Precisely during the spring period when the days get longer, there is always that feeling of escaping the four walls, leaving winter behind and welcoming the new season brighter, more fragrant and colourful, there is no healthier and healthier choice than to take a walk outdoors.
Combining the useful with the pleasant, like true gourmets, armed with a small hoe and knife move around the fields in search of those small, tender and unfortunately also thorny plants that grow wild along the sheep-tracks crossed by the flocks together with their shepherds, the wild cardoncelli, traditional springtime vegetables, not to be confused with the mushroom of the same name.
It is characteristic to find them for sale in street corners or on the stalls of small local markets, picked early in the morning, already peeled and ready to be cooked and eaten.
They are well cleaned of green leaves and thorns, retaining only the central core of the stem. This procedure must be carried out with gloves while the more experienced proceed 'masterfully' with bare hands. Lucky them!
After harvesting and peeling, they are prepared. A simple and easy procedure.
RECIPE
Ingredients for 4 persons: 1.5 kg cardoncelli; 4 eggs; enough grated pecorino cheese.
Wash the cardoncelli and boil them in plenty of salted water. Once cooked, drain them together with some of the cooking water and pour them into a pan. Add the eggs, already beaten and lightly salted, and stir everything together, turning with a wooden spatula until the eggs are cooked. Finally, add a sprinkling of grated pecorino cheese and the traditional Easter dish is ready to be served. Enjoy!
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