Cooking at Fattoria Resta

 A highlight of the week for sure was a day we spent near Buonocenvento, Italy at Fattoria Resta. On this beautiful ‘farm’, Anna Lisa Tempestini has a vineyard where she produces about 6,000 bottles of Martin del Niro wine. We were privileged to spend the day with Anna Lisa. She showed us her vineyard and the grounds where she lives, produces her wine, and does an occasional cooking class. She is a very interesting, energetic, and committed person! The buildings on this fattoria were just awesome. She and her husband have slowly restored the grounds and buildings over time and have done a superb job. There is even a small chapel complete with the altar that was there when they bought it.

Driving up to Fattoria Resta

  The first thing she showed us was a beautiful room just recently restored where they can host dinners (probably for 70 people if she needed to). It was simple, but so rustic, natural and unpretentious. We proceeded to follow her to basement where the wine is kept. In the middle of the room is a brick square (resembles a fireplace in size) that travels up the center of the room. They discovered etched in the brick a message from Martin del Niro, the head mason. He blesses the wine growers, and asks forgiveness for any imperfections in the building. It is dated 1573. They found another message in a tile on the roof, documenting the finishing of the building in 1575.

  We joined her in the kitchen and made a beautiful meal, complete with tiramisu! We made our own pasta and focaccia bread, chicken, a roasted eggplant dish, and a side of sundried tomatoes. Handmade pici (pasta) and fresh porcini mushrooms, which was impressive! It was amazing! As we finished Anna Lisa said, “Let’s carry the wooden table out on the balcony. It is such a lovely day to eat outside!” We set the table and we all sat down to the most wonderful lunch accompanied by some Martin del Niro!!! 

Anna Lisa put our beautiful pici in the boiling water - yes, they do add olive oil to the water

The day was just perfect. Anna Lisa was such a sincere, interesting, and easy person to spend the day with. We enjoyed the food, company, wine, and fattoria. Molto buona!!!! 

Resting after cooking and eating