Garmugia With Sea Purslane

I realised the other day that it's been about 2 years since I have had a cold or been ill at all.

Basically kids, it's cos I eat lots of good things.

Yes I occasionally indulge in a takeaway when others around me are, I'm not perfect. But I don't ever crave it. Put a pile of freshly cooked veg and a Mac D's in front of me and I will pick the veg every time. 

It's this reason that I have never been overweight, I have however eaten to the point where I have projectile vomited (yes, that much food) and still have never been overweight. I clearly love food (and cheese), I eat about 4 times a day and I'm still a size 6. 

The more you eat wild food, lots of veggies and recreate all of your favourite foods from fresh instead of out of a packet, the more you realise that all of that greasy fried crap is tasteless and makes you feel like you've had a night out drinking.

I get what I like to call a takeaway food hangover from it. Too much salt, too much fat. It's weird because I put what I think is a lot of fat into my own food that I make but it never makes me feel ill. Makes you wonder what on earth they actually put into it....

Anyway I have gone completely off topic, I just wanted to share with you guys my all time favourite recipe- Garmugia. an Italian spring soup, basically a green minestrone without pasta.

Ingredients

Large handful Sea Purslane

4 Artichoke hearts, quartered

1 cup Fave Beans (Broad beans) 

1 cup Garden peas 

1 Chicory head (red or white), finely chopped 

Basil to taste (I like a lot) 

Parsley to taste 

Parmesan rind, whole

1 tomato (de-seeded) 

2 cups Veg stock 

Black pepper 

Salt 

garlic cloves (whole, crushed)

Olive oil

(you can also use asparagus, courgette, chard, fat hen, orache, dandelion leaves, sow thistles, wild mustard leaves etc. I just forever have sea purslane to use up as I go a little mad picking it every few weeks so that I can add it to everything)

1. Put your veg stock, olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper and tomato into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Add your vegetables and herbs and cook for 5-10 minutes- I prefer mine quite crunchy so I don't cook it for more than 5 minutes. 
3. Serve with warm crusty bread. 

*You can also use pasta in this but I find it too filling, basically without pasta I can eat 4 bowls of it