We're in the Midst Of Fruit Season...

I agree, as a title the above is not very good, but it is true: There are still strawberries in Italian markets, cherries are being sold by the box, plums have begun to appear, and so have peaches. Italian (as opposed to Spanish) peaches, and since peaches stop ripening when picked, and a really ripe peach is too soft to travel far, with the arrival of locally grown peaches we're beginning to get really good peaches.

And yes, wild berries are also beginning to ripen -- not blackberries, which are still green, but I've seen raspberries and a few others. And one mustn't forget either cantaloupes or watermelons, both of which are quite tasty this year.

So what does this mean? Much good eating, to begin with: Few things as as tasty (I think) as a voluptuously ripe peach sliced into a glass of wine, and then eaten by spearing the slices on the tip of a knife. Or as refreshing as a slice of crisp cold watermelon.

But now is also the time to put some of this bounty away:
Jams and marmalades to enjoy at breakfast (or use in desserts) during the winter months, Mostarda (zesty fruit in syrup) to accompany boiled meats or cheeses, and fruit liqueurs to sip on long cold winter evenings.

A few personal favorites:

• Confettura di Lamponi e Pesche: The combination of peaches and raspberries makes for a wonderful jam.
• Many Jams, including plum, raspberry, blackberry, currant, and cantaloupe: Recipes from Il Re dei Cuochi, which was published anonymously in Florence in 1885.
• Mostarda di Cremona: A most voluptuous mostarda.
• Mostarda, Illustrated: A rich mostarda with all sorts of fruit.
• Cigliegiolo: Ciliegiolo is a perfect after dinner cordial, to be enjoyed with friends on a cold winter night when cherry season is far away.
• Conserva Antica: This drunken fruit can be quite spectacular; I recall a restaurant in Rome that kept a big jar of it on the counter, adding more fruit or alcohol when the level dropped.

Winding down, another thing to do with fresh fruit: Make a Crostata! Elisabetta used freshly picked blackberries here, but other fruit will work well too.