L’Ortone and Corzano & Paterno: a journey towards excellence

Here at Trattoria L’Ortone in Florence, we believe that only the best is good enough. Our love for good food and our desire to offer our customers a top-notch experience have always driven us to search for genuine and authentic ingredients that embody the deep passion we have for the land. That’s why it was natural for us, from the beginning of our journey, to turn to Corzano e Paterno, a company that shares our commitment to quality.

 

Recently, we had the privilege of immersing ourselves in the magic of their production by personally visiting their estate. Located amidst the picturesque Tuscan countryside of San Casciano Val di Pesa, Corzano e Paterno stretches over two hundred hectares, dedicated to the production of wine, olive oil, and artisanal cheeses. Their dairy products, made exclusively from the milk of their Sardinian sheep, enrich our menu both as part of our selection of pecorino cheeses and as ingredients in numerous dishes, imparting them with a unique and authentic flavor.

 

The very first cheese-making process began as an experiment, with a cauldron boiling over the hearth of a farmhouse, which over time has evolved into the modern dairy that it is today. After years of experimentation, Corzano e Paterno has come to produce over fifteen types of cheese, ranging from traditional pecorino to Roquefort-style cheeses, soft and hard cheeses, delicate and pungent.

 

During our visit, we witnessed the craftsmanship with which their dairy products are made. A small example? The Rocco a Carbone, featured in our selection, is a true delicacy. Obtained from a processing typical of goat cheeses through slow coagulation, it is slightly acidic and covered with a layer of vegetable charcoal, creamy and with its irresistible “drop.” Another treasure of their production is the Buccia di Rospo, born from a happy mistake, characterized by a gray and wrinkled “bloomy rind,” completely edible. Finally, the Blu di Corzano: this blue cheese, the result of more than twenty years of experimentation, gives our risotto with red radicchio and caramelized onions, typical of the winter season, a precious flavor note.

 

At the culmination of this day devoted to good food and love for the land, we had the opportunity to taste their cheeses paired with honey and jams, all accompanied by their own wines. That precise moment was confirmation of the right direction we have taken by collaborating with Corzano e Paterno: a journey through the flavors of Tuscany, but also a moment of enrichment for our approach to cooking and the world of catering.

 

This kind of bond is what makes us feel special: the relationships that are created where there is a will to do something good have added value, and our goal is to bring to the tables of L’Ortone and in the dishes we offer a small piece of the passion we have.