GRILLING WITH AN ITALIAN TOUCH

MEMORIAL DAY

The first long week-end of the summer. All the Grill Chefs are ready. Latest gadgets purchased and best meats ordered at your local butcher.

Arrosticini (a small cubed fatty lamb) being grilled in the "Campo Imperatore" at the "Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso" One of Abruzzo's gorgeous national parks

Try this:

Marinate you meat 1 day in advance with extra virgin olive oil, whole cloves of garlic, rosemary branches. Place your meat and the marinate in a ziplock bag, remove as much air as possible and refrigerate. Before grilling, pat dry to minimize flames. Grill as usual. The meat will have more flavor and will be tender. Works really well when using grassfed beef as it is leaner and can use a little extra "grease". You can use the marinade to baste your steak.

Make this:

A great sauce to go with grilled steak:

SALSA VERDE PICCANTE

1 clove of garlic

1 bunch parsley

10 leaves of basil

half bunch of tarragon

capers

fresh peperoncino (italian hot red pepper) or crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

juice of half a lemon

Chop all herbs together with the capers to a med fine texture.

in a bowl, combine herbs, extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and peperoncino to taste.

pick up the garlic with your fork smashing slightly and with the garlic still on your fork, mix the sauce well. If you want more garlic taste you can leave the garlic clove in the sauce to add intensity.

Dreaming of tomatoes

If the heat keeps up we may get some early tomatoes!

The Pappa al Pomodoro is back on the menu!

To stay cool, nothing does it like a good chilled soup.

FENNEL & DILL CHILLED SOUP

3 Fennel bulbs
2 Spring Onions or a buch or scallions
Small bunch of dill or baby dill
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut the bulb onions in thin slices including half of the green leaves
Place in a pot with olive oil to cover bottom of pot, add salt and cook on very low heat until the onion is translucent and soft.
Clean the fennel, cut out any bruised part, chop and add tot he pot.
Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, add half of the dill and cook for 2 more minutes. Cover with hot water (just enough to cover vegetables) and bring to a boil. Cook until the fennel is soft when poked with knife or fork.
Chill.
Put cold soup in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
Taste for salt level and if you need to add, add to blender and pulse a couple of times.
plate and decorate with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chopped dill and if you like a touch of freshly ground black pepper.

Buon Appetito.

For more recipes, buy the Sardegna book!

SARDEGNA - SARDINIA by Catherine de Zagon | BOOK INFO