3inGiro in the Summer Kitchen

We try to keep it cool in our Italian kitchen during the summer months. While our house stays relatively cool, none of us has much of an appetite for anything heavy in this heat, AND heating up the kitchen only leads to heating the entire house. Not cool.

And the melons and tomatoes and peaches and zucchini are so dang good right now. They don't require much cooking.

It's hot out there folks, and homes here generally don't have central AC. Admittedly, ours has a few strategically placed wall units that we run, mostly as dehumidifies, occasionally. (If you call nearly everyday occasional. Don't judge. I don't glisten, I sweat.)

So we eat lots of cold foods or foods cooked outside.

This is a favorite tuna salad that I learned from my friend Patti, who replicated a dish she tasted it Calabria, where she owns a house near the seaside. Okay. An apartment. Okay. A wee studio apartment across the street from the sea. Really though, it still makes me envious: a home by the sea in Southern Italy.

This recipe is a go-to summer salad in our house. Here's the kicker: this tastes completely different with water-packed American canned tuna! Eek! If you have to use it, perhaps a generous pour of a good extra virgin olive oil might help, but I'm not making promises.

Last time I made it I did use Italian tuna packed in water, and it was still very good. I think I'll continue to do that so I can control the amount and quality of the oil.

 

 

White Bean and Tuna Salad

These are proportions I used today. Suit them to your taste. I never make it the same.

400g white beans, like cannellini; rinsed (2 small cans)

160g (Italian) tuna (2 small cans)

About a quarter of a red onion, chopped finely

A small handfull of toasted nuts, usually pine nuts. Today I used chopped walnuts.

Extra virgin olive oil

 

Hint: toast the nuts! Always toast the nuts! You can do this in the oven or stovetop.

Combine the ingredients and add evoo, salt and pepper to taste.

 

Today I served it on a bed of mixed lettuce with little tomatoes. Yum. I've also served it alone with crackers. Yum, too.

Bon apetito!

 

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spaghetti al pomodoro: simple and good, every single time

A couple of years ago we were on a ski trip with a rather large group of friends when the task of preparing dinner for the children was passed along to us one evening. I clearly remember the chuckle and the glance Richard and I shared as one of the other fathers proceeded to tell us how to prepare a spaghetti dinner for ten children. A father of three in a family that is always on the move, he considered us lightweights in large group meal preparation with our only child as our only experience...that and his sons are bottomless.  He began, "Get a few jars of spaghetti sauce from the commissary," and I let him continue before assuring him that we had it under control.

I don't remember exactly what Richard prepared that evening, but I can assure you that it did not begin with a can or jar of spaghetti sauce from any store. It's so easy to make a simple sauce with either fresh tomatoes or a can of good tomatoes.

Following is a series of images of one of his quick and easy pasta sauces: Spaghetti al Pomodoro.  Likely he learned it from some woman or another from Southern Italy. I didn't ask. 

Cover the bottom of a heavy pot with extra virgin olive oil and sautee a bit of garlic before adding the can of tomatoes.

Break up the tomatoes. A potato masher works nicely, but you can achieve it with a wooden spoon as well. Add a bit of fresh basil and just let it cook for a bit before tossing with pasta al dente. You can add a bit of salt if needed.

Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic
A Can of Good Peeled Plum Tomatoes (We like the Cirio brand best; if you can't find it, then look for San Marzano variety of tomatoes. The tomatoes are key to this recipe.)
Fresh Basil
Pasta (Cooked al Dente)

This is so simple and so good. Trust me.
Hungry yet?