For 6 servings:

400 grs beans, 450 grs wheat grains, 100 grs smoked lard, 6 potatoes, 10 grs minced parsley, 5 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.

Soak overnight beans and wheat grains. After 12 hours, change water, rinse and then again in water in the soup pan, adding also the chopped lard. Cook for 3 hours and, at mid cooking, add parsley, olive oil, the diced potatoes, salt and pepper. Potatoes can be mashed with a fork before serving.

The rustic taste is better matched by a "rustic" local red like a Raboso del Piave or the Merlot di Pramaggiore or a Bardolino

Agnello al Cren (Lamb with horseradish sauce)

For 4 servings:

800 grs lamb meat deboned, 50 grs butter, 1 medium size onion, pepper grains, thymus, 1 laurel leaf, 5 tablespoons vinegar, broth, 10 grs minced parsley, minced horseradish.

Put in a pan 20 grs butter, the whole onion, pepper, thymus, laurel leaf, vinegar, 2 ladles broth. Boil and add the lamb meat cut into pieces. Cook on a mild fire until evaporation and when the meat will be cooked. At this stage, brown the meat and put in a hot tray with the left juice. In another pan, melt the remaining butter, take out of the fire, add horseradish and parsley, sprinkle the meat and serve.

The suggested wines are tasty reds like the Recioto di Valpolicella or the Breganze rosso or the Venegazzù rosso.

Torta di Castagne (Chestnuts cake)

For 4 servings:

400 grs dried chestnuts, salt, 1 laurel leaf, 100 grs almonds, 100 grs softened butter, 200 grs sugar, 4 eggs, grated lemon peel, butter, breadcrumbs.

Boil the chestnuts in plenty of water with laurel and a pinch of salt. Drain and mash them still warm. Soak the almonds in boiling water, peel and mince. In a tureen stir with a wooden spoon the softened butter with the sugar, adding the yolks, the lemon peel and stirring again. Add the almonds, the chestnuts and the whipped albumens, mix everything. Pour the compound in a baking pan of abt. 254 cm of diameter, buttered and smeared with breadcrumbs. Bake in oven at 210°c for 40 minutes; the cake can be served both warm or cold.

For a match, we suggest a dessert wine like a Prosecco amabile di Valdobbiadene or the Torcolato or a Montello Spumante.