For the past ten years the amateur theater group in the little town of S. Agata dei Goti, has been masterfuly directed by my next door neighbor, the retired comedy actress Hilde Maria Renzi, has put on a play in neapolitan dialect by Eduardo de Filippo. This year’s offering, Fortuna con la “F” Maiuscola, débuted inside the courtyard of the town’s 17^th century episcopio, or bishopric, and was filled to the brim with men, women, children, and local dignitaries. In its 11^th season this is such social a high point that the show is prolonged for four days, allowing the whole town to see the show. Tickets are free.

But who could have forseen that this year Italy would be still be in the European Championship playoffs?! For days people were talking of nothing else. The local bars had set up improvised screens with big white bed sheets. At 8 p.m. people were already arriving, armed with chairs, flags and anxiously tooting their whistles. As I walked towards the outdoor theatre, I wondered if there would really be anybody willing to forego the excruciating excitement to see an old Eduardo de Filippo play…

At 9 o’clock there were 10 old women sitting in a sea of empty green chairs. However, in dribs and drabs, slowly but surly more and more people began to arrive. By 9:30 the episcopio was practically full: women of all ages had decided to come to the theater, leaving behind their husbands and sons to watch their soccer team.

As the lights were about to go down an old woman looked around and chuckled to her friends: “It looks like we’re all widows for one night!”

It’s been three years since we moved to the Sannio and as memories of the big city fade, an ever-increasing regard for the process of Nature unfolds before me. While walking my dog I welcome the morning dew. I smell the earth, sense the weather and delight in the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables appena colti. Springtime is luscious in every sense: there is a promise of good things, in the greenness of the grass, the budding fruit trees, the climbing pea stalks and the sweet smell of jasmine.

Cantine Aperte takes place on the last Sunday in May and is a perfect occasion to appreciate all this in a single day and to learn what makes the wines in this area so special. For me and the wines of the Sannio, it is the roses…everywhere.

This might seem like a feeble attempt at waxing poetic, but it’s basically true. The oenological reality of this territory is still one of small, single-estate producers that heralds back to a time when families lived off the land and worked their orchards. And so it was that before the advent of metal wire, farmers used their fruit trees as a support for the grape vines. And since the different crops were hand-picked it was easy to harvest (for example) the pears without damaging the grapes and vice versa.

It is wonderful to see the vestiges of this tradition in the Sannio which is why a well-made Aglianico will taste of wild berries, violets, walnut and tobacco and a good Falanghina will speak of apples and almonds and the presence of jasmine and roses.

“Weeds”, wrote American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “are plants whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”

For those fortunate enough to live in Italy, many are already familiar with the oranoleptic virtues of wild asparagus, broccoletti, thistles, chickory, chives, wild fennel, mint, puntarelle and rucola.

But would you be able to recognize them growing in your garden? The Mediterranean region has some of the few surviving cultures that continue to scavenge for edible weeds. The tradition in Italy goes back to Roman times, but now it is mostly the older people (those who survived the famine of World War II) who can tell the difference between agretti and erba cipollina. Edible weeds, when picked in the wild, are tasty, uncontaminated and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

Here is your chance to learn more about the wonderful and healthy world of edible weeds! Antonietta Rotondo will take us into the fields at Terre di Conca to identify and pick edible weeds and learn how to prepare them.

For lunch, apart from this bounty of the fields, eco-chef Berardino Lombardo will also prepare a cornucopia of non-meat and organic dishes including frittate made from his the eggs of his chicken, duck and geese, pancotto, cheeses, soups, legumes and desserts. All served with freshly baked bread and excellent wine.

After lunch we will visit the nearby 15th century Convento dei Lattani, gloriously perched on top of the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina. Of special interest are the church doors dating from 1508 with its 20 decorated wooden panels and the convent’s Spanish-gothic window.

Only an hour and a half from Rome, Terre di Conca is an easy drive and an undiscovered and still uncontaminated paradise.

Date: To be estabished (probably in June)

Time: 10am - 5pm

Cost: Adults: €50,00. Children 5-12: €25,00. Toddlers up to 5: free.

To participate register here no later than . Minimum 15 people.

Read what guests and food experts have to say about their experiences at Terre di Conca:

“We had a wonderful Saturday. Thank you for setting that up. It was like a mini holiday far from the business of Rome. The food was amazing, the setting spectacular and the company delightful. “

“We enjoyed the day so much ourselves. We were trying to decide on our way home what our favorite dish was and we all agreed, it was everything! For all of us it was a very memorable day.”

“We had a very nice time on Saturday. So thoughtful of you to order the lovely weather to go with the good food.”

