“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.
“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.