Frico with potatoes

Ingredients

1 kg of potatoes
600g of Montasio cheese
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt
a handful of greated Parmesan cheese
(Parmigiano-Reggiano please,
no substitutes!)

Procedure

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and then add the grated raw potatoes; cook them over medium heat while constantly stirring them until golden; at this point add the Montasio, cut into cubes, as well the Parmesan cheese and salt (don't exaggerate).
Mix the ingredients constantly until the cheese has melted, them form into a type of pancake which should be browned on both sides.
Serve immediately on a warm serving plate.

Recommended wine:

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot

Ricotta and spinach salad

Ingredients

400g of spinach leaves
300g of firm ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons of extra virgin
olive oil
the juice of 2 lemos
parsley
salt
bread slices

Procedure

After washing the spinach leaves dry them well and cut them into strips.
Spread out the spinach in shallow dich and dress with the following mixture: 100g of ricotta passed through a vegetable mill (or a food processor); olive oil, salt, lemon juice.
Slice the remaining 200 grams of ricotta and place it on toasted slices of bread. Lightly salt them.
Garnish the spinach salad with parsley and serve with the toast.

Recommended wine:

Chardonnay

Cheese with pears (Pirùs e formadi)

Ingredients

2 pears (not overly ripe)
150grams of "Rucola" lettuce
200grams of fresh Montasio cheese
black pepper to taste

Procedure

Wash the "Rucola" lettuce and spread out in a shallow serving dish.
Shave the Montasio cheese directly on the "Rucola" lettuce, and then grate the peeled pears directly on top of the Montasio and the Rucola.
If your gueste prefer, we suggest that you mill fresh black peppercorn directly at the table.

Recommended wine:

Pinot Bianco

Salami cooked in vinegar

Ingredients

8 thick slices of “young” salami (aged for a very short time… this will be difficult enough to find outside of Italy. It should be of the “sweet”, not “spicy”… for best results consult an Italian butcher or food merchant)
50 grams of butter
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 onion

Procedure

Begin to sauté the onions in the butter, adding the slices of salami and browning them on both sides.
Pour over the vinegar, let it evaporate and then serve hot with corn polenta.

Recommended wine:

Refosco dal Peduncolo rosso
Cabernet Franc
Merlot

Frico with apples

Ingredients

600 grams of “Montasio” cheese, not “young”, aged for at least than 5 months, diced
3 apples, “Golden Delicious” variety
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Procedure

Peel and slice the apples. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan until it it bubbles, careful not to burn it, then pour in the apples. Lightly salt and pepper, then cook the apples which should soften without losing their shape. Add the Montasio cheese, stirring it while it melts into the apple mixture. Let the “fritter” brown on both sides until it forms a crust, then turn from the pan onto a plate.
We serve this, one of many variations of the traditional “Frico”, sliced as an appetiser, and accompanied by prosciutto ham or wild game.

Recommended wine:

Pinot Bianco

Ham with figs

Ingredients

Prosciutto di San Daniele
fichi freschi

Procedure

The “Prosciutto di San Daniele” should be very thinly sliced, preferably by hand. The figs should be sliced in half, length wise.
The ham and figs should be placed side by side on a serving plate.
This dish is almost always served as an appetiser, or as a snack.

Recommended wine:

Sauvignon
Sovràn - Tocai friulano

Fried zucchini flowers

Ingredients

zucchini flowers
extra-fine wheat flour
milk
salt
for frying: extra-virgin olive oil

Procedure

With the flour, milk, a little water and a pinch of salt make a soft batter, coating the zucchini flowers in it. Fry them in abundant hot oil along with any batter which might be left over. Remove from the frying pan and place on paper towels so as to absorb the excess oil. The zucchini flowers not only are a good appetiser, but also are delicious when coated with sugar as a dessert.
(If you are gathering them directly from the garden, it is preferable to use the male zucchini flowers (those that are long stemmed), so as to not to impede the yield of the zucchini).

Recommended wine:

Tocai

Toast with smoked trout mousse

Ingredients

200 g smoked trout (cleaned and boned)
150 g cooking cream
300 g fresh ricotta cheese
bread for toast

Procedure

Cut the smoked trout into small pieces and liquidise. Blend the cooking cream and fresh ricotta cheese separately to obtain a lightly whipped mixture. Add the trout to this mixture and blend e little more until creamy and smooth (add a little milk, if required). Slice the bread and toast it. Spread each slice of toast with the previously prepared mousse.

Recommended wine:

Pinot Grigio