Not only does it look lovely, but a small mountain of broad beans in their pods, a piece of pecorino and an invitation to eat the two together is a good way to start a meal. For the combination of flavours (grassy beans and sharp cheese), but also for the group activity and concentration required to get the beans out of their velour-lined pods and matched with the right amount of cheese. Some people really apply themselves to the task and double pod each bean, getting the bright-green disc out of the opaque skin with a nail. I don’t mind the slightly bitter outer coat, especially if the beans are small.
For many Italians, eating fave e pecorino is not only a traditional part of 1 May, the festa dei lavoratori, whether at home, in a restaurant or sitting on a rug in the park, but a habit while broad beans are around. We were brought some the other evening in an osteria (also a plate of salami and some fried dough balls), which, in that hungry moment, tasted like heaven.
