LAKE GARDA MEER AND MORE

As I write this the sun is settong infront of my eyes on the south eastern tip of Lake Garda Meer . We have front row seats in the auditorium as a  small hedge just seperates us from the Lake. If you want something enough !!! and we did . Behind us are about 150 other camper vans and bungalows but we found this small space . To the left and right are many italians enjoying a free weekend LIBERATION and schools arer free too so it is very busy.. It is there country after all. 

WE stayed the night in a camping near Bolzano  overlooking the vineyards, and the mountains, when I woke I saw the sun rising reflected on the mountains in the distance, it btrought back memories of Bergplaas.

That night we slept well after our long rather tiring trip through many tunnels.The next morning  an early swim in the indoor pool in a sort of plastic greenhouse, a relaxed start to the day. Then on to Caldera on  the wine route of the Alto Adigo. Whow what a view worth the detour and of course we did a bit of tasting and bought some lovely wines. Now it sit sipping a Pinot Biance Alto Adige. We tasted some great reds but kept the budget in order,  a nice dry rose La Grien and a simple rosso, are now  in our cave. Meanwhile the sun has set, time to cook something .Life is easier in the kitchen with my new Cupboard, thank you Ben. Each night it is ready steady cook, great fun. Today ther first meal out on a terrace in Garda on the Garda meer /Lake - sphaghetti al la Vongole and a glass of Bardolino, chilled brilliant oh life can be good. I almost had the al aglio olio another one of my favourites ! we then drove further on around the lake and we found a good camping and now the only problem is the next meal. what do we have tuna, fennel, rice , quinoa , salad, truffle , talleggio, goat chesse from the market and a cool rose . Lats night my favourite Panzanella from some old bread, tomatoes, red onions and celery we had not so fennel, plus not in the recipe a little garlic !!! and a few salted capers I happened to bump into in the camp shop whilst sipping on an espresso, in our camping at Riva del Garda the most northern point of the lake.

We ate parma ham from the camp shop, so soft so delicious, goat cheese from the Garda market, delicious tomatoes in a salad with croutons fried in oil and garlic from the rest of the old bread, a feast sitting outside in the darl listening to the water. Happy campers.

Pia has a new construction for the guest bed so hopefully that will be better than the ironing board > That was the table opened out double with the cushions from the seats on it. Hence Annies name for it the ironing board. 

Today to Serego Alighieri a tip from Ellen. and a wine house I used to have on the wine card Of LCF in the days when clients choose wines from our Wine card bound in brown leather. Maybe back here tonight. It is cloudy and cold today a good day for wine!

Panzanella

Ingredients:

4 slices  brown Toscan brood

4 very ripe tomatoes in pieces

2 large red onions in very thin slices (soaked in water if desired)

2 sticks of celery in thin slices was fennel

olive oil good taste 

salt pepper

and vinegar we did not have!

basil

 a few capers in salt 

2 cloives of garlic crushed 

Method

1.     Cut the bread in pieces, soak in water

2.     Squeeze out in a cloth, add the rest of the ingredients chopped by Pia and mix well together add a good olive oil, salt and pepper, leave to develope then bon appettitto

Spaghetti aglio olio peperoncini

Ingrediënten:

4 kleine gedroogde rode chilipepers

4 teentjes knoflook

6 tbsp olijfolie

400 g spaghetti

zout en peper

Bereiding:

1.     Week de gedroogde rode chilipepers een half uurtje in wat warm water.

2.     Breng dan een ruime pan water met wat zout aan de kook. Snijd de chilipepers open, verwijder de zaadjes en snijd de pepers in dunne reepjes.

3.     Pel de knoflook en hak fijn.

4.     Verwarm de olijfolie in een koekenpan op een laag vuur. Voeg de knoflook en reepjes chilipeper toe om de olijfolie te parfumeren.. Laat de knoflook niet bruin worden, dit geeft een bittere smaak.

5.     Doe de pasta in de pan kokend water en kook in ca. 8 à 10 minuten al dente.

6.     Giet af in een vergiet, bewaar wat kookvocht, en doe direct terug in de hete pan. (Laat in ieder geval de pasta niet helemaal uitlekken – iets vocht is nodig voor de saus).

7.     Giet onmiddellijk de hete olie met knoflook en chilipeper over de pasta. Meng goed door elkaar.  Voeg wat van het hete kookvocht toe wanneer het geheel te droog is.

8.     Breng op smaak met zout en peper en roer nogmaals goed om.

Serveer in hete borden.

Cannolicchio - Razor clams “capelonge” with soffritto 

Ingredients:
4 spoons olive oil (Lake Garda) 
2 onions 
8 cloves of garlic 
6 branches of parsley 
2 kilo razor clams 

1.    Heat the olive oil, add the onions and fry. Add the parsley and the garlic en put the razor clams on top 
2.    Add a little white wine, place the lid on the pan and cook the razor clams until they are soft. 
3.    Serve with pieces of lemon. 

Moleca - Fried soft shell crabs “Moleche”

The soft shell crabs are found in the spring and autumn, the rest of the year they can be bought frozen.
Soft shell crabs used to be laid in a mixture of egg and parmesan cheese to fatten them before cooking, then they where fried. 

1.    Toss the soft shell crabs in a little seasoned flour and fry in warm olive oil.

So that should keep you busy

 UNFORTUNATELY THE PHOTOS WANT TO STAY HERE !

I will try another time