Podere Arduino & Osteria Ancestrale

On the morning of June 28th a winding road in the wide Tuscan countryside brought me here, on the Via Bolgherese, to the meeting point between the influence of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Tuscan hills, where a young couple decided to leave their life previous to devote himself to the land bringing with them passion and transversal skills, creating “Podere Arduino”.

It is Fabrizio, who returned to his grandfather’s lands after a career in sports and as geologist, to show me around me on a tour of the farm, to begin the journey into the philosophy guiding the activity.

From the care of the garden, to the management of the animals, to the actual cooking: Fabrizio is the practical soul of this place, in a constant subtle balance between traditions and experiments, always guided by the fundamental elements: earth, fire, seasons.

Thus, every dish of Osteria Ancestrale is born in the garden, far before being studied in the kitchen. Every morning Fabrizio seeks for inspiration in a perfume, a memory, and collects in the garden what he will need to recreate that emotion.

The farm has another fundamental soul. Martina, Fabrizio’s partner, former coach in the world of sport, has lived long experiences abroad to discover the passion for the outdoors, she has brought with her a wealth of experiences that make her the commercial soul of the farm, in the role of General Manager.

The initial tour of the farm, available on request for customers of the Osteria, is essential for understanding the philosophy of this reality.

Podere Arduino is defined as “regenerative”, and the regeneration here starts right from the earth. Eight hectares of land, an expanding vineyard, four varieties of olive trees and animals that take the place of man in preparing the soil, with grazing. These crops take place without the use of pesticides. In their place, 500 fruit trees have been planted, to create ideal conditions for pollinators and antagonistic insects, contributing to the well-being and sustainability of the products.

Each ingredient is grown and produced within the farm, in a balanced ecosystem where nature follows its life cycle, and each species, plant and animal, contributes to the well-being of the farm.

Coming to Arduino means bringing the rhythm back to that of the earth, accepting awareness, making the choice to be there and to follow the path of respect of time, of the flavors, of the vital circle that brings the products of this land directly to the dishes of the ancestral tavern, in a sincere and essential life cycle.

To begin, a Tuscan “benvenuto”, with three different types of bread (white with seeds, rye, semi-wholemeal) all made with sourdough and flours from the farm, cooked in a wood oven. On the bread their olive oil 100% frantoio, one of the four varieties one of the four varieties grown on the farm. The dish was accompanied by a pinzimonio of vegetables from the garden.

Then, a combination of opulence and acidity, with a herbs tempura (sage and pineapple), with grilled okra (okra), robiola and a plum sambal.

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The third course, dedicated to the queen of “poor” vegetables: onion. Here cooked under ashes, with a cream of braised onion, pickled onion, toasted hazelnuts and fresh plums. The onion stalk, on the other hand (don’t throw it away!) Was filled with basil and lemon granita.

The fourth stage, a leap into the flavors of the past: a daily robiola wrapped in a fig leaf, accompanied by a lettuce and sprout salad, a cherry and kumquat chutney and green beans cooked in helichrysum. The shot of fig leaf infusion that accompanied the dish was surprising.

The first of the first, a masterful risotto with honey and pecorino. Carnaroli bianco cooked in grass broth and creamed with lemon butter and a pecorino cream. To enrich the flavors a garlic ointment, black garlic powder, oregano and honey produced thanks to the fermentation of garlic.

The sixth course, served directly at the table, sautéed in cast iron over the embers: a chitarrina of fresh pasta creamed with a smoked tomato sauce. To conclude, basil, rocket, wild fennel, “ricotta salata”.

As the seventh stop, a splendid packet of potatoes cooked under ashes, under his earth, in a crust of salt. In combination with smoked ketchup, smoked butter, lemon verbena infused cream and cardoncello mushrooms.

This is followed by a dish dedicated to beetroot, cooked in her land and cast with ginger butter, accompanied by an almond cream and a fresh beetroot and plum broth. A medlar granita completes the dish.

To conclude, Sole (“sun”). This is the name of the dessert: a strusel with chocolate mousse made with 100% cocoa mass, sandblasted sunflower seeds, carrot spiked with curry, an apricot disc and a dark chocolate sorbet.