulous chefs to give it a go but they just arent available!
Francesca, my pals live in Mombacaro which is high up in the Alta Lange (900m) right in the middle of hazelnut territory. I will take up some of your suggestions next time im there.
In the autumn at the Tartufa festival there is a seasonal double cream Gorgonzola mixed with champagne served on a spoon, which is quite possibly the most divine cheese ever created!
Thnaks for the tips
Mike
8. Mike said, on 26 June, 2011 05:33
ps Anne Marie - Please post a link to your open market blog. Would love to read it. Mike
9. Mike said, on 27 June, 2011 06:37
ps Anne Marie - Please post a link to your open market blog. Would love to read it. Mike
10. sarah said, on 23 July, 2012 08:14
Hi Ottolenghi

Firstly to thank you for your amazing food I absolutely love every recipe I've ever done! (yesterday was herby lamb shoulder with broad beans)

I wondered if you'd be willing to support this appeal - a Syrian cookbook written by a friend of a friend to raise money for the Red Cross out there.
http://tasteoffreedom2012.wordpress.com/

thanks, & keep the wonderful flavours coming :-)

Mike in Piemonte

Comments

Place a comment

Latest Tweet

Categories

Archive

Ottolenghi, Notting Hill

Ottolenghi, Islington

Ottolenghi, Kensington

Ottolenghi, Belgravia