Tutti mangiamo bene!

     I had consumed about all the barbecue one person could eat in a single weekend.  The Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival was over the top with food and entertainment but I was in need of a different culinary experience for my last evening in the foothills of North Carolina.  

     Someone kindly recommended to me a "little Italian place" over in neighboring Columbus so I called Giardini Trattoria to see if they could fit me in on a Saturday evening.  I said that if necessary I would be happy to sit at a table in the kitchen.  I was able to secure a 6pm reservation at the restaurant that was just a half a mile down the road from the Polk County High School.  I turned into the driveway and saw the unassuming yellow house next to an acre of gardens complete with a green house.  Once inside I soon learned that the gardens (Giardini in Italian) supported the revolving menu.  Their organic produce, along with locally sourced pastured meats, provide diners with fresh, simple and seasonal meals. Growing only a few steps from my table were things like baby beets, lacinato kale, summer squash, green beans and arugula.



     Looking over the menu for the evening I had an agonizing time making my decision as to what to order.  Pollo Involtini (chicken), Costoletta di Maiale (pork chops), and Salsiccia alla Griglia (sausage) were all possibilities.  So as I perused the list I decided to begin with some homemade pasta fagioli, a delicious bean soup topped with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, accented with herbs just picked from their garden.  Delicioso!  I savored every morsel and would have wiped the bowl clean with the freshly baked bread if no one was looking.

 



     For my secondi I opted for the Cannelloni di Carne di Cervo.  It was the one menu item that contained an ingredient that wasn't local.  The ground wild Axis venison that was used to stuff their own cannelloni pasta came from the Broken Arrow Ranch in Texas. (More about the ranch tomorrow.)  The stuffed shells were accompanied on the rectangular plate by grilled carrots, zucchini and squash and accented with fire roasted fennel tomato ragu.  It was both a delight to the eye and the palate at the same time.  What a work of art!  And it was as delicious as it was artistic. A true culinary masterpiece.



     As I was finishing my meal I was greeted by Mary who co-owns the farm-to-table enterprise with her husband, Joe Laudisio.  She inquired about my impression of the meal and we continued in conversation about the Italian concept of cooking simple, fresh and local as we compared notes on our travels in Tuscany and the meals we had enjoyed while there.  She was a very gracious host and I felt like I had been invited into her house to share a meal at her table.  And I was!