This agroturismo - basically a farm that serves up the livestock, vegetables and wine raised/made…read moreon the premises - is very difficult to find and there is no way to get there without a car. If you are driving from Rome to Naples and have half a day to spare, or a night - you can stay in one of the three rustic rooms they have - I highly recommend doing so. It is an incredible southern Italian experience that features fresh but simple farm food, and plenty of it.
Castel di Sasso is about 20km from Caserta.
The farm, which is mostly organic, sits under Castel di Sasso proper, a hamlet of about fifty residents that sits perched on a high stone massif. There is nothing in the town itself but some houses, but after Le Campestre, I recommend driving up to it and taking a stroll to work off the meal.
Le Campestre serves lunch and dinner on weekends - I have no idea if it is open during the week, but I would guess it is. On weekends, it is usually full, so you definitely need to book in advance. And in any case, it's good to touch base with the owners since you'll very likely get turned around trying to find it and end up having to call them from the road for directions. Please note that as far as I know, nobody at the farm speaks English. Well, maybe the son does, but not much.
There is a set menu that includes appetizers, pasta, whatever the meat of the day is, desert and wine. The owner, Livia Liliana Lombardi is renowned in some food circles for her ancient Roman cheese: Conciato Romano.
Carla Capalbo interviews Lombardi in her excellent book The Food and Wine Guide to Naples and Campania (a must buy for anyone traveling through the area) and this is what Lombardi has to say about this very salty and strongly flavored cheese that she makes from raw goat's milk: "These cheese weigh about 100 grams each - small enough to fit through the neck of large glass flasks. After they are made, I place them out to dry on a cold balcony for several days until firm. They are then 'washed' with the water that pasta has been boiled in (for the starch), and placed inside the flasks, with a mix of walnut leaves, wild thyme, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and hot peperoncino. They are shaken in the mixture, and left to age in a cool dark place to keep damp. The cheeses need to 'weep' in the aromatic mixture."
Usually, Lombardi will come around the dining area at the end of the meal and offer you a small bit of the cheese. It's incredibly good, but powerful, and you only need a little bit to top off your meal. Afterwords, I highly recommend an herbal bitter to wash it all down.
Le Campestre offers a piece of southern Italy that most people never, ever have the chance to enjoy. My wife an I often took our friends who visited from the US here. I have also spent the night on several occasions and recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a slightly rustic sleeping experience. The water sometimes doesn't heat up very well in the bathroom, so if it's winter, you might want to do a splash bath and avoid the temptation to actually submerge your body in the tub. One of the rooms has a couple of single beds in it and a fire place, which you can use in the winter.
After a meal, stroll around Castel di Sasso, as I mentioned above, but don't do so until you have taken a turn around the farm. You are free to roam the premises and you'll probably have the company of one or more of the farm's dogs. Enjoy!
