A while back I wrote about the profound impact supermarkets are having upon food purchasing in Italy. One aspect of purchasing where their influence is less than one might expect is the seasonality of Italian fruits and vegetables -- though economies of scale make it possible for the supermarket chains to import out-of-season produce and fruit, for example South American peaches in January, most Italians still buy produce that's in season locally.

Why? A number of reasons, though the primary one, I think, is that what has ripened naturally tastes better, and Italians will go to great lengths to seek it out. The managers of the supermarkets know this; they also know that there are still traditional greengrocers, and that truck gardeners drive to town daily to set up stands in the various outdoor markets of Italian cities -- a consumer who isn't satisfied by the flavor of the produce in the supermarket will have no qualms about going to one of these other outlets. The upshot of this situation is that the supermarkets also buy locally, and try to have things that are at least as fresh, ripe and tasty as those of their competitors. They do have some exotic out-of-season produce, because there's always some demand, but the vast majority is locally grown. And therefore seasonal.

Speaking of seasonality, Jan recently wrote: I planted a little sweet basil in my garden at the beginning of summer, but the weather was wet and cold and the plants died. A couple of weeks ago I bought lots of floundering basil plants thinking I'd be lucky if I got any fresh basil at all this summer! Well, now, I have about 10 healthy bushy sweet basil plants and I am wondering what else to use the basil in besides pesto sauce! I just wondered if you had any tips on ways to use and enjoy fresh basil.

Thanks in advance.

Pesto is the most obvious choice; while it works well with pasta it is also an excellent condiment for steamed or boiled green vegetables (or for that matter eggplant). Looking beyond pesto, fresh basil, washed and coarsely shredded (or finely minced) is wonderful in all sorts of things, from spaghetti with a light tomato sauce to insalata di riso (rice salad, which is excellent picnic food). During the summer I put basil wherever I might put parsley in the winter. Do keep in mind is that it looses its flavor with cooking, so it should be added just before the dish is removed from the fire, or even afterward.

One of the nicest things about basil is that it can make a cool dish seem even cooler. Florence is now in the grips of a tremendous heat wave, and those of us unlucky enough to be here move as little as possible. A few nights ago I stopped by Elisabetta's Aunt Liliana, who asked me to stay for dinner and whipped this up as we talked; she says she often prepares the tomato part early in the morning, chills it well, and adds the rice later when she's ready to have lunch:

Riso con Basilico e Pomodori

• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped
• A 4-inch stalk of celery, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely diced Swiss cheese (fontina or asiago will also work).
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 20 (or more, to taste) fresh basil leaves, shredded
• 1 cup rice
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano, plus more at the table

Combine the chopped tomatoes, celery, Swiss cheese, shredded basil and olive oil in a serving dish; season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and chill well.

Boil the rice in lightly salted water until it's al dente. Drain it, give the colander a good shake to remove excess liquid, and stir the rice into the chilled tomato mixture (the heat of the rice will melt the cheese and scald the tomatoes). Stir in the grated Parmigiano, and serve. The combination of basil and celery is wonderfully refreshing. This will serve 2-4, depending upon the rest of the meal. You'll want a white wine with it.

A printer-friendly version of this recipe.

A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine

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