A shadow valley and some fresh, beautiful cheese

Vallombrosa, T C Palya, Bangalore

The last place where you’d expect to indulge in fine cheese is within the austere environs of a monastery. But hold that thought. Nestled in a quiet bylane in T C Palya is a charming monastery where Benedictine monks indeed churn out world-class cheese in their cheese-making unit called Vallombrosa. Begun as an attempt to sustain the monastery in 2005, it's one of Bangalore’s best kept secrets. And if you’re a cheese lover, its heaven on earth.

My first visit to Vallombrosa was not without struggle. After negotiating several turns, I finally spotted the board. As soon as I entered the gate, the place struck me as wonderfully tranquil. There is a small mission church on the right. Alongside it stands a monastery constructed in brick and stone and with white-washed interior walls. Once you have placed your order with Father Michael or Father Jinse, you can sit down and wait on stone benches out in the open from where you can view the cheese making unit. As you wait for your requirements to get packed, you naturally start hunting out the big bovines, probably ones with massive curling horns. But you won’t find any. That’s because the milk is sourced from places like Hosur and Hoskote every day to make about 50 kgs of cheese.

Vallombrosa produces fresh buffalo mozzarella, bocconcini (Italian cheese balls), ricotta (whey cheese), mascarpone, goat’s cheese and parmesan. Best eaten a few hours after it’s made, Mozzarella is soft, milky and light. Ricotta is a byproduct of Mozzarella. Bocconcini are small mozzarella cheeses the size of an egg. Mascarpone is made from cream, coagulated with citric acid, acetic acid or even lemon juice. Goat’s cheese or chèvre (French for goat) has a mildly pungent flavor and is a delightfully versatile ingredient in the kitchen. Parmigiano-Reggiano, also known in English as Parmesan, is a hard, granular cheese commonly grated over pasta dishes, stirred into soups and risottos or even eaten on its own.

Inspired by Vallombrosa, I’ve been rediscovering cheese and a dozen cheese recipes. Below is a very simple Ricotta recipe for you to try out.

And if you’re curious about the name, Vallombrosa means ‘Shadow Valley’ and is a place in Italy that houses the Benedictine sect. But there are no dark shadows at Vallombrosa. There is just the pleasant color and heartwarming flavor of fine cheese. 

Where: TC Palya, KR Puram

Ph: 98454 49064

Stuffed Zucchini Rolls – a Gordon Ramsay recipe, slightly adapted

Ingredients

• 2 zucchinis, ends trimmed
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil , plus extra to drizzle
• 3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar , to drizzle
• 125 gms ricotta
• juice of one lemon
• handful of fresh basil leaves , chopped
• walnuts , toasted
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Slice the zucchinis lengthways, using a swivel vegetable peeler so that you get long, thin, wide strips, about 15 strips. Drizzle some of the olive oil and balsamic over two large plates and lay the strips flat, trying not to overlap

• Sprinkle with more oil and balsamic, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 20 mins. Can be prepared up to 6 hrs ahead

• Mix the ricotta with lemon juice and seasoning to taste, then mix in the basil and walnuts. Place 1 tsp of the ricotta mixture onto one end of a zucchini strip and roll up. Repeat until you have used up all the filling. Arrange rolls upright on a plate and grind over some black pepper. Drizzle with a little more oil and balsamic vinegar to serve

Makes for a fantastic fresh and light snack!