Currently, the farmers’ market is exhibiting a spectacular exhibition. If you’re in the mood to cook, stroll around the overflowing vegetable stands, choose whatever, and bring it home for supper. Regardless of what it is, it will be perfectly ripe, juicy, and delicious. We are delighted by the variety of peppers, tomatoes, maize, cucumbers, fresh herbs, stone fruit, berries, and melons available.
So here is a dinner that capitalises on the situation without needing much effort: A salad of marinated sweet peppers, a spaghetti dish that needs just boiling water and a pan, and an ice dessert. All are completely basic and modifiable, can be adorned according to mood or chance discovery.
Currently, peppers of every hue are ripe and considerably superior than the bland grocery kinds available year-round. Look for Corno di Toro, an Italian cultivar with a meaty texture, either red or gold, or any local sweet peppers. Freshly gathered, they have authentic taste, and when thinly sliced and served with a robust vinaigrette, they make a great starter or antipasto ingredient. Here, they are incorporated into a salad with capers, olives, and anchovies that is great as is, but may be improved by adding cherry tomatoes, canned tuna, or hard-boiled eggs.
When preparing pasta for the main course, most Italian chefs would avoid the uniquely American pairing of shrimp and corn. However, it is delightful, light, summery, and rather delicious. The only really unconventional ingredient is the corn.
Select the highest-quality shrimp available. Wild shrimp from North Carolina or Georgia is a safe option, whether fresh or frozen, but beware of shrimp that is too cheap to be true, since they do not taste as nice and are likely not farmed as responsibly or ethically as wild shrimp. Then, cook them carefully so that they remain tender.
Aside from that, you just need ideally al dente pasta, extra-virgin olive oil, a little garlic, and a generous amount of red-pepper flakes. You want a balance of spicy, salty, and sweet flavours. If you’re feeling flush, you could make this pasta even more luxurious by substituting lobster or scallops for the shrimp.
Lastly, the Italian drink sgroppino comes to mind for cooling the taste and refreshing the spirit, particularly on a hot day. It is a lemon-flavored slushy for which recipes often call for a scoop of lemon sorbet and a shot of vodka. Experimenting revealed that when Prosecco and lemon juice were combined, sweetened slightly, and frozen, comparable effects were obtained. The components never entirely solidify, therefore the texture is similar to a soft sorbet. It seems festive with raspberries on top, but you may use whatever fruit you choose. Then, add a touch of Prosecco to create a semi-frozen sipping dessert, since towards the end of summer, we could all need a festive dinner.
