Vegetarian Times
Tuscan Flavors
Want to know the secret of great Italian food? It's not finding the perfect sauce recipe or taking cooking lessons from a Sicilian grandmother. Nor do you have to resolve the long debate over fresh vs. dried pasta. The key is using ultra-fresh ingredients.
Italians base their meals on a wealth of seasonal fruits and vegetables, often buying the ingredients at the last minutes, just before they plan to use them. Produce is at its peak because it's locally grown. Tomatoes are plump and vine-ripened. Fresh herbs like basil and sage are hauntingly fragrant. A large variety of leafy greens -- used for much more than salads -- are crisp and colorful. In Tuscany and elsewhere, Italians combine these ingredients with lots of grains, legumes, nuts and olive oil to create a robust, heart-healthy cuisine.
Fortunately, you don't need to spend all day in the kitchen to capture a little bit of the Italian countryside. Super-fresh ingredients don't need much in the way of preparation -- or as some would put it, interference. Their essential flavors shine through in simple, unpretentious dishes. At the most, the vegetables may be briefly boiled, roasted or grilled to bring out their natural sweetness, then dressed with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. This approach is not fussy or time-consuming. For an appetizer, try roasted red bell peppers on garlicky, toasted, rustic bread. Serve cannellini beans on a bed of garden-fresh radicchio or layer Swiss chard and roasted eggplant with lasagna noodles and several types of cheese.
Instead of having a rich, elaborate dessert, Italians tend to end their meals with a simple bowl of ripe fruit, sometimes slices and marinated in wine. If your sweet tooth starts acting up, try chocolate-dipped almond biscotti, perfect with an after-dinner espresso.
Most important, Italians have a respectful attitude toward food. They share even the most casual meals with friends and family in a relaxed environment of conversation and togetherness. Courses are served one at a time, so that each dish can be savored on its own. No mindless munching in front of the TV!
Admittedly, this picture of rustic Italian eating may sound unattainable. We all want to relax and enjoy a leisurely meal, but somehow the pace of everyday life prevents many of us from doing just that. In the race to get food -- any food -- on the table, satisfaction often becomes secondary.
When you make this meal, pretend that you 're in Tuscany. Because Italians understand what good food takes: quality ingredients that are simply prepared and shared with people you love.
Menu:
Fresh Fruit
Espresso
Freelance writer Jean Patterson is based in Pasadena, Calif. She has written for Bon Appétit, Cooking Light and the Los Angeles Times.
"Tuscan Flavors"
Copyright 2001 by Jean Patterson.
Originally published in Vegetarian
Times, October 2001.
All rights reserved. For reprint information, contact Jean Patterson.
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