Alta Badia - Bringing Summer To An End
The weeks that bring summer to a close, with their incredibly intense and clear colours, represent a unique opportunity to experience the Dolomites. On the tenth anniversary of the Dolomites being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, their peace and quiet and autumn colours will be providing the perfect backdrop to "Saus dl Altonn”, meaning “Flavours of autumn” in Ladin. The aim of this event is to pay tribute to this wonderful time of year through great cuisine, genuine local products and a range of activities dedicated to the surrounding nature.
From 15th to 29th September, seven mountain huts in Alta Badia will be linked to seven producers of top-quality local products. Each mountain hut will present a menu based on the specific product that has been assigned to it specially for the occasion. Every day, it will also be possible to buy certain products and meet the people who make these local treasures, as they’ll be making an appearance at their assigned huts. The producers will be able to explain the qualities and unique characteristics of their products, revealing a few secrets about how to cook with them. On 16th and 23rd September, at the Ütia Pralongiá mountain hut, it will be possible to buy goat’s milk from the Lüch Ciores farm. This product will be used as an ingredient to prepare the following dishes throughout the last two weeks in September: Large salad with grilled goat cheese and seasonal fruit, Barley risotto with wild garlic from the Pralongiá meadows served with pralines of fresh goat’s cheese and Grilled wild berries with goat’s milk ice-cream.
The bee-keeper Giuseppe Piccolruaz will be visiting the Ütia Nagler mountain hut on 17th and 24th September, where it will be possible to try the Local cheese board accompanied by wild flower honey, Pork ribs glazed with wild flower honey and served with sautéed potatoes and Wild flower honey-flavoured yoghurt with berries and muesli. The ricotta cheese produced by the Lüch Chi Prá farm has been assigned to the Ütia I Tablá mountain hut, where the following dishes will be served: Fresh ricotta gnocchi with a melted butter and grana cheese dressing served with a garnish of chantarelle mushrooms, Grilled lamb ribs with wild herbs ricotta, roast potatoes and steamed vegetables and a Ricotta and raspberry pie served with a wild berry and vanilla sauce. The ricotta producer will be present at the mountain hut on 18th and 25th September.
The 19th and 26th September are the two days dedicated to speck, South Tyrol’s iconic product. The top-quality speck from the Niederbrunner butcher’s will be presented a the Ütia Mesoles mountain hut. This speck will be used to make the following dishes: Roll of goat cheese wrapped in fried Speck, Potato and apple cream soup with roasted Speck and Pork fillets wrapped in Speck served with Brussels sprouts flavoured with farmhouse speck. Lüch da Ciampidel, a local beef farm, has been assigned to the Ütia Saraghes mountain hut, where it will be possible to meet this producer on 20th and 27th September. Beef bresaola with rocket and Parmesan cheese, Homemade tortelli stuffed with delicate beef and Beef goulash, Canederli (dumplings) and cabbage salad will be the dishes prepared for the occasion.
The mountain herbs from the Lü de Pincia farm will be taking centre stage on 21st and 28th September, at the Ütia de Bioch mountain hut, where the following dishes will be served: Grey cheese mousse with wild garlic, Fettuccine flavoured with mountain pine, served with alpine pesto and toasted nuts and Fillet of ox from the Casies valley with a herb crust served with smoked potatoes and celeriac purée. On 22nd and 29th September, on the other hand, the Ütia Lée mountain hut will be serving the grey cheese made at the Gatscherhof holiday farm. Tortelloni stuffed with grey cheese, Fried grey cheese parcel with grilled vegetables and Grey cheese with onion are the dishes that you’ll be able to enjoy between one hike and another.
The mountain huts can be easily reached with the cable cars, which are open until 29th September.
OTHER PLANNED EVENTS
During the last two weeks of September, it will also be possible to take part in lots of other activities to get to know Alta Badia’s other excellent products. The activities on offer include an outing at sunset, the transhumance in the town of Badia (15th September), a visit to the Lüch da Ciampidel farm (19th September), a high altitude breakfast with typical local products (22nd September), a visit to the Lüch Alfarëi farm (24th September), a tasting session of biodynamic wines (27th September), a guided tour at sunset to admire the Enrosadira, the “alpenglow” phenomenon, when the Dolomites turn a shade of red (28th September) and “Sonns y Saus de Armentara”, an event dedicated to local specialities held on the Armentara meadows, at the foot of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Natural Park (29th September).
