From Venice to the Dolomites: Nature's treasures

The territory: Biodiversity and uniqueness, from Venice to the Dolomites

When Ruth and Andrea were looking for a place to call home, they didn't immediately realize the key role the area they eventually chose to live in would play in making this place, which immediately captured their hearts, truly unique.

"This house needed love, it said, 'take me.' We liked it because it was hidden in the woods."

Our Rustica is a natural crossroads between the Venetian Lagoon and the Dolomites, surrounded by the vineyards of the Prosecco hills, forests, natural oases, medieval dwellings and ancient mills, as well as villages worth rediscovering.
Due to its diversity, this area has great biodiversity and marked seasonal variation, which is both a true source of wealth from a landscape perspective and also when it comes to raw materials.
In all seasons, at all altitudes, land and water offer products of excellent quality, which enable menus that tell the history of the area while respecting its characteristics and rhythms: each recipe is the work of Andrea, his ability to listen to nature, follow its rhythms and appreciate its abundance.

"The entire area is steeped in agricultural tradition, with many villages that have managed to maintain high agricultural standards."

Having small artisans, experienced farmers, breeders or fishermen all within a short distance is a great advantage for Our Rustica and a fantastic trading opportunity that Ruth and Andrea also enjoy sharing with their guests. They are certainly aware of how lucky they are, but they have also put a lot of care and effort into searching for local businesses that are passionate about what they do and that have a story to tell.
The artisanal component becomes a central element in the selection of suppliers, who become part of a network that Ruth and Andrea like to describe as "family", sharing values ​​such as respect for the environment and first-class products, whose uniqueness often earns them IGP (PGI – Protected Geographical Indication) or DOP (PDO – Protected Designation of Origin) labels.
The constant interaction between territory and cuisine creates a virtuous circle that characterizes Our Rustica's activities: nature offers ingredients, products and flavors that Chef Andrea selects, combines and processes, while respecting and highlighting the area from which they come.

"Each city has its own local produce, which creates a very diverse cuisine."

From fatty fish to eels, from the sea to the lagoon, water is a valuable and fertile resource: biodiversity and seasonal variation ensure a great variety of fish, allowing the creation of countless recipes, both traditional and creative, including traditional Venetian dishes and food preparations that make use of fresh ingredients, leaving plenty of room for improvisation.
From the sea to the mountains, through hills and plains, the flavors also vary with the changing seasons: in spring flowers and vegetables appear everywhere, like the well-known asparagus from Badoere and wild herbs such as “bruscandoli” (hop shoots), “pissacani” (dandelion), “rosole” (poppy shoots), “s'ciopeti” (bladderworts) and nettles, commonly used to make risottos, soups, salads and “frittata” (Italian omelet).
While the summer season offers a seemingly endless variety of products, autumn delights the taste buds with wild mushrooms, chestnuts and “marroni” (round sweet chestnuts) from Combai, a small village tucked away at the foot of the Belluno Prealps, surrounded by chestnut trees.
In addition to radicchio from Treviso, the king of traditional winter cooking, other vegetables grown locally during the colder months of the year include products such as “broccolo fiolaro” from Creazzo, broccoli from Bassano and horseradish, which is also used to make a delicious horseradish sauce called “cren” that is served with cooked meats.
In the mountains, meadows dominate the landscape, while milk, butter and alpine cheeses are the main products served on the table, with their high nutritional value and intense flavor.

A passion for nature, tradition, good wine and good food shapes life in this area and the lives of the locals: in fact, there are plenty of village festivals showcasing and serving local dishes and products, and in such places, socializing, sharing and hospitality are the norm.
Just like Ruth and Andrea.