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In
spring the snow starts to melt and fills the rivers and mountain lakes
with crystal clear, very cold water.
Beans, peas, artichokes, asparagus and fennel grow in the garden
and the vines need to be pruned.
Mountain walks are beautiful particularly now since the wild
flowers are out. In this
region rare orchids grow in surprising places, meadows are carpeted in
colour. The lonza and salame
is ready. We pretend to be
out when the local serenaders with their pian accordians come round to make up rude songs about us
for the May Day festa.
In
the last week of May in Camerino we watch the Corso alla Spada.
A mediaeval festival much like the famous Paglio in Siena, where
everyone dresses up in authentic costumes and the young men race in
tights around the walled, cobbled city to be the first to ‘reach the
sword’. For just two weeks
in the year the old taverna
are open and we are dished up hand made tagliatelle, roast lamb and pecorino
sheeps cheese, and wine in earthenware jugs by serving wenches in
medieval gowns and
entertained by minstrels singing madrigals, magicians and mystics.
Spring
Sample Schedule
Saturday:
Afternoon.
We will collect you from Ancona
airport,
Fabriano or Camerino railway stations and transport you to your
accommodation.
7.30 pm
.
Welcome to La Culinaria with local aperitivi
and prosecco. Dinner is
prepared for you and served al fresco in the stone courtyard of La
Culinaria and finished off with herb flavoured digestivi
or grappa.
Sunday.
Awake to the peaceful surroundings of your agriturismo.
8.00 – 9.00 am
. A breakfast of fresh
seasonal fruit, yoghurt, bread still warm from the village bakery, jams
and preserves made at La Culinaria and cappuccino give you the perfect
start to the day.
9.30 am
.
Arrive at La Culinaria. You
will be given an introduction to the course, schedule, welcome pack to
include recipes of everything you will taste and cook, course notes and
your apron. Tour of the orto
or vegetable garden and vineyard. Short
cooking class.
1
00pm. Lunch made by you.
Afternoon
at leisure. You might like
to return to your accommodation for a siesta
or stroll through the grounds of La Culinaria, sunbathe or just soak up
the quiet.
5.00 pm
.
Talk by our norcineria (prosciutto and salumi) and truffle expert, Luca
Castraberte. Cooking class.
8.00 pm
. Aperitivi.
Dinner made by
you.
Monday.
8.00 – 9.00 am
. Breakfast
9.30 am
.
Pasta making class. We
learn how to make the perfect sauces to accompany the perfect dough
which we roll out thin enough to read a newspaper through.
1.00 pm
.
Lunch made by you.
Afternoon
at leisure.
5.00 pm
.
Wine tasting and talk on wine production, characteristics of Le
Marche
wines and a
general overview of Italian wines. Short
cooking class.
8.00 pm
.
Aperitivi.
Dinner made by you.
Tuesday.
8.00 – 9.00 am
. Breakfast
9.30 am
.
Today we visit two vineyards.
First, Belisario: a large cooperativo
where we can see commercial wine production on a large scale.
They make good wines which we will taste in their enoteca. Then on to
Monacesco, small producers who make excellent, prize winning wines.
1.00 pm
.
Lunch out in a mountain refuge. Walk
through the mountains to see the wild flowers famous in this region.
Afternoon
siesta
5.00 pm
.
Cooking class
8.00 pm
.
Aperitivi.
Dinner made by you
Wednesday
8.00 – 9.00 am
. Breakfast
9.30 am
.
Pizza lesson. We
learn to make pizza dough and suggest toppings.
1.00 pm
.
Marvelous, ludicrous fun. We
travel to a local farm where we each cook a pizza in the traditional
wood oven, taste each others and argue over which is best.
Afternoon
at leisure.
5.00 pm
.
Olive oil lesson. Cheese
lesson. Cooking class.
8.00 pm
.
Aperitivi.
Dinner made by you.
Thursday
8.00 – 9.00 am
. Breakfast
9.30 am
.
Local contadino
demonstrates cheese making. Cooking
class: how to bottle fruit and vegetables, make jams, preserves, pickles
and relish.
1.00 pm
.
Lunch made by you
Afternoon
at leisure
Shopping
in Camerino
7.00 pm
. Dinner
in a mediaeval tavern
9.00 pm
. Mediaeval
procession to open the Corso alla Spada
11.00 pm
.
Digestivi and home
Friday
8.00 – 9.00 am
. Breakfast
9.30 am
.
Trip to Montecavallo to see traditional prosciuto and salume
production. Short picnic
class in the hills
1.00 pm
.
Picnic lunch
Afternoon
at leisure
5.00 pm
.
An introduction to liqueur making.
Cooking class.
8.00 pm
.
Aperitivi.
Farewell dinner made by you
Saturday
8.00 – 9.00 am
. Breakfast
Departure
for
Ancona
Airport
Spring
Sample dishes
Fave,
pecorino
fresco e alici
Garden runner beans,
fresh peccorino and home salted anchovies
Olive
nere con sanguinello e fiori di finocchio
Black
olives marinated with blood orange and fennel flowers
Carciofi
al vapore con bagna cauda*
Steamed
artichokes with anchovy & garlic dip
Risotto
con gorgonzola, noci e zucchine
Risotto
with gorgonzola, walnuts and courgettes
Radicchio,
basilico e ricotta cappelletti
con crema di asparagi
Radicchio,
basil & ricotta cappeletti with asparagus cream
Agnello
arrosto con patate al forno, zucchine e fiori di zucca
Roast
lamb with garlic and rosemary roast potatoes, courgettes and courgette
flowers
Trota
e Gamberi del fiume sulla brace in Salsa verde*
Local
trout and river prawns on the char-grill in salsa verde
Panna
cotta con sciroppo di amarena e gabbia di caramela*
Panna
cotta with sour cherry syrup and sugar cage
Limoncello
Lemon
liqueur
*See
Recipes
If
you would like to discuss a tailor made course, please call
+447733266700 or email laculinaria@yahoo.co.uk
La
Culinaria Homepage
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