Morgan Pasqual, the entrepreneur who brought mixed pickles into the third millennium
A beautiful mixed pickle to the eye and very delicious. Forget those pieces of carrots and soft celery, soaked in vinegar and soft colours, because "Morgan's mixed pickle" is nothing of the sort. With their captivating names and a very balanced flavour, the Vicenza vases have conquered the Italian market.
This is a product with an ancient flavour, that has been valued by a Venetian chef who has now become an entrepreneur: Morgan Pasqual. The vegetable mixture used as a side dish and vilified in the catering of the 80s – when it was left cold and mushy on a plate, where vinegar dominated everything – is just a distant memory thanks to Morgan's recipe.
In 2005, the entrepreneur from Vicenza decided not only to pursue his activity but also to use the concept of “mixed pickle” to win a very large market in gourmet cuisine. He rediscovered a product of the agricultural tradition, projecting it into the third millennium.
What happened in 2005?
Morgan Pasqual had a very well established family restaurant in the province of Vicenza, where traditional local dishes were served. Among the proposals, a mixed pickle that was so good and balanced that it transformed the restaurant into the "Restaurant of the mixed pickle". Morgan says: "The customers asked us for the jars to take home. At some point people came almost only for the mixed pickle: then there was the transition from chef to entrepreneur. We started to offer the jars at the counter and sold them so much that we made a big decision: to close the restaurant. We have organized a dedicated enterprise with a series of chrisms that entrepreneurship demands. We closed ourselves in the kitchen and developed a recipe where the mixed pickle became a dish in its own right, colourful and crispy, bright to the eye and with the right balance in acidity.
Bringing a peasant product to the tables of Millennials
The entrepreneur has set himself a very specific goal: to rejuvenate the mixed pickle. The captivating names, the partnerships with the foundations and the aesthetically beautiful jars were the methods used to achieve this result, while for the taste, "we have declined the mixed pickle in different ways, to bring her out of the context of the appetizer and from the role of a compressor, and with different vegetables to meet the palates of people. The maniacal research of the raw material has then raised the product in the assessments of the most demanding customers, who have contributed to the spread of jars among gourmet kitchens. Our mixed pickle can be served with many other ingredients, with many appetizers. They are combined with fish, meat and cheese; they are versatile".
They are in the making, one of the novelties is the partnership with a Friulian company for the creation of crispy sheets, "50 shades of corn", where the different geometries of the sheets will compose new combinations for the mixed pickle. "The Crunchy Pleasures of Corn project is part of a partnership strategy also launched with other companies related to La Giardiniera di Morgan", says the chef, "companies with which we share the quality policy and the universe of reference values. This project on called The Friends of Morgan and in addition to Mais includes an Extra Virgin Olive Oil to date".
Also very interesting is the combination of sweet and savory fruit created with "Syruped fruit", a game of unprecedented tastes andflavors, a mix of sweet and savory to be combined with ice cream or fish carpaccio. There are two tried and tested versions: peaches with Bourbon vanilla and cherries in light grappa.
PinKimonio and the collaboration with the Veronesi Foundation
Morgan Pasqual's most beautiful project, however, concerns a technical error: "We were working on radishes and we made a mistake. We liked the taste and it became a new product. This is how the gardener was born at PinKimonio, a jar we hold dear because it is linked to the Umberto Veronesi Foundation. The project was called Pink is Good by the foundation: the sale of mixed pickles funded research grants for doctors and scientists who dedicate their lives to the study and treatment of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. Concrete support for research. The agreement with the Foundation has ended a few months ago, but soon we will activate a new channel to continue our social purpose".
Via Pacinotti 2, Malo (VI)
tel. 0445 607976
www.lagiardinieradimorgan.com
Source: Cookist