Italian Summer Recipes
The Tuscan summer calls to mind visions of the perfect glass of wine served alongside garden-fresh produce simply and beautifully prepared. Hence, this week’s box captures the flavors of summer by way of Italy with a Tuscan-style ribollita stew crafted with imported cannellini beans, rustic bread chunks and fresh ingredients like rainbow Swiss chard, heirloom tomatoes and summer squash. Also included for this relaxed and refreshing meal: A classic Italian red wine, apricot jam and our own Grana-style cheese.
Here are some recipe ideas for this week:
Summer Ribollita
Inspired by a recipe found in the Lark: Cooking Against the Grain cookbook, this ribollita celebrates the beautiful vegetables of summer.
Pistou
This incredibly-flavorful sauce is the perfect accent to this week’s rustic stew.
Cantaloupe & Cucumber Salad with Basil
Juicy and incredibly crisp, this salad always receives rave reviews.
Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Sweet Onion
This light side salad is excellent served for lunch, or alongside a grilled protein and bread.
Summer Red Wine Vinaigrette
File this one away: This versatile vinaigrette pairs beautifully with both green and pasta salads.
Grilled Radicchio with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
These radicchio wedges are wonderful served alongside a grilled entrée.
Sautéed Summer Squash
So simple, so flavorful: These summer beauties are excellent served over grilled crostini, tossed into pastas, or scattered over pizza.
Fall Vegetable Ciambotta
This traditional Italian-style stew makes for a lovely side dish to this week’s pasta.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed of rough ends and chopped
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼ -inch-thick slices
1 eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced into large chunks, or 1 pint cherry tomatoes
3-4 Jimmy Nardello peppers, seeded and cut into ¾-inch slices
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
4-6 Ozette fingerling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add eggplant and water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes with juice and sweet peppers, then reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook zucchini in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan of well-salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to bowl with green beans. Add potatoes to boiling water and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to bowl with zucchini.
4. Add boiled vegetables to stew and simmer, stirring, until all vegetables are very soft, about 15 minutes. Season with generously with salt and pepper.
Variations: You can substitute green beans, spinach, or any other vegetables you have on hand for the eggplant and zucchini if desired.
