Culinary Autumn in Radol’ca: The Farmer’s Table

I know I am somewhat biased, since I live in Radovljica, but nonetheless I truly believe that the team at Visit Radovljica has to be one of the best, if not the best, in the country. Why? Because instead of resting on their laurels, they are constantly coming up with new ideas that are attractive to tourists, beneficial to the local community and adhere to the sustainable goals of Slovenian tourism as a whole.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Taste Radol’ca, when every November the chefs at the participating restaurants create set price menus using local ingredients. This year, the Taste Radol’ca Month of Local Cuisine will extend over two months rather than the usual one, as throughout October there are various activities in which locals and visitors alike can take part.

Guided bike trips, available on Saturday 14th, Friday 20th and Saturday 28th October, are an ideal combination of fresh air, sightseeing and tasting the produce of local farms.

In addition, open days at local farms provide a great opportunity to discover the importance of getting food from field to table in the shortest possible way. The first takes place on 14th October at 10am at the Vegerila Farm, then on 20th October at 1pm at the Dolenc Farm, and 28th October at 10am the Brinsek Farm.

Another among the latest great ideas is a unique culinary experience named The Farmer’s Table, which will take place this Saturday 7th October at 12noon and is the opening event of this year’s Taste Radol’ca. Reservations are required in advance for the 4-hour culinary programme, which includes a horse and cart ride, snacks along the way, lunch at an organic farm prepared by Radovljica’s chefs  (6-course menu from selected traceable ingredients), live music and a practical gift.

Morda je slika naslednjega: 9 oseb in poroka

The chefs taking part in The Farmer’s Table are:

Morda je slika naslednjega: 1 oseba in hrana
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Contact Visit Radol’ca for more information and to book your place at the Farmer’s Table or to book a cycling tour.
Still on the theme of food, albeit it gluten-free food, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who visited the festival I recently organised in Radovjlica – Festival of Gluten Free Tastes and Fun. I’m delighted to say the day was a great success, which was a huge relief as the weather forecast had been a bit dodgy to say the least. It’s estimated that up to 3,000 people visited. Having spent much of the last year organising it, it was lovely to see so many happy, smiling faces – both visitors and stallholders alike. The festival also further proved what an excellent venue Radovljica is for outdoor events.
Below are a few photos of the day, for posterity’s sake, of course!

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Of course, it didn’t take long for people to start asking if the festival will become a regular event. And the answer is … watch this space!
© Adele in Slovenia

 

An Extra Scrumptiously Sweet Weekend Ahead in Radovljica!

If you don’t have any plans yet for this weekend, then you’ll definitely want to head to Radovljica! Why? Well, because there’s not just ONE but TWO great ‘sweet’ festivals!

The first, on Saturday 23rd September, is the Festival of Honey at the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska in Lesce.

The festival , which opens at 10am, includes, among other things, a market selling honey and other beekeeping-related products, tastings, and workshops for children.

At 12.30pm, adults can learn about and try honey beer, while Jaka the Clown will visit the festival at 3.30pm to entertain children.

Then, on Sunday 24th September I’d like to invite you (all!) to a festival that I’ve been working on for over six months and which I’m organising in its entirety and voluntarily – Festival of Gluten-Free Flavours and Fun!

As regular readers of my blog will know, I have coeliac disease so eating gluten-free food is a necessity. It is estimated that one in 100 people worldwide have coeliac disease, but only around 30% have received a diagnosis. Getting a diagnosis can be difficult because there are so many symptoms that may, or may not, be a sign of coeliac disease.

The description of coeliac disease according to Coeliac UK is: Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac) is a serious illness where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten. This causes damage to the lining of the gut and means the body can’t properly absorb nutrients from food. Coeliac disease is not an allergy or food intolerance.

Despite being a small country, Slovenia has a lot of providers of gluten-free food, but they are spread throughout the country. In addition to coeliacs, there are also a lot of people who don’t eat gluten for other reasons and who may not be aware of the great range of food available, hence I decided to arrange a festival at which the vast majority of the providers of gluten-free food are present all in one place.

But I didn’t just stop at that, oh no! I decided I wanted it to be a festival for EVERYONE! So, I’ve put together a packed entertainment programme that includes something for all the family, including a children’s programme, archery for children, live music by the Avsenik House Ensemble, Mitja Šinkovec, and Lombardo, free chocolate tasting at the Radolska čokolada chocolatier, free guided tours and more.

Hot and cold food will be available all day from 10am to 5pm, including burgers, kebabs, pizzas, cakes of all shapes and sizes, pies, tarts, biscuits, goulash, pancakes, waffles, burek, gluten-free beer, coffee and other hot drinks, cold soft drinks and more.

Take a look at the full programme below. Entrance is free!

The forecast for Sunday is giving me sleepless nights, as it keeps changing. The festival, however, will take place regardless of the weather. The festival will take place in Radovljica park or, in the event of rain, in Radovljica Manor and Linhart Square.

To end, here’s some other food-related news from Radovljica and elsewhere in Slovenia.

Yesterday, chef Ana Roš’s restaurant Hiša Franko became the first Slovenian establishment to be awarded three Michelin stars, the highest accolade conferred by the restaurant guide. Milka in Kranjska Gora was promoted from one to two stars and seven more restaurants won one star each, including Radovljica’s Hiša Linhart, which retained both it’s Michelin Star and Green Star, the latter is awarded to restaurants who are especially committed to sustainable gastronomy. Congratulations Uroš Štefelin, Marcela Klofutar and the entire team at Hiša Linhart!

So, come rain or shine, Radovljica will be the place to be this weekend!

© Adele in Slovenia