To cook like an Italian, first you have to start with respect for the ingredients. Then you add a whole load of sentiment and taste. There is nowhere to hide with a few simple flavours on a plate that sing the stories of generations of frugality. Take for instance, flour. My grandmother would cradle it in her hands like a holy relic whispering ‘vita’ which simply translates as ‘life’. She had known famine all too well, picking the leftover burnt grains in the fields to survive. Nowadays this ‘grano arso’ or burnt flour is prized for its nutty flavour and embraced by the No Food Waste movement worldwide, which I am proud to support.
To go forward with our cooking, sometimes we have to look back. Food is a snapshot of history. Italy’s rich culinary story is woven in the fabric of its most celebrated plates. The majestic Sicilian Cassata, a traditional sweet cake from Sicily is a story of conquests. The sweet marzipan coverage is a reminder of the Arab influence left in sugar cane. The ricotta was first brought by the Greeks. One cake but baked within is a beautiful culmination of talents, tastes and diversity.
Tradition and history are interwoven in the very fabric of Italian culinary life. Each season is celebrated with the same gusto as the arrival of a newborn baby – emulating the life the new season brings to the kitchen. ‘Sagra’s’ or regional food parties celebrate the cultivation and preparation of a particular food at its best. I have memories of attending many in my grandparent’s village. We celebrated beans, grapes, tomatoes and olives with communal street parties. Villagers would display, cook and eat together. It’s quite straightforward; you stuff your face with a particular ingredient, then say goodbye to it for another year! It is the ultimate celebration of seasonal eating.
Every meal, every time we eat is a reason to celebrate. No ingredient should ever be taken for granted and we should show gratitude and respect to every piece of produce that we are lucky to have such easy access to. Pay respect to these ingredients by enjoying them, with friends, family and loved ones around the table, eating, drinking and laughing together and making memories that will last long after the seasons have changed.
With brighter days, we look forward to sampling springs larder. Once again, gorging on our favourite dishes, inspired by the traditions of our Italian past and the rich bounty of our Scottish land.
To find out more about Giovanna and Eusebi Deli, visit http://eusebideli.com
Buratta, pea gazpacho, vignarola salad
For me, the vibrancy of this dish signals that spring is just around the corner. The combination of the sweet pea gazpacho against the rich buratta and fresh crispy salad means that it’s a total flavour sensation. It’s the perfect starter for a dinner party or a cosy night in for two – just serve it up and get stuck in.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 buratta, left at room temperature for 30 minutes
For the pea gazpacho:
100g fresh peas
15ml extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, zest only
10 mint leaves
Salt and pepper
For the vignarola salad:
2 spears of asparagus, sliced thin length ways
30g sugar snap peas, sliced in half to reveal the pods
30g garden peas
1 candy beetroot, shaved thinly on a mandolin
Small handful of pea shoots
6 mint leaves, half kept whole, the other half torn
Extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juice only
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. First, make the gazpacho. Blitz all the ingredients together in an electric food processor until it is completely smooth then chill the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
2. Next, make the vignarola salad. Keep all the vegetables raw and mix them together in a large bowl with the pea shoots and mint leaves. Dress the salad with the olive oil, lemon juice and season to taste.
3. To serve, use a contrasting bowl and place the buratta off centre and then spoon the gazpacho to the side. Carefully place the garnish to the side of the buratta and then finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few Maldon salt crystals and a grind of pepper.
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