On a recent trip to Puglia, Italy, I was lucky enough to secure a dinner reservation at Masseria Moroseta (MM), a farm, hotel and restaurant located in the beautiful region of Ostuni. I’d followed MM on Instagram for a few years, enjoying the many idyllic images of olive groves, stunning interiors and of course mouth-watering dishes created by resident chef Giorgia Eugenia Goggi. I was beyond excited to visit in person, there were no menus, guests are asked to trust in the chef and enjoy the five courses of seasonal dishes most of the ingredients of which are sourced from their vegetable garden, orchard or chicken coop.
I was not disappointed, the menu was as I hoped predominantly plant based, in my experience some of the best and most inventive food I’ve ever tasted tends to be non-meat and as a Nutritionist I’m always looking for new ways to encourage the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
The first course consisted of cauliflower cream, which was creamy and delicious and topped with crispy roasted mini florets, this added crunch and a smoky flavour that paired perfectly with the cream.
Next was ‘the bread course’, this consisted of an unexpectedly huge chunk of homemade sourdough which was hands down the best I’ve ever tasted along with three toppings; roast leeks, pickled carrots and almond cream topped with salsa verde, various herbs from the garden were used to carefully pair with each dish to amazing effect.
The pasta course came next, which was curried ditalini, inspired by Giorgia’s childhood and her travels in Asia, it was creamy, slightly spicy and comforting. The final savoury course consisted of three dishes, mixed fish kebab with XO dressing, Swiss chard and artichoke with crispy green topping, all the dishes paired perfectly, I really liked the combination of local ingredients given an Asian twist, all were cooked perfectly and could be eaten as stand-alone dishes.
Although I was feeling very full at this point, I could not resist Giorgia’s signature spiced crust apple tart with ice cream made from yogurt, local honey and topped with bee pollen and Malvern salt, the tart was very good but the ice cream was like nothing I’d tasted, very sour, creamy and an intense honey flavour enhanced by the addition of salt, a perfect end to the meal.
During the visit we were told how important it is to MM to farm organically with plants indigenous to the region, they are particularly passionate about expanding their herb garden, they like to introduce herbs to a dish in a powerful way, combining them to give different tastes upon every bite. I was very inspired by this idea as it is a very attainable goal to grow pots of herbs, not only are they pretty, easy to maintain and cultivate, they can really enhance the simplest of dishes while adding nutritional value. Other ways Giorgia enhanced vegetables was by the addition of amazingly fruity Puglian olive oil, Malvern salt and some Asian inspired spices such as madras blend and miso paste.
I would thoroughly recommend a visit to MM if you are ever visiting the region, alternatively their website contains some fantastic free recipes and Instagram posts that will add sunshine to your day (www.masseriamoroseta.it/?lang=en)
MLT Nutrition 