Read what the food experts have to say about Berardino Lombardo:

Faith Willinger:
“Berardino’s organic farm supplies the restaurant with poultry, rabbits, pork, salumi and a garden of heirloom vegetables and fruits. The menu is pure tradition, with local just-made mozzarella, sheep’s milk ricotta, and polenta sauced with sausage, for starters”…”The bread is outstanding, baked in their wood-burning oven”…”There’s local pecorino aged in barrique casks, caciocavallo cheese aged six, twelve, or eighteen months, jam tarts (with homemade jam from organic heirloom fruit), conventuali butter cookies, spiraled with nuts and raisins, and scauratielli, or boiled cookies drenched with honey and orange zest. ”

Luciano Pignataro:
“This is one of those rare places that should be kept jealously secret and revealed sparingly only to those capable of appreciating the state of euphoria that comes when every pleasurable sense is fullfilled; like that offered by Berardino Lombardo, anthropological chef-turned-farmer-and-breeder who, with his wife Antonietta, have created a breath-taking restaurant, situated amidst ancient chestnut groves and the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina.”

Directions:

1. Take the A1 Highway south (towards Naples) and exit at San Vittore.

2. Follow the signs for Mignano Montelungo. After 2 km circa you will come to a large intersection with a stoplight. Turn right onto the Via Casilina and continue for 8.5 km. Turn right at signs for Mignano Montelungo.

3. Cross the railroad, go through Mignano and follow signs for Conca della Campania (or Conca), for another 8.5 kms. There are no signs for Terre di Conca which is on the left before reaching Frazione Piantoli.

One and a half hours south of Rome - an easy drive down the A1 motorway - lies a very special restaurant run by a very special man. The estate is called Terre di Conca, with an 18^th century casale in tufa rock set in 40 hectares of woods and organically-grown farmland. The man, Chef Berardino Lombardo, is credited for having single-handedly saved the autochthonous breed of black pig, or maiale nero casertano. In 1955 there were only 25 specimens alive and the breed was listed in the FAO World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity as at risk of extinction. The particular characteristics of this species are that they have black skin, are practically hairless and have a protuberance, similar to earrings, on either side of the neck called bargigli. Today Berardino raises approximately 200 pigs a year that live in semi-freedom, feasting on the chestnuts and acorns in the rich, dense woods of his estate. He makes fine cured meats, lardo secco (dry lard) and a product of his own invention, La Stringata, the result of tying together - thus the name ‘stringed’ - lard, bacon and loin of pork.

On arrival participants will meet the chef and watch as he prepares traditional, mouth-watering pork dishes around his huge stove (salvaged from an ancient convent and lovingly restored). Recipes are not available beforehand as they depend on the ripe fruits and vegetables that are hand-picked the day before. Most certainly, however, he will be using the famous annurca apples, another autochthonous variety of the region.

At lunch a huge meal will be served, accompanied by excellent wines. Guests are then welcome to spend the afternoon walking through the estate, viewing Antonietta’s priceless antique lace and embroidery collection and relaxing by Terre di Conca’s majestic fireplace. For those with enough energy, we can visit some of the nearby sites of interest.

Cost: Adults: €50,00. Children 5-12: €25,00. Toddlers up to 5: free.

To participate register here no later than January 20th. Minimum 15 people. Maximum 30.

Read the testimonials:

“We had a wonderful Saturday. Thank you for setting that up. It was like a mini holiday far from the business of Rome. The food was amazing, the setting spectacular and the company delightful. “

“We enjoyed the day so much ourselves. We were trying to decide on our way home what our favorite dish was and we all agreed, it was everything! For all of us it was a very memorable day.”

“We had a very nice time on Saturday. So thoughtful of you to order the lovely weather to go with the good food.”

Read what the food experts have to say about Berardino Lombardo:

Luciana Squadrilli (Gambero Rosso):
Berardino Lombardo has invented “La Stringata”, a monument to flavour and an extraordinary example of cured pork.”

Faith Willinger:
“Berardino’s organic farm supplies the restaurant with poultry, rabbits, pork, salumi and a garden of heirloom vegetables and fruits. The menu is pure tradition, with local just-made mozzarella, sheep’s milk ricotta, and polenta sauced with sausage, for starters”…”The bread is outstanding, baked in their wood-burning oven”…”There’s local pecorino aged in barrique casks, caciocavallo cheese aged six, twelve, or eighteen months, jam tarts (with homemade jam from organic heirloom fruit), conventuali butter cookies, spiraled with nuts and raisins, and scauratielli, or boiled cookies drenched with honey and orange zest. ”

Luciano Pignataro:
“This is one of those rare places that should be kept jealously secret and revealed sparingly only to those capable of appreciating the state of euphoria that comes when every pleasurable sense is fullfilled; like that offered by Berardino Lombardo, anthropological chef-turned-farmer-and-breeder who, with his wife Antonietta, have created a breath-taking restaurant, situated amidst ancient chestnut groves and the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina.”

Date: Saturday, February 23rd

Time: 10am - 5pm

Directions:

Take the A1 Highway south (towards Naples) and exit at San Vittore.

Follow the signs for Mignano Montelungo. After 2 km circa you will come to a large intersection with a stoplight. Turn right onto the Via Casilina and continue for 8.5 km. Turn right at signs for Mignano Montelungo.

Cross the railroad, go through Mignano and follow signs for Conca della Campania (or Conca), for another 8.5 kms. There are no signs for Terre di Conca which is on the left before reaching Frazione Piantoli.

