From The Complete Italian Vegetarian by Jack Bishop, this a simple soup that shines by virtue of the freshest, sweetest carrots that go into it. There are only a few ingredients, so save this recipe for the carrots fresh out of the garden or just topped from the veggie bag delivered this week.
We love to mix up this salad when our garden overflows with beans or we’ve received a big bag in our weekly delivery from the farm. We vary the ingredients depending on what else is ready for harvest—tomatoes of all sorts, perhaps a sweet bell pepper. A variety of fresh herbs are always nice—basil, dill, parsley or a combination—if you don’t have arugula. A teaspoon of perky Dijon mustard added to the dressing is wonderful too.
You can use any variety of summer squash for this fabulous Italian inspired sandwich. It’s also nice with the addition of other grilled vegetables, such as peppers or eggplant or if you’re a meat eater, chicken or fish. Make your own olive tapenade if you have time or the inclination, but you’re likely to find many excellent choices at any good specialty market.
Enjoy this sweet salsa with chips, on a taco or tostada or as an accompaniment for a main course. A mix of melons makes a particularly beautiful show.
This recipe requires an electric ice cream or gelato maker. We have a very basic model made by Cuisinart that we purchased for less than $50 a few years back.
There are three steps that are crucial in following to the letter. First, make sure your ice cream maker canister is fully frozen before you start (keep it in the freezer until the very last moment). Before you place the gelato mixture into the ice cream maker, be sure it has chilled for at least 3 hours. Similarly, after it’s done in the ice cream maker, put the gelato into your freezer for another 3 hours. These steps will ensure a solidly frozen treat as opposed to some semi-frozen mush.