On 3 October 2026, Smarties.bio welcomed the Slow Food Convivia Colli Euganei and Bassa Padovana, Riviera del Brenta and Chioggia and Padova for a day dedicated to discovering vegetable varieties, the agricultural history of the local area and its gastronomic traditions.
Discovering Smarties.bio: from the fields to biodiversity
The morning began with a warm welcome and a chance for everyone to get together, accompanied by fruit juices made by Stefano Maistrello Agricultural Company.
After the initial greetings, the group had the opportunity to explore our company and learn more about some of the crops grown by Smarties.bio. The visit included our test fields dedicated to chicories and radicchios, as well as those growing brassicas, offering participants the chance to observe different varieties, understand their characteristics and discover the research work that goes into every seed.
This was more than just a visit to the fields: it was an opportunity to explore the connection between agriculture, research and biodiversity. At Smarties.bio, safeguarding local varieties and the genetic heritage of vegetable crops is a commitment that brings together the memory of agricultural traditions and the needs of contemporary agriculture.
Marina Di Chioggia Squash: a story worth rediscovering
One of the highlights of the morning was the exhibition showcasing our Winter Squash and Pumpkin varieties, with particular attention given to Marina di Chioggia Squash, also known by its local dialect names, “Suca Baruca” or “Marina de Ciosa”.
Promoting this variety was one of the central themes of the day. The Slow Food Convivia took part with the aim of learning more about its history, characteristics and value, while exploring a possible path towards its recognition as a Slow Food Presidium. This is an important project to protect and promote a variety deeply rooted in the agricultural and cultural identity of Chioggia.
Marina Di Chioggia Squash has a long-standing connection with the vegetable-growing traditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is recognisable by its flattened shape, pronounced ribs and distinctive greenish-grey skin, which is particularly knobbly. Its flesh is thick, floury and full of flavour, making it suitable for a wide range of traditional recipes, including gnocchi, creamy soups and oven-baked dishes. When stored properly, it can keep for several months without losing its quality, making it ideal for recipes such as Carnival fritters!
Its history is so deeply rooted in the culture of Chioggia that it has even found its way into literature: Marina Di Chioggia Squash is mentioned by Carlo Goldoni in Baruffe Chiozzotte, where a piece of cooked winter squash becomes the cause of a dispute.
Already included in Slow Food's Arca del Gusto, a catalogue of traditional food products at risk of disappearing, Marina Di Chioggia Squash is a heritage worth discovering, protecting and passing down to future generations. A possible path towards becoming a Presidium would be another important step in strengthening its protection, involving local producers and the community in its conservation and promotion.
From the fields to the table: a lunch celebrating local flavours
After an interesting morning spent among fields, varieties and stories of agriculture, it was time to continue the day around the table.
Lunch was designed as a tasting journey through local products and artisanal preparations, showcasing different producers from the area and ingredients capable of expressing a variety of traditions and flavours.
The buffet began with a selection of preserves and preparations by Stefano Maistrello Agricultural Company (based in Schio, in the province of Vicenza, this agricultural business produces locally sourced fruit and vegetables, relying primarily on our Smarties.bio seeds): Medusa Cicoria Catalogna Puntarelle di Galatina Smarties.bio in sweet-and-sour dressing, sweet-and-sour Clodia Cipolla Tonda Musona Bianca Smarties.bio (White Rounded Onion Musona), Romeo Cicoria Rossa di Verona Smarties.bio jam and sweet-and-sour Broccolo di Bassano Smarties.bio. Together, these preparations highlighted the many possibilities for processing and preserving vegetables, bringing out their distinctive flavours and characteristics.
Alongside the preserves, a tasting of cheeses from Malga Verde / Fattoria Cortese, a family-run farm on the Altopiano di Asiago (Lusiana Conco, Vicenza), which grazes its cows on mountain pastures and artisanally produces traditional cheeses such as Asiago DOP, presented in a progression from the freshest to the most aged: Asiago Fresco 2026, aged for 50 days and thermised; Asiago Mezzano 2026, aged for 90 days and also thermised; and Asiago Stravecchio 2024 raw milk cheese , a Slow Food Presidium.
The buffet also featured Soppressa (traditional aged pork salami), pickles, the traditional Chioggia “bossolà” pastries and pizza made in Chioggia by the Vetrano Pane bakery. Master baker Michele Vetrano, winner of the Italian Baking Championship and the recipient of 2 Pani from the Gambero Rosso Guide, came in person to prepare it especially for us.