“Qualche tempo fa Berardino Lombardo aveva lasciato La Caveja, il locale di Pietravairano di cui era chef e patron, senza dare più notizia di sé. Lo abbiamo ritrovato di recente a portare in giro per manifestazioni gastronomiche e botteghe gourmet la “stringata”, straordinario salume di sua creazione. Un po’ stufo della vita da ristoratore, ha preferito infatti lasciare quel mondo per dedicarsi all’allevamento di maiali di razza nera casertana e alla cura della terra alle pendici del vulcano di Roccamonfina, nella storica Terra di Lavoro:«Qualcuno mi ha detto “che fai, invece di andare avanti torni indietro?” ma questo per me non è un passo indietro, bensì un ritorno alla terra, alla materia prima. Ora mi voglio concentrare su questo» racconta lui che, nonostante i ritmi della campagna non siano poi meno faticosi di quelli del ristorante, sembra perfettamente a suo agio in questa nuova realtà.

Già da qualche anno si era trasferito con la moglie Antonietta e i due figli nella splendida tenuta di Piantoli: 30 ettari di terreno incolto e un rudere abbandonato era quel che restava del “giardino” della famiglia Galdieri, antichi signori di Conca della Campania. Loro hanno trasformato il rudere in un bellissimo casale con i muri in pietra viva, il salone con l’ampio camino, la sala degustazione con tanto di vecchio bancone in legno e affettatrice Berkel rossa scintillante, quattro camere per gli ospiti arredate con bei mobili d’epoca raccolti negli anni da Berardino e Antonietta (collezionista di pizzi e ricami) ma anche una moderna cucina.

A Terre di Conca – dove oltre ai corsi di cucina, c’è in programma la creazione di un vero e proprio laboratorio di ricerca sui cibi tipici locali – si trova una cucina “povera”, fatta di sapori veri e intensi come è ormai difficile trovare altrove, a base di piatti della tradizione locale e di quel che offre la natura: in inverno non manca mai il maiale (anche in molti sughi della tradizione, come ragù e “genovese”), in primavera e estate abbondano le verdure mentre in autunno il bosco dona funghi e castagne.

Della cucina si occupa Antonietta, bravissima cuoca che nel week end (durante la settimana lavora in tutt’altro ambito) si mette ai fornelli, mentre alcune donne del luogo cuociono nel forno a legna pagnotte a lievitazione naturale e gustose pizze arrecanate con pomodoro e origano. Berardino, invece, si dedica alla terra:

«Questo è un territorio eccezionale, grazie al terreno vulcanico. Quando abbiamo comprato era tutto abbandonato, ma abbiamo trovato un patrimonio unico!».
L’azienda ospita anche un vigneto di 3 ettari di primitivo e aglianicone (i primi esperimenti sono già in cantina), un oliveto con circa 300 piante di cultivar Sessanella, tantissime varietà antiche di mele – dalle deliziose annurche e limoncelle a quelle ancora non ben identificate – pere, ciliegie e altri tipi di frutta.

Poi ci sono gli animali: i maiali neri, innanzitutto, con il pelo scuro e il caratteristico “ciucaglio” (o sciacquaglie, escrescenze ai lati del muso che richiamano i pendagli degli orecchini femminili), che crescono allo stato semibrado nel bosco: durante l’anno mangiano quello che dà la terra – zucche, mele – poi nel periodo precedente alla macellazione si mettono all’ingrasso con ghiande e castagne.«In queste zone il maiale era una preziosa risorsa; cresceva al risparmio, poi alla fine gli si dava il
meglio per avere le carni più buone» racconta Berardino. Proprio dai suoi ricordi di famiglia nasce la stringata: «mio padre aveva un vero e proprio culto per il maiale,
e già pensava a come utilizzarlo in modo diverso, rivalutando i tagli meno nobili. Io, dopo 40 anni, ho realizzato la sua idea».

Pancetta, lombo e il saporito lardo dei maiali più grandi (lui li porta a circa 2,5 quintali, sfatando il mito che questa razza non sia adatta a raggiungere grandi pezzature) vengono trasformati in questi salumi monumentali ripiegati su stessi, cuciti e stretti tradue assi di legno. Dopo la salatura, una leggera affumicatura (ma ora sé alla prova una variante senza fumo) e la prima stagionatura in luogo asciutto, la stringata fa altri 8 mesi in grotta: dopo un anno è perfetta. Ottimi sono anche prosciutti, capicolli e guanciali, così come le soppressate e le salsicce ricavate dagli animali più piccoli.

A Terra di Conca si allevano anche polli e faraone per il ristorante (aperto su prenotazione nei week end e tutte le sere in estate) e i prelibati capponi che, dopo un anno di assenza a causa dell’aviaria, torneranno per il prossimo Natale. «Siamo andati più volte in Francia a vedere come allevano le galline di Bresse» racconta lui,
che ama la ricerca e la sperimentazione. Osservando il suo sguardo inquieto, viene da chiedersi quale sarà la sua prossima mossa.”

l’articolo originale