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Food
The Abruzzo region offers a wide range of food, from the hearty grilled meats of the mountain regions, down to the fresh seafood of the Adriatic coast, all available within a short drive of Casa Bianca.
The local specialty is "Arrosticini" - small barbecued skewers of lamb, normally ordered by the dozen - the village of Casabianca has one of the most popular Arrosticini restaurants in the area, often packed with locals.
You only have to visit our neighbours 'Agriturismo' to sample a wide range of local produce. Here, Tiziana will serve you traditional fare through all the courses. From home-produced, tasty cheeses and meats, fresh hand-made pastas and home-grown vegetables, to delicious home-made cakes and pastries. All washed down with the family's superb home-made wines. After several courses, you will be glad you are only a few steps from home. But if you can't make it, Luciano can deliver you back on his tractor!
Within a five minute drive, the local villages, such as Elice and Madonna Degli Angeli, offer several family-run restaurants and wood-fired pizzerias, offering mouthwatering selections of local "antipasti" in season, such as fresh ricotta drizzled with honey, or grilled courgettes & aubergine. Needless to say, prosciutto is always available, together with the local Pecorino, a flavoursome hard cheese made in the mountains of Abruzzo from ewes milk.
Local pasta specialities include "Mugnaia", thick ropes of soft pasta cooked in a tomato sauce, which is the speciality of Elice. Local restaurants offer excellent value for money; it is possible to enjoy a 3 course meal with coffee and wine for 10 euros a head.
In addition to all this, everyone (including ourselves) seems to have their own vegetable patch, growing tomatoes, melons, peppers, aubergines...the list is endless. Local produce is also available in the local shops, village markets, and even the supermarkets.
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Most people have heard of Abruzzo through the famous local red wine, "Montepulciano D'Abruzzo", which is widely available.
Just at the bottom of the hill from Casa Bianca, the local award-winning vineyard of San Lorenzo Wines has a shop selling a wide range of Montepulciano (made from our own grapes, amongst others!), Trebbiano (the zesty local white wine), and the refreshing Cerasuolo rosé. Buy it in the bottle, ranging from the standard Antares range (less than ¤5 a bottle), up to the fine "Riserva" vintages.
Alternatively, why not emulate the locals, and fill up a jug of the excellent table wine from the "petrol pumps" at around ¤1 a litre! |
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Olive Oil
If your stay at Casa Bianca coincides with harvest time, you can enjoy a real Italian experience. Spend the day with us and our Italian friends and neighbours, picking our own olives. At the end of the day, if you wish, you can go the the local olive press (frantoio) to see the large mill stones grinding the olives. The next day you will receive your own bottle of Casa Bianca extra virgin olive oil. Whatever the time of year, we supply you with our own olive oil, as part
of your welcome pack, to enjoy with the local food.
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Olive picking at Casa Bianca |
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