free.. free.. friarielli!!!
Bursting with green goodness, the big juicy leaves and succulent stems all cook together to a delicious vegetable.. never before seen in the United Kingdom. They're peppery and rich with a bitterish tang. The name comes from an old word for "frying" and typically in Naples they'll be sweated down in a pan with some sausages; they comliment a strong meaty taste fantastically well. In fact, one of Naples favourite pizza toppings is sausage and friarielli! That comes from the top, as they invented the pizza!
We've been eating them at home for weeks now. Dad chucked the seed in when he reseeded the bulb ground, as an experiment really. In just a few weeks they were up and thriving in the Pembrokeshire milds.
Mum says they've got a real "crave-factor", one of those things thats giving you just what you need as the winter draws in. Yummy in packets of pasta.. like ravioli, with a strongish cheese. It would be nice in a lasagne and would be wonderful in risotto.. but just as good on its own, boiled or steamed..
The first crop is still going, but will end in a week or so. If the rain dies a bit some more will be sown for an early spring harvest.
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I thought the crop would be well finished by now, but its still coming. There's a new spurt of growth and quite a few of the heads picked have now got side shoots too.
I only had time to pick half the field on saturday but got more than a hundred bundles and took them to the riverside market in Cardiff for my second week there. It's getting around and as well as returning customers, others are coming saying a freind has recomended it. Great! Paddy's mum (remember the gutted trout over on greenbean radio) was herself a bit upset I didnt have any at Haverfordwest last week. They've been enjoying the spicy leaves in their sandwiches all winter now. One lady was delighted to find something to substitute the mustard greens she's missed since her neighbour's tunnel cover blew off and was incredibled to hear this is grown outside. As was the hallowed Marche chef Franco Tarruschio who did a jig for joy and bought me out (last 3 bunches) ... onlookers came by after saying "do you know who that was?". He buys the similar cime di rapa, flown in from Puglia because you just can't find it in the UK. He's promised to buy everything i can get to Abergavenny. If only Stokes were still buying from us, it would be feasible.. but it's such a long way. Anyway, food for thought.
The market in Cardiff is a joy. It's great to sell to customers of a younger generation, who despite it being a fantastic market are few and far between in Haverfordwest. Also it's not stricly a farmer's market, the emphasis being on good food, with lots of stalls doing veggie burgers (with an egg on top!), samosas, all sorts; the somali community have a presence.. must try some of their food next week. It's run by and frequented by a cosmopolitan crowd, plenty of theatre types, even a clown!
Perhaps most amazing wasa visit from Elin Morris, someone i knew.. indeed one of the first people i can remember. A few years older than me, living on the farm up the road when we lived in Llandeiniol, we used to play. She and her brother taught me my first swear words! "oh dammo!"
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Well, the friarielli crop has finally come to the end. All thats left now is flowering heads and enough gleanings for a couple of meals here at springfields a week. The sheep have started lambing this week and soon they will be turned out into the friarielli field to enjoy the pasture to graze the grass that hasnt been disturbed since august last year.
Meanwhile there are signs that the new sowing is begining to germinate, if it continues to be mild then we can expect a short crop in april or may: wahey!!
It's been a real hit at the market, here's a recipe that Anne Taruschio sent me after she and her husband carried away bundles.
Orecciette or Spaghetti with Friarielli and Chickpeas.
1lb Friarielli, trimmed of any hard stalks and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 Teaspoon red chilli flakes
1 x 15 oz can of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Freshly ground Black Pepper
12 oz Spaghetti
Parmesan
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Boil the trimmed friarielli for a few minutes, drain well and reserve. Cook the spaghetti in the same water until al dente.
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the oil over a gentle heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook stirring for a minute or two. Add the friarielli and chickpeas, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the mixture is warmed through. Add the drained spaghetti to the friarielli and mix in thoroughly.
Serve with a drizzle of the finest extra virgin oil and shavings of parmesan.
At the last minute, a little tomato concasse can be added to the dish just before serving.
(dear readers: what in food heaven is tomato concasse?)
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in Veg, Wales, Slow Food, restaurants, italy, radio, markets, greenbean, springfields
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4 Comments
Reader Comments (4)
PS Greenbean - Write me a dang e-mail!!!
I first ate friarielli in a pizzeria in Naples (possibly the original pizzeria, anywhere), and I had never tasted anything like them. A year or so later I moved to New York, and discovered broccoli raab/rabe, which was supposed to be the same thing, ish, nearly, and was pretty good - but not the same. Now I'm back in Britain, and cima di rape, turnip tops, all the alternatives I can find are not quite up to the mark. I want to grow friarielli!
By the way, I was in Cardiff a few days ago (I live in Yorkshire, so this is a long drive) and got talking to a waiter in the Ristorante Casanova in Quay Street about friarielli. He was from Naples, and I thought he was going to cry, as he enthused for five minutes about them, and about how he would steam or sauté them with a little garlic and some chili flakes.
So, where can I get the seeds? Help, please!
i got a couple of boxes in naples.. but indeed finding it difficult to get any more over the phone or tinterweb. oh dear i'm going to have to go back to naples - che peccato!
how many do you want? i can send you a few if you like.. if you want more than a field's worth then we'll have to get some between us from Campania. We've got a few months leeway, because they dont need sowing until august time (my spring sowing bolted shortly after being ravaged by pigeons!)
email me http://tomtombean.squarespace.com/add-your-blog/ and let me know... I'd be happy to help.
Oh and thanks for the tip on Cardiff Resto's.. maybe your chef would like to get hold of some Fresh Welsh Friarielli when its back in season!