LA TAVOLA MARCHE
Agritourismo Cooking Classes - Off-the-Trodden Truffle Path
The region of Le
Marche (the Marches) in central Italy lies on the eastern coastal
side from Tuscany and Umbria between the peaks of the
Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea coast. Where the other two
more familiar lands are well trod by tourists, the eastern side of
the mountain slopes are relatively unspoiled by promotion and rampant
tourism, Italy's best kept secret. The La Tavola Marche is a cooking
school experience based at a 300 year old refurbished farmhouse B&B,
the Agriturismo Ca’Camone in the village of Sant'Angelo in Vado,
near Urbino, found about halfway between Perugia and the coast resort
of Rimini. The bed & breakfast and its cooking school is run expat
American couple Ashley and Jason Bartner. He, a professional chef with
12 years in the culinary kitchens of San Francisco and New York, after
training with legendary chefs like Jacque Pepin, and she, a tourism
writer and executive decided to live in Italy and share their passion
for the food and country with others.
The Le Marche region
has a long history of wars and conquests, named for the frontier
land which protected the maritime city-state of Ancona
in the Middle-Ages. Unspoiled by development, not as easy to reach,
but rich in nature, art, folklore, the Marches are still reminiscent
of a time of high medieval lords and poor farmers, Renaissance palazzos
and old churches in picturesque quiet little towns and villages isolated
high in the hills overlooking the valleys of changing seasonal colors
below. La Tavola Marche is a unique culinary experience of organic
farm, cozy bed & breakfast inn and cooking school in the heart
of this land where guests participate in the rich culinary traditions
of the region with seasonal activities forged in concert with local
artisan bakers, farmers, and wine makers.
The Agriturismo Ca'Camone offers a relaxed holiday in the rolling
hills and farmland with guestrooms in the centuries old stone farmhouse
set on 250 acres of tree studded valley where truffles grow at the
feet of the green oaks. The spacious apartment rooms offer splendid
views of the landscape with the rooms named for the fruit and nut trees
in the garden. The common great room is inviting with a large fireplace
for guests to gather. The house has been beautifully restored with
wood-beam ceilings and tile floors, fireplaces, with a large open kitchen
and dining room completing the rustic ambiance. You have the option
to join fellow guests for dinner, watch the chef-owner at work, or
cook for yourself in your apartment kitchen. Feasts of four courses
are served in the rustic kitchen in the winter and poolside in the
summer.
The climate on the eastern Apennines is warm from May to September,
offering a variety of outdoor activities - hiking, rock climbing, cycling,
horse riding, and even hang gliding. The nearby Monte Carpegna provides
skiing in the winter, and the sun drenched beaches of the Adriatic
coast are under an hour away. The woods around the property are ideal
for gathering wild forest berries, mushrooms, or even join in the search
for the truffles under old oak trees under the guidance of an expert
truffle hunter.
Cooking Classes at La Tavola Marche
Pull on a pair of
barn boots and head to the garden to picks the fruits and vegetables
fresh for every meal, zucchini or eggplants plucked
from the vine, or rich ripe tomatoes, then head to the kitchen to create
simple dishes of seasonal cuisine inspired by local traditions under
the hands-on guidance of Chef Jason. The "Farm to the Table" experiences
at la Tavola can make for a transcendent vacation stay in the Italian
countryside, rolling pasta by hand into paper thin sheets, steep a
trio of sauces, and make sausages from scratch, join them with cucumbers
from the garden still warm from the sun, with the feeling of cooking
with friends.
The La
Tavola Marche offers Half-Day Cooking Classes, normally starting
mid-morning finishing
with lunch, includes meal and house wine as well
as an apron gift for €125 person and Full Day Cooking Classes
ending around 6pm; including meals, snacks and house wine as well as
an apron and a souvenir The Little Recipe Book from the Kitchen of
La Tavola Marche to take home as a gift for €200 per person. Three
Day and Weeklong stay and cooking class packages are offered. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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La
Tavola Marche
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SEE ALSO:
COOKING
CLASSES VACATION IN UMBRIA
CASTLES
AND TRUFFLES
WINE TASTING AND TOURING TRENTINO
