Enjoy a unique Portuguese meal with an Italian twist with your hosts Patrizia and Giovanni at their beautiful lakefront terrace. Start your experience with a tour of the garden, where Patrizia will show you the herbs and fruits they grow. Then enjoy home-made focaccia Genovese or Romana or schiacciata served with chilled sparkling vinho verde, while taking in the stunning views of the lake and hills covered with olive groves and vineyards. Birds and bees will provide a unique melody to relax and let your hair down.
Your meal will be served on the terrace (weather permitting) or indoors in their spacious kitchen, and your menu might include dishes such as grilled aubergines with cheese and tomato sauce, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and chopped fresh herbs from the garden and spaghetti with shrimps and courgettes or baked cod with tomatoes, olive taggiasche e capperi di pantelleria (olives and capers). End your meal with a fresh, mixed fruit salad. Also, if you’re visiting between November and June, enjoy Patrizia and Giovanni's organic oranges, lemons and tangerines, picked straight from their fruit trees!
After the meal, sit together on the terrace to enjoy the view, while you sip on some Porto wine. Giovanni and Patrizia like to share stories and are happy to suggest places and itineraries off the beaten path in central Portugal. Or if you wish you can go for a walk along the lake and discover this hidden gem - Albufeira do Castelo de Bode.
Join Patrizia and Giovanni in their home kitchen for your Tomar cooking class. You will cook a Portuguese meal with an Italian twist using local produce. Start with preparing the dough for schiacciata (Tuscan bread), then top it with herbs and bake it - it's crunchy on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. Then combine a creamy local cheese with fresh tomatoes and the garden herbs to bake the aubergine. Next bake cod with tomatoes, olives and capers. The cheese is sourced locally from the farmers, and the cod and vegetables are sourced fresh from a local food market (Mercado Municipal). After the meal, sit together to enjoy the meal you helped prepare.
Alcohol (2 glasses of wine per person) is included in the price of your experience.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Spaghetti with shrimps and courgettes or Baked cod with tomatoes, olive taggiasche e capperi di Pantelleria.Focaccia alla romana o alla genovese or SchiacciataVerdura grelhada (grilled aubergines and cheese and tomato sauce) that is grilled and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and a handful of chopped fresh herbs from the gardenFresh fruit saladA glass of sparkling Vinho Verde and Porto winePatrizia and her husband live north of Lisbon in a town called Tomar, a 1.5 hour drive from central Lisbon. Tomar is an ideal tourist destination if you are interested in Portugal's history or culture. If you're touring central Portugal or traveling between Lisbon and Porto, discover Tomar with Patrizia and Giovanni in this delightful outdoor experience by the lake! Patrizia is a fantastic cook - she and her husband are big believers in the magic of a good meal and the conversation that happens around a table. Their home is nestled in the countryside and sits on a stunning lake, making for a truly memorable meal and experience.
"An absolutely fantastic afternoon. Delicious food, the very best hosts! This was a wonderful
experience not to be missed if you love to cook and love good company."
