Plane, hills and mountains - vegetarian
Discover the traditional vegetarian products made in Emilia, where for centuries people have farmed the plane and the hills and learned to enjoy what nature can give in the mountains.
This basket contains:
Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP Invecchiato (aged Balsamic Vinegar from Modena)
Sugo ai porcini (Boletus mushrooms prepared in tomato sauce)
Porcini trifolati in crema di porcini (Boletus mushrooms prepared in Boletus mushroom sauce)
Mirtilli neri selvatici (wild mountain blueberries)
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP di montagna 30 mesi (mountain Parmesan matured 30 months)
Caprino semi stagionato (semi-matured goat cheese)
Vino rosso frizzante secco Lacrime di Bosco * (red sparkling dry wine Lacrime di Bosco)
IGP - Indicazione Geografica Protetta (PGI - Protected Geographical Indication)
DOP - Denominazione Origine Protetta (PDO - Protected Denomination of Origin)
* The product is certified organic
The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena was produced for centuries only for noble families, because incredibly precious and costly. Nowadays it remains priceless, because it is produced only from cooked grape must from a very small region, with a very slow process involving very small volumes. For this reason, craftsmen invented the Balsamic Vinegar from Modena, where the cooked grape must is mixed with wine vinegar. If done correctly, this product makes it possible for many people to enjoy the peculiar taste of Balsamic Vinegar, while retaining the high quality and the tradition behind its production. This Balsamic Vinegar contains more than 50% cooked grape must and comes from Acetaia La Tradizione, a cooperative of craftsmen united by the passion for traditional processes handed down from generation to generation. The cooked grape must and the wine vinegar are blended for at least 3 years, yielding a liquid with a good density and an excellent balance between sour and sweet.
The mushrooms, the mushroom sauce and the wild mountain blueberries come from Sotto Bosco, a small firm with the workshop in Pavullo, a town at the foot of the Alto Appennino Modenese. This mountain area has a long tradition of gathering and using the fruits of the undergrowth for cooking. Here, Primo and his colleagues use traditional recipes and their experience to transform the local wild mountain blueberries and the best mushrooms from Europe into something special, like the three products we propose here.
According to some documents Parmesan cheese was invented by monks in the medieval age and commercialised for the first time in 1254. Our Parmesan is crafted by Ennio1950, a family firm located in the village of Sestola, where the hills become mountains. Ennio learned the art of making Parmesan from his father Medardo and he is the kind of person that gets up at 5 am to milk the cows and goes in the field at midnight to avoid that the hay gets wet - he wants to give only the best to his cows. The Parmesan matured 30 months is aromatic, with flavours and aromas that remind of milk, fresh butter and hay. The semi-maturedgoat cheese, slightly piquant and with character, is produced by a local shepherd and brought to you by Ennio. Thanks to his passion for cheese making, Ennio selects also the best cheeses crafted by other locals and, when needed, he completes the maturing process.
Finally, La Piana Winery is making the wine. On the hills of Castelvetro, Mirco and Martina have been among the first ones to accept the challenge: making all their wines according to organic agriculture practices. And that is just the way to achieve their aim - making a high-quality wine. For this reason, with the help of a few colleagues, Mirco and Martina combine tradition with innovation, attention with passion. The wine we propose here is fruity and embracing, produced from the local grape variety Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro.
Tips & Ideas to enjoy the products
Enjoy the Parmesan in chunks with fresh pear and walnuts, eventually with a few drops of aged Balsamic Vinegar from Modena. You can also grate it on top of pasta or a salad, or make flakes using a knife! Enjoy the semi-matured goat cheese in slices (remember to remove the rind) with bread, fresh fruit or dry apricots.
Crostini con funghi e caprino. Cut some bread slices that are 1 - 2 cm thick. Bake them in the oven at 220 °C with ventilation for 10 min. Heat up the mushrooms slowly, in a small pot over the stove or in the microwave. Cut a few slices of the semi-matured goat cheese and remove the rind. When the bread slices are ready, simply pour some mushrooms or cheese on top of the bread. Place again in the oven for a few minutes the bread slices with cheese, if you would like it melted. Enjoy together with a glass of the red sparkling dry wine! Place it in the fridge for some hours and take it out 30 min before drinking it - it is best enjoyed fresh!
Peperoni grigliati con Aceto Balsamico. Follow this recipe (suggested in the section Recipes) to enjoy a simple and flavourful side dish based on peppers and Balsamic Vinegar. Ahh...and remember to taste a bit of the red sparkling dry wine along the way!
Gelato con i mirtilli. Nothing more than opening the jar and pouring some blueberries with their juice on top of vanilla ice cream. Just buy a good ice cream, or try to make your own with the recipe Gelato alla vaniglia (suggested in the section Recipes).
This Balsamic Vinegar is best enjoyed on top of vegetables, semi-matured and matured cheese. Someone suggests to combine it also with fruit and Gelato! You can enjoy the mushrooms also as sauces for pasta, or even on top of a pizza (without additional tomato sauce) or inside a pie. Do not through out the Parmesan crust! There is no wax, it is just cheese. Use a knife to scrape the surface (just in case it is a bit dirty), cut it into small pieces (e.g. 2 x 2 cm) and bake them in the oven at 180 °C with ventilation for around 10 min. Let the pieces cool down and voilà...you have got a tasty snack! Gummy and/or crunchy according to the thickness of the pieces. You can also put the pieces in a soup without cooking them!
Packaging
The single products are packed as shown in the first picture. The basket is not included.
How to store the products
You can keep the Balsamic Vinegar for months, even years. Warmth is not a problem, since it has been stored in warm environments for the maturation process. The mushrooms and the mushroom sauce can last for around three years at room temperature, but once you open the jar you need to keep them in the fridge and consume within a few days. The blueberries can be stored for around two years at room temperature and once opened keep them in the fridge and consume within a few days. The Parmesan can last for several months in the fridge; once you open the vacuum package, put the Parmesan in a plastic container to avoid that it becomes dry. The semi-matured goat cheese can last for around two months in the fridge; once you open the vacuum package, place it in a plastic container or food paper and consume within a few weeks. Store the wine in a cool place away from direct light.Product ingredients
Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP Invecchiato: cooked grape must, wine vinegar. Contains sulphites.
Sugo ai porcini: tomato pulp (tomato, tomato juice and paste, citric acid), Boletus edulis and mushrooms of the same group (40%), olive oil, onion, white wine (contains sulphites), parsley, salt, sugar, basil, pepper.
Porcini trifolati in crema di porcini: Boletus edulis and mushrooms of the same group (68%), sunflower oil, water, salt, rice starch, parsley, spices, pepper, onion, garlic, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
Mirtilli neri selvatici: wild mountain blueberries.
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP di montagna 30 mesi: pasteurised milk from cow, rennet, salt.
Caprino semi stagionato: pasteurised milk from goat, rennet of plant origin, cheese cultures, salt.
Vino rosso frizzante secco Lacrime di Bosco: fermented grape Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro (Denomination of Protected Origin). Contains sulphites. 11% vol. alcohol.