The culinary journey continued with a second starter, served in the centre of each table and featuring some of the vegetables grown by Smarties.bio.
Oven-roasted Vesuvio Cicoria Rossa di Chioggia Smarties.bio (very early) brought one of the emblematic products of local vegetable growing to the table. It was accompanied by XS106 Green Kabocha (Delica Type) Squash Smarties.bio, also oven-roasted, and an omelette made with Musona di Chioggia Clodia onion Smarties.bio: a traditional variety representing another fascinating part of the area's vegetable biodiversity.
Next came the first course, served to every guest: pasticcio (a baked pasta dish) made with Vesuvio Cicoria Rossa di Chioggia Smarties.bio, combining the rich flavour of guanciale with radicchio's distinctive bitter notes.
To accompany, the super fresh buffalo mozzarella from Azienda Agricola Scacco: a historic producer in the Saccisica area (Padua) that has been raising water buffalo in Northern Italy since 1984, overseeing the entire zero-mile supply chain—from the barn to the artisanal processing of the milk.
From the Colli Euganei to Chioggia: a wine tasting featuring Le Volpi wines
The buffet and the entire culinary experience were accompanied by a selection of organic wines from Azienda Agricola Le Volpi, a winery based in the Colli Euganei, where volcanic soils and their distinctive composition give the wines their character and personality.
Simone Gallo, manager of Enoteca Monte Fasolo, guided participants through the tasting. During lunch, he introduced three wines from the winery, sharing their characteristics and distinctive qualities.
The tasting began with Alvìs Metodo Classico, a vintage Rosè Extra Brut sparkling wine made from pure Pinot Nero grapes grown in volcanic soil. The production process includes at least 36 months of ageing on the lees, helping to develop an elegant bouquet with delicate notes of red berries. On the palate, it is harmonious, with a lively acidity.
Next came Fior d'Ape, Colli Euganei Fior d'Arancio Secco DOCG della Linea di Gi, made exclusively from organic Moscato Giallo grapes. Grown on the volcanic slopes of the Colli Euganei, in soils rich in white scaglia limestone, these grapes produce a wine with intensely aromatic notes. Delicate on the palate, it is fresh and mineral.
The tasting concluded with 18 Mesi, Colli Euganei DOC Cabernet, an organic red wine made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Cabernet Franc (40%). The grapes come from vineyards planted on the red scaglia volcanic soils of the Colli Euganei. The nose reveals aromas of ripe red fruit and herbal nuances, while the palate is characterised by gentle tannins and a lingering finish.
Three wines, three different expressions of the local area and its grape varieties, which accompanied lunch by bringing the aromas and flavours of the Colli Euganei to Chioggia. A meeting between two areas of Veneto, united by their commitment to showcasing local produce and celebrating good food and wine.
A sweet ending, in the spirit of tradition
The day came to a close around the table with a good coffee and the ever-present bissiole, traditional little sweets from Chioggia, accompanying the final moments of conviviality and farewells among participants.
To thank everyone for visiting and to offer a small memento of the day we had spent together, we gave each guest a packet of Smarties.bio Gustoso Classico Italiano Basil Seeds: a small gift to take home and grow, symbolically keeping the memory of this meeting alive.
We also took the opportunity, while our guests were with us, to introduce the new book "Radicchio: A Celebration of the Beloved Italian Vegetable", written by Lane Selman and Margarett Waterbury, with photographs by Shawn Linehan. The book joins Smarties.bio Books, our collection dedicated to publications exploring the world of seeds, agricultural biodiversity and food culture.
This choice holds a particular meaning for us: the book is part of a wider effort to promote Italian Radicchio and encourage international exchange, developed also through Progetto Gusto Italiano and our collaboration with Lane Selman, founder of the Culinary Breeding Network.
After saying goodbye, the group headed to Chioggia to continue the day's programme.
The day of 3 October was much more than a simple company visit or a lunch among friends. It was an opportunity to come together and recognise the value of things that often risk going unnoticed: local varieties, the work of those who grow our food, traditions passed down through generations and the wealth of biodiversity that characterises our territories.
At Smarties.bio, it was a pleasure to open the doors of our company and share with the Slow Food Convivia a day dedicated to agricultural culture, knowledge and the promotion of local produce.
Because biodiversity is not preserved only in fields or seeds: it continues to thrive when it is shared through stories, cultivated, passed on and, above all, brought to the table.