Les Cols: “We want to build a greener and greener horizon"

Knowledge of volcanic cuisine could not move forward without Fina Puigdevall of Les Cols. The restaurant located between two restaurants in La Garrotxa (Catalonia) uses local produce, showcases artisan produce working with the local environment, and draws inspiration from the natural landscape. “We like untravelled produce, we focus on nature, so alive and mysterious, and our cookery is sustainable. This sustainability doesn't end with the product, because we extend it to our treatment of the product, management of staff and the use, for example, of renewable energies", explains Martina Puigvert. 

At their facilities it is quite normal to use geothermics, a water mill to work with flour EGarrotxa produce: "alforfón" or buckwheat, the star feature at Les Cols - or to use crockery made from local materials, or see how leftovers are put back into the earth in the form of compost. “We're increasingly aware of our surroundings, and we want to build a greener and greener horizon", added Martina. 

As part of this project in keeping with the philosophy of respect for nature, Fina Puigdevall announced that the plantation and the restaurant were undertaking a new feature. “We're going to make it a biological concern. We've taken on three ladies: a biologist, a specialist in seed retrieval, and a geographer. This is one step beyond. It's a new way of understanding the plantation, with calmness, respecting the pace of nature, observing cycles, growth of plants, control of waste ... in times when everything's going faster, what we want to do is observe". Martina chips in: “we've also realised that the greater diversity is, the better the product is. So it doesn't just affect the vegetables, but biodiversity too. We'll help generate spaces where species can reproduce, with greater biodiversity in the plantation ...".

The idea is to make use of everything, even weeds. "I don't like calling them that, because they're just different, they have different uses ... they're valid too", says Fina. 

To demonstrate all this philosophy, mother and daughter avail themselves of three videos and three showcookings. The first, a bowl with vegetable stock and smoked eel, "conveys the volcanic territory and forms part of the sampling menu - the objective of which is to take the diner to a volcanic area. It's by way of a welcome”. The second is an appetiser, also on the menu, consisting of two potatoes, a small one with the skin on, and another processed into a cube, with sauce. This will also be one of the snacks on offer at certain tourist centres in Lanzarote. The third and last is a dessert known as "Volcanic Landscape". This attempts to recreate the territory (volcanic rock with chocolate sponge, and ground buckwheat biscuit as clay), and local products: ratafia liqueur truffles, pumpkin purée and mint herbs.

Liqueurs and preserves are also two tools that help make the best possible use of what the landscape offers.