Postcard from Penne

There are cranes and scaffolding throughout Penne, hopeful signs of a much-needed face lift. In the distance you can see the calanchi di Atri, the badlands where wild artichokes and capers grow and porcupines, wild boar, foxes and weasels forage.

I’m back in my small, wonky house in Abruzzo with the million-dollar view. This weekend is Cantine Aperte, and wineries across the region are hosting tastings and tours. Everyone is escaping to the countryside, even people who live here, and all the restaurants in the hills around Penne are booked. So my husband and I are going in the opposite direction—down to the coast to walk around the old quarter of Pescara and have lunch at a seafood spot.

Daniela and I are taking a short break while I regroup from three weeks of travel, which is to say, to do laundry, deal with what appears to be a (thankfully minor) leak in our roof, and reacquaint myself with an activity called “cooking.” It sounds ridiculous, but three weeks of eating in restaurants and on the road takes its toll.

Yesterday, I made the rounds at the weekly farmers’ market and bought two bunches of spiky green chicory from Signor Nevio, with which I made a big panful of cicoria ripassata. Speaking of Signor Nevio and spiky vegetables, he is the farmer who showed me how to make quick work of cleaning and trimming baby artichokes. I wrote about it almost exactly two years ago, and included recipes for sautéed baby artichokes and batter-fried baby artichokes. They’re such simple and good spring recipes, I want to share them again, so I’ve temporarily lifted the paywall to the original post.

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Wishing those back in the U.S. a peaceful Memorial Day weekend.

Alla prossima,
Domenica