August is the month of abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Gather up your family and friends, pour a chilled rosato and celebrate al fresco evenings with some more of my favorite summer recipes (check out my other favorites in the archived section).

BRUSCHETTA - FETTUNTA

Bruschetta is the epitome of cucina rustica. It can be found all over Italy although in Tuscany it takes the name of fettunta. Fettunta literally means “oiled slice”. Originally Roman and now an internationally adopted word, bruschetta, refers to burning, or better, charring the bread.

Bruschetta/fettunta in its simplest form is the original garlic bread - grilled, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with fresh olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. In and of itself it can serve as a base for an endless number of toppings.

bread, country style, preferably a day or 2 days old
the best extra virgin olive oil that you can find
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Cut the bread into 3/4 inch slices. Grill/broil/toast the bread on both sides until it is golden.

Rub the bread well with a clove of garlic (sprout removed) while it is still hot.

Drizzle the toasted bread with OO. Sprinkle with salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

Serve warm.

OPTIONS:

BRUSCHETTA CON SALSA CRUDA- top the above prepared bruschetta with
coarsely chopped tomatoes drained, OO, S & P, torn basil, garlic
BRUSCHETTA CON POMODORO E CIPOLLA- top the above prepared
bruschetta with sliced tomatoes, slivers of onion, capers, oregano or basil
BRUSCHETTA DI FICCHI- top the above prepared bruschetta (omit the
garlic) with thin slices of salami or prosciutto topped with mashed figs and
honey

CALAMARI RIPIENI

This Southern Italian recipe can be made with squid or small cuttlefish.

Ingredients:
squid, medium/small or very small cuttlefish
parsley, chopped
spinach, blanched, squeezed dry, chopped
garlic, finely chopped
bread crumbs
egg yolks
raisins, plumped in water
pinoli, toasted
OO
S& P
large wooden toothpicks or skewers soaked in water for 30 min.

Clean the squid: cut off the tentacles and reserve; cut out the eyes & mouth, remove the ink sac and the internal bone, discard; rub off the skin and wash under running water until white. Chop the reserved tentacles and add them to a bowl with parsley, spinach, garlic and bread crumbs. Add OO and egg yolks to bind. Season with S & P; add raisins and pinoli. A small amount of the stuffing can be cooked in a sauté pan over mod heat to check for seasoning.

Loosely fill the bodies with the stuffing and close the opening with a toothpick. Do not pack too full or too firm or they will burst during cooking. Paint with OO. Grill for about 10 min. each side, occasionally basting with OO. Serve hot.

CONIGLIO GRIGLIATA

Rabbits are now more readily available fresh or frozen in many markets. They are domestically raised and delicately flavored. Since they are very low in fat it will be important not to allow it to dry our while cooking. In this recipe the rabbit is marinated prior to grilling/broiling.

1 rabbit cut into small serving pieces, rinsed and patted dry

Marinade:
3 T. OO
1 T. white wine
1 tsp. mustard
dash hot sauce
2 T. fresh rosemary
S & P

garnish: fresh rosemary

Whisk all of the above in a bowl and add the rabbit pieces. Stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or more. Stir occasionally.

Remove the rabbit from the marinade. Reserve the marinade.

Place the grill at least 4 inches from the med/hot coals. Arrange the rabbit well spaced on the grill. Baste frequently with the marinade, turning to cook both sides. If it begins to brown move to lower heat. The rabbit should be lightly brown and cooked after 15 - 20 min. It is ready if the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

Serve garnished with fresh rosemary.

MELANZANE CON ACCIUGHE

In southern Italy eggplants are often used in place of meat. This dish is similar to a peasant dish that I ate while visiting the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily. Since the eggplant slices are grilled/ broiled instead of frying, we save on many fat calories!

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4 - 1/2 in thick
salt
OO

PREPARE THE EGGPLANT:
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and drain (preferably in a colander) for about 1 hr. to allow the bitter juices to run off. Rinse the slices and pat them dry with paper towels. Rub the slices lightly with OO. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the grill, leaving some space between the slices. Grill on both sides until lightly browned and tender.

PREPARE THE SAUCE:

Ingredients: 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 T. mint, chopped
2 T. red wine vinegar
pinch ground red chile pepper
OO

Combine the garlic, anchovy fillets, mint, vinegar and chile pepper with just enough of OO to make an easily spreadable sauce. Season to taste with S & P.

ASSEMBLY:
Arrange half of the eggplant slightly overlapping on a platter. Top with half of the sauce. Top with the remaining eggplant and sauce. Serve at room temperature. (This can be made up to 2 days ahead of serving)

PESCHE ALLA PIEMONTESE

This simple dessert is a Piedmont specialty. It also has many variations ranging from pure and simple to quite elaborate. The basic recipe is given with several complementing variations.

Ingredients:
6 large peaches ripe but firm
3 oz. amaretti
4 T. butter plus 2 T. to butter the pan
1 egg yolk
4 T. sugar
1 glass Moscato d'Asti or any other sweet white wine

Wash and dry the peaches. Divide them carefully in half and remove the pits. With a teaspoon slightly enlarge the hole left by the pits. Reserve the peach pulp.

Butter a baking dish and arrange the 12 peach halves in it.

Crush the amaretti and mix with the butter, egg, reserved peach pulp and sugar. Put an equal amount of this mixture into each peach half. Pour the sweet white wine into the pan around the peaches. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 min. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot or cold.

VARIATIONS:

1 - after 20 min. of cooking add 1 tsp. brandy to each peach half and return to the oven to finish cooking
2 - substitute toasted lady fingers (savoiardi) for the amaretti
3 - add chopped or ground toasted almonds or hazelnuts to the filling
4 - garnish with:
whipped cream, natural or flavored
zabaione
cold zabaione mixed with whipped cream
custard sauce
toasted almonds
warm currant or other jelly