The approach to Ventotene is dramatic. Like its neighbor Ponza, it shows off its volcanic history immediately as you round high pumice walls to enter the port. The high-drama terrain makes it hard to imagine agriculture upon arrival, but once you disembark and venture into the heart of the island, a steep climb from the port, you reach a high plain that was once thriving farmland. Some light farming still goes on today, but most is for personal use or to supply Ventotene’s trattorie and cafés. One such farmer, Fulvio Marini, is keeping island traditions alive. He invited me to visit his farm one afternoon last year and served this soup, a totally flavorful but very detoxifying mix of his summer harvest.