`Memories of Lago di Garda on Foodie Friday

Lago di Garda

       It’s Foodie Friday and the end of a very busy week at Casa Bramasole. As I was trying to decide what to make for dinner (and blog about), my mind kept wandering to thoughts like “I REALLY need a vacation”. Now if I COULD take a vacation, can you guess where I’d go??

Silly question, right?

I am so predictable.

I’m going to take a giant leap here and assume you knew I’d be headed to Italy in a heartbeat. So in remembering my childhood summers, I started to think about some of my very favorite places- the ones that hold a special spot in my heart.

One of the first places that comes to mind is Lago di Garda. My grandfather had a special love of the area and shared it with me every time we were there. 

Lake Garda is in northern Italy between Venice and Milan. The lake is part of the Lombardy region on the west and the Veneto on the east. The northern tip is in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. The Dolomite mountains are not far away and can be seen towering above the lake. There are many small towns and villages around the Lake and some of the best restaurants and hotels in the country are there. 

     One of the main features of the landscape around the lake are the olive trees  The land around Lago di Garda  produces some of the best olive oils in the country. Farms which are bound to the oil producers' association are opened to visitors and sell directly to the public.

This is Gargnano

                  I remember Gargnano as having several wonderful restaurants where we enjoyed long meals and we children got to have boat rides on the Lake. In Gargnano lemon-houses stand out since they were built with high pillars, in a row, and contained on three sides by white rock walls.

Lemon-houses are hothouses for the lemon growing and it used to be what people lived on and a huge part of the town’s economy. Lemon-houses were built in order to allow for growing citrus fruits in cold climates.

Limone is on the western shore towards the north end of the lake. Limone is famous for it's many lemon groves, although these days they are mostly derelict, leaving behind just the instantly recognizable long buildings with the pillars of stone. Limone actually got it's name from "border", as it was once the border between Italy and Austria. 

 Limone

A Limonaia or lemon house on the side of the hill in Limone. I think this may be the Limonaia del Castel

     I remember the very first time I had a fruit risotto for dessert was on one of our trips to Lake Garda. 


And so I decided to share a version with you. Sometimes I make this with wine or champagne, but tonight I opted for milk. 


One of the little angels I care for during the day is on a special lactose and gluten free diet which means I tend to have lots of coconut milk around since that’s what he drinks. 


So I thought I’d use a bit of that too :)

Strawberry Risotto

3 cups of milk 

1 cup of coconut milk from 13.5 oz can 

1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped

zest of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoon of butter

3/4 cup of sugar 

1 cup of  arborio rice

1/2 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoon of orange liqueur 

1 cup plus 1/2  cup sliced strawberries 

Toasted sliced almonds for garnish

 Heat the milks, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel in a largish saucepan until the liquid is simmering. Blanch 1 cup of berries in liquid for 30 seconds and remove.

Reduce the heat and keep liquid hot.

 Meanwhile in  another saucepan melt the butter. Add the Arborio rice and saute for a minute or two till coated and translucent.  Stir well.Add orange liquer and stir till absorbed.  Add 1/2 cup of hot milk  mixture at a time waiting till each ladleful is absorbed before adding the next and stirring well.

   The process takes about 45 minutes to complete. I've noticed that it seems to take longer with the milks than with broth- I'm guessing due to the lactose and thickness of the coconut milk. Meanwhile puree the blanched berries in a blender or food processor

When done, add the heavy cream, half at a time. Stir well to completely incorporate. Remove from heat and add the puree and sliced strawberries, stir slowly, cover and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Add some more strawberries for garnish and sprinkle with almond slices.

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Our main dish tonight is Veal Saltimbocca which translates to "jump in the mouth". 

We Italians are very verbal and descriptive :)

From Wikipedia: Saltimbocca is a dish popular in southern Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Greece made of veal, chicken or pork lined or topped with prosciutto and sage,  marinated in wine, oil or saltwater depending on the region. The most well-known version of this dish is “saltimbocca alla Romana”  which means Roman style although it probably originated in Brescia- this version is traditionally made with Marsala wine

   It’s a quick, easy and delicious meal. Tonight’s version is a special treat because veal cutlets were on sale (YAY!) though chicken or pork cutlets also work well. Be sure to pound the meat thinly, but with care not to tear it. 

Veal Saltimbocca

1- 1 1/2 pounds fettuccine noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2-2  pounds boneless veal cutlets
fresh sage leaves
salt
freshly ground black pepper
prosciutto slices, paper-thin, enough slices to match number of cutlets
all-purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups butter, chilled and cubed
1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
1 lemon, sliced thinly

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender to the bite. Toss with two tablespoons olive oil and keep warm.

Pound cutlets to about 1/4-inch between two pieces of plastic wrap. Season well with  salt and pepper. Place one slice of prosciutto atop each cutlet and layer with sage. Fold in half and secure with toothpicks

Lightly coat veal in flour; shake off excess. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pieces of veal and cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add oil as needed until all veal is cooked Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

Pour off excess fat, add the wine to the skillet, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Whisk in the chilled butter, two tablespoons at a time. Season sauce with salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Slip meat back into sauce to warm for a minute or two.

Serve immediately with the fettuccine. Pour some sauce over the top of each plate of pasta and garnish with lemon slices.

Again, a special thank you to Michael for giving us the opportunity to win that beautiful copper pan. We will plan a Foodie Friday meal using it as soon as it arrives

As Always,

Buon Alimenti, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie