Ferragosto lunch in Gavi

Dear All! On 15/8 in Italy we were on Bank Holiday and, as usual, I had lunch out with friends. We usually head to Gavi, Piedmont at La Marchesa Agritourism. I’ve been knowing this place since I was a child, when I spent some time in the countryside with grandparents and I’ve been keeping the tradition to have lunch at this place on holidays. The farm is located in Gavi , a town famous for winemaking : Gavi white wine is among top-ranking Italian ones, reflecting its terroir and bone-dry character. The owners of this farm also grow up their own grapevine and vegetables, they raise cows, roosters and hens – so the lunch was entirely made up by local products. Even if the white wine of Gavi is considered an excellent partner to seafood, the Ferragosto menu was mainly made up by meat and vegetable dishes. As starters, we tasted peppers – filled in with meat, a Fassona meatball with truffle oil and figs with homemade salame. As a main course, we had fresh pasta with zucchini, carrots and lemon – a very seasonal, tasty dish with the flavor of summer. As a second course the farm served us a roast beef of Fassona meat, typical of Piedmont – as a side we had roasted potatoes with rosemary. Such a delicious lunch cannot end before a dessert: we had to choose between a melon cheesecake and a peach tart. Below you can find some pics about the several dishes we ate, please feel free to ask for receipts or more information by MP. If you are nearby and would like to have a walk after lunch, you should visit Gavi old town, which was under the Genoese domination and was rebuilt to be a fortification on the hills. Namely for this reason, you should visit the fortress, rebuilt in the 17th century around the pre-existing castle. If you love castles, then you should also visit the near and very small town of Tassarolo – where the castle of the Genoese family Spinola has been erected in the countryside. Even if this day trip was very near home, it’s been an occasion to evade from everyday routine and keep on wanderlusting – waiting to explore brand new places!

Camilla