• Dairy products
Located in Valle di Lanzo, "La Capra e la Panca" produces cheeses from goat's milk.
Run by Marco Brachet Contol, the farm was born from the desire to enhance the value of the abandoned land owned by his grandfather.
Today, thanks to the valuable contribution of the goats in fertilizing the soil, the situation is improving: old paths are resurfacing, as are abandoned springs. The small wildlife typical of mountain pastures, such as hares, are returning and every year the plants are more luxuriant thanks to the fertilization provided by the grazing animals.
Goats are fed on pasture from the first days of April until the end of October, allowing the production of milk with a higher beta-carotene content and a better ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. In winter, the feed consists mainly of hay produced in the municipality of Lanzo and neighbouring municipalities. The health and welfare of these animals, who live in symbiosis with the mountain, is at the centre of the farm and the production.
The cheese production plant is a short distance from the stable, allowing the milk to be transformed into cheese in a short time. Marco says that he couldn’t produce cheese in the same way all year round even if he wanted. Being an artisanal product the cheese is strongly influenced by temperatures humidity and the climate in any given season, factors that have an impact on the final texture the flavour and its development.
"Robiola di capra" is a soft cheese with a short maturation time of up to 25 days. The strong taste is the result of processing with raw milk. "Robiola di capra is suitable for grilling or baking. It can be a main dish or an impressive ingredient to add to your preparations.
As it melts easily, this cheese is also perfect to create creamy and tasty dishes. Start by deglazing your Arborio rice with Barolo DOCG vinegar. Before it’s fully cooked, add the Robiola di capra and some roughly chopped roasted PGI Piemonte Hazelnuts and you're going to impress your guests!
"Toma di capra" is a soft-ripened cheese with a minimum maturation time of 45 days that can go up to 5 months. Despite the intense flavour, the goaty taste is not dominant. Served alone or accompanied by jams (try it spicy with chilli!), this cheese can go directly on your cheeseboard. Open some crackers, uncork a bottle of red wine and let the aperitif begin!
La Capra e la Panca Località Montebasso 10074 Lanzo Torinese (TO) Italywww.capraepanca.it