POLPO ALL'INSALATA

OCTOPUS SALAD is one of the dishes that mean "Summertime" to me. I realize not everyone might be a fan of octopus meat and that some people might find it even repulsive. But I can assure you that it is a true delicacy of the Amalfi Coast!
Serve it as an appetizer with fresh bread or as a second course with a green salad. This could become your new favorite Summer lunch!

In Italy, we make this dish with fresh octopus. However, I have never been able to find a large fresh octopus here in the Boston area. Hence, I buy it frozen, from Protugal.
If you are able to find a fresh one, you will want to freeze it first,  to make the meat more tender.

INGREDIENTS:

One large frozen octopus
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Parsely
Hot pepper flakes
Fresh lemon juice


Start by thawing the octopus the evening before.
Once defrosted, rinse it well under cold running water.
Place it in a large pot with abundant water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium / low and continue boiling until you can easily pierce the meat with a fork.

Remove from water and let cool down. 

Cut the octopus in chunks with scissors. Dress with olive oil, salt, parsley, hot pepper flakes and FRESH lemon juice. Taste to make sure you have a good dressing (more "lemony" than "oily").

On the Amalfi Coast often times restaurants will add white cannellini beans and / or boiled potatoes to this salad. Try all options and decide how you like it best!

MELANZANE ARROSTITE

ROASTED EGGPLANTS are the perfect side dish to accompany grilled meats, or to use as an appetizer with fresh bread or crackers. You can also use them to add extra flavor to your cold cut sandwiches (try them with imported Prosciutto!).

When selecting the eggplants, please refrain from buying the huge ones readily available in American supermarkets. Instead, look for what are commonly called Italian eggplants or for the Holland eggplants, which are smaller but most importantly do not contain so many seeds.
For this dish you may choose to peel the eggplants or leave the skin on. Try them both ways to find out how you like them best.

INGREDIENTS:

Eggplants
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Minced garlic
Chopped parsley
Hot pepper flakes
Salt
Oregano

Wash the eggplants, dry them and remove the ends. Slice them  ( about half of a 1/4 in).
Lightly roast them, either on the grill or on a cast iron frying pan.

Assemble them in a pyrex dish: make one layer of eggplants and dress with salt, hot pepper flakes, garlic, parsley, oregano, abundant olive oil and some balsamic vinegar.
Make several layers.
The trick to this dish is to almost submerge the eggplants in olive oil.

FAGIOLINI AL POMODORO

A quick nutritious dish, great as a side dish or to be enjoyed even as a first course with fresh crusty bread.


INGREDIENTS:


1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
about 1 lb of green beans or wax beans
olive oil
salt


Start by cleaning the beans: remove the stems at the ends and cut them in half if they are too long. Wash them thoroughly and give them a quick boil.

In the meanwhile, mince the garlic and  lightly sautée  it in olive oil. Add the cherry tomatoes cut in half. Sautée for 3 or 4  minutes. 

Drain the green beans and add them to the tomates, toss and add salt to taste. Cover with a lid and continue cooking on medium / low heat for about ten minutes.

ORECCHIETTE CON POMODORINI, ARUGOLA E MELANZANE

Besides representing Italy in its colors (green, white and red), this is a quick pasta dish perfect for sunny Summer days.

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic 

Olive oil

2 8oz cans of cherry tomatoes

Arugula salad

One large eggplant

Salt

Grated Parmiggiano cheese

Start by frying the eggplant as in the "melanzane a funghetto" (previously shared) and put aside.

In a large skillet, sautée the garlic in olive oil, add the tomatoes ( discard the juice of the tomatoes, or the sauce will be too watery) and salt and cook on medium heat for about ten minutes or so, until the tomatoes start breaking up. Add the eggplants and cook for about five more minutes. 

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and add to sauce with fresh arugula. Stir well, sprinkle with cheese and serve right away.

MELANZANE A FUNGHETTO

Not sure what the best way to translate in English the name of this dish, which literally means "mushroomed eggplants".

But it really doesn't matter because it is simply delicious dish, made even more heavenly by water buffalo mozzarella which is the best accompaniment for it with fresh crusty bread. You could even try making a baguette sandwich with these eggplants and mozzarella and will feel in heaven - I promise!

Melanzane a Funghetto   is a traditional dish of the Amalfi coast and the Naples area in general and one of summertime favorites.

INGREDIENTS:

Italian eggplants (because they contain less seeds)
Garlic
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Vegetable oil

Rinse the eggplants and dry them well. Remove the stem and cut them first in half, then in quarters and then in chunks.

Pour some vegetable oil in a frying pan - enough to cover the bottom of the pan plus some more, maybe a 1/2 inch more. Let it warm up on medium heat and when it is hot, you will fry the eggplants, a few at the time. Stir them from time to time and remove from oil when they appear golden. Let drip excess oil and rest them on paper towel.

When all the eggplants are fried, transfer them to a clean dish.
Drizzle with salt, chopped garlic, chopped cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. Stir.

Serve them with mozzarella and fresh bread! 

INSALATA DI FINOCCHIO

Great refreshing fennel salad, ideal on hot summer days!

INGREDIENTS:

Two Fennels
Ten Pitted Kalamata olives
One orange
The juice of one fresh lemon
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper


Start by removing the external layers of the fennel and the stems. Thinly slice the rest and rinse in cold water. Let drip.
Remove skin from orange with a knife and cut the fruit in chunks.
In a pretty bowl combine the fennel, orange and olives. 
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. 
Decorate with greens from stem.
Stir before serving.

MERLUZZO AL FORNO

This is a very easy recipe to make baked cod a bit more attractive and tastier.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lb of fresh cod
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove
about 10 olives of your preference (not canned), roughly chopped or whole, if you are in a hurry
salt, oregano and olive oil

Start by cutting the cod in somewhat large pieces Wash and dry well with the help of paper towel.

Rinse cherry tomatoes and cut in half or chop up if you prefer. Crush the garlic and sautée in olive oil. Add tomatoes, olives, salt and oregano. Cook for no more than 10 minutes, until tomatoes release juice.

Place cod in a pyrex dish and cover with the tomato sauce. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes at the most.
Serve and eat right away.