Summer
Granita di Pantelleria
Blackberry Granita
During a holiday in Pantelleria, a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean (between Sicily and Malta), I consumed a mulberry granite every day. Made by a local cook, this helped considerably to cool me down in the intense summer heat. Ripe, scented blackberries can be used in the same way, as indeed can strawberries, raspberries or other soft fruit.
Insalata di Fagiolini alla Menta
French Bean Salad with Mint
What could be simpler than French beans in a salad? It is important to have very fresh beans, without string. The combination of the garlic and mint, along with the oil and lemon, gives a totally unexpected flavour.
Insalata di Peperoni Arrostiti
Roast Pepper Salad
This is without a doubt one of my favourite recipes. It is an example of the way in which the flavour of sweet peppers can change completely according to whether they are fried or roasted, or indeed have their skins removed, as here. The peppers can be eaten by themselves, with some good bread, or as an accompaniment to meat dishes - especially pork.
La Parmigiana di Melanzane
Baked Aubergine with Cheese and Tomato
I've never known whether this dish is called 'parmigiana' because it comes from Parma, or because it's made with Parmesan cheese. It is originally from Sicily, but it is cooked all over Italy and can be an excellent vegetarian main course. I've changed the classic recipe slightly. You can use courgettes instead of the aubergines.
Lamponi e More al Limone
Raspberries and Blackberries with Sugar and Lemon
I have often said that the Italians have a sweet tooth, but not necessarily after meals. Day-to-day, fresh, ripe seasonal fruit is the usual way to round off a meal. As a young boy, fruit became my responsibility and I became an expert in monitoring farmers' fruit crops. During autumn, I would obtain wonderful raspberries and pick wild blackberries to compliment them. Use only perfectly ripe fruit for this dessert.
Mango con Scoroppo di Limo
Mango with Lime Syrup
An extremely simple recipe with lots of fresh flavour. The best mango to use here would be the Alfonso variety from India, but this recipe will be a success whatever type you use.
Meringa Estiva
Italian Summer Pudding
This Italian summer pudding has to be my favourite dessert because it combines the essence of summer, embodied in a variety of berries, with the meringue, which gives a nice dry and sweet texture. I serve it regularly, but have to resort occasionally to using cultivated berries, although I can assure you that wild ones taste much better.
Ideally the meringue should be piped into the shape of a cornucopia, a tapering 'container' for the berries, but it's probably easier to make rounds with a depression in the centre.
Minestrone
Vegetable Soup
The name of this famous soup derives from 'minestra' meaning 'soup'. (In many parts of Italy minestra means 'green'). It is found all over the country, and all the regions have their own variations, suffixed alla milanese, alla Genovese, alla piemontese etc.
Nocciole d'Agnello con Carciofi
Noisettes of Lamb with Artichokes
Noisettes are the most tender cut of lamb and, in this recipe, they should be accompanied by equally tender artichokes. It is during the spring that you will be able to find these tender artichokes which, prepared in Pinzimonio, can even be eaten raw. But you can substitute canned artichoke hearts.
Panzanella Marinara
Summer Bread Salad
Here is a simple recipe that includes all the elements of the healthy Mediterranean diet. The ingredients are almost always available in a Southern Italian household and do not cost very much. It is often made with frisella but my mother used leftover bread, dried in the oven the better to absorb the juice of the ripe tomatoes. Ideal as a starter on a summer's day.