A Mediterranean Way of Living Has Something More to Say
Today this dish is widely known as the Broth of St. Stephen’s Day, traditionally eaten on December 26th, the day after Christmas. Yet long before it became associated with a specific moment in the calendar, this recipe already embodied something much deeper: the Mediterranean way of living and eating, where vegetables are always the main dish, and balance is the true goal.
This broth is not about restriction or renunciation. In our opinion it is about harmony.
Vegetables form the foundation, enriched with generous amounts of cheese, a modest contribution of protein from eggs, and the comforting presence of stale bread, transformed from leftovers into nourishment. It is a perfect example of how Mediterranean cuisine builds richness through simplicity, seasonality, and respect for ingredients.
In the Mediterranean Diet, food is inseparable from the land. The vegetable garden is the true pantry, and what grows at that moment—cultivated or wild—naturally defines what we cook. In this sense, the broth traditionally prepared for St. Stephen’s Day perfectly reflects a food culture where the land leads and the kitchen follows.
What is often described today as a “poor dish”, associated with sobriety and the figure of St. Stephen, actually contains all the elements we actively seek and celebrate at Three Farms Island: seasonal vegetables, a plant-based foundation, mindful use of animal products, and a deep respect for natural rhythms.
For this reason, it is a recipe we love to propose not only on St. Stephen’s Day, but throughout the entire season when escarole—also known as endive—is ready to be harvested. A timeless dish that continues to nourish both body and culture.
The Meaning Behind the Broth of St. Stephen’s Day
Today, especially in Southern Italy, it is commonly said that “broth lets the stomach rest”—a gentle way to recover after the abundance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This explanation makes perfect sense to us now, and it is likely that similar ideas about digestion and balance existed in the past as well.
However, it is important to recognize that the strong association between St. Stephen’s Day and the idea of “light food after abundance” is relatively recent, particularly in Southern Italy. The celebration of St. Stephen as a widespread domestic feast arrived later in the South, as it was historically more rooted in Northern European and Northern Italian traditions.
Until the 1950s and 1960s, abundance itself was not a given in much of Southern Italy. Everyday cooking was already frugal, vegetable-based, and deeply seasonal—not a contrast to festive excess, but simply the norm. The idea of needing a “lighter” dish after days of rich celebrations only truly emerged after the economic boom, when festive meals became more elaborate and plentiful.
For this reason, the pairing of vegetable broth with St. Stephen’s Day should be seen less as an ancient rule and more as a modern reinterpretation of older food habits. What we eat on this day is not a break from tradition, but rather a continuation of a long-standing Mediterranean food culture—one that has always valued vegetables, balance, and nourishment drawn directly from the land.
Stuffed Escarole in Broth: A Vegetable Dish Rooted in Memory
One of the most beloved versions of the St. Stephen’s Day broth is stuffed escarole cooked in vegetable broth. This is a deeply traditional, mostly plant-based dish that combines winter greens with classic Mediterranean flavors such as fresh goat cheese, herbs, and olive oil.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 4 small curly escaroles
- 300 g semi-aged goat caciotta (grated) + 50 g in chunks for the broth
- 2 eggs
- Parsley and garlic
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 potatoes
- 2 cherry tomatoes good if you have one of the Piennolos still good
- Black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, salt
- Toasted stale bread croutons
Preparation
- Prepare a rich vegetable broth using carrot, celery, onion, potatoes, and cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped.
- Add the chunks of goat cheese to the broth along with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and let it gently simmer for at least one hour.
- Wash the escaroles thoroughly and gently open them.
- Prepare the filling by mixing grated goat cheese, eggs, finely chopped garlic, parsley, and black pepper.
- Stuff the escaroles with the mixture and tie them securely with kitchen string.
- Place the stuffed escaroles into the simmering broth and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Serve hot, accompanied by toasted bread croutons.