WATERMELON APPETISER

Italians, look away now! I know anguria is usually kept for the end of a meal but why not try to be different for once?

Here is a very quick and cooling watermelon appetiser which also looks pretty. You will have to assemble it just moments before serving, but you can cut the watermelon and keep it in the fridge, grill the courgettes [if not using frozen ones] and make your own pesto [if you wish] and chill it in advance.

First cut as many watermelon wedges as you have guests plus a few extra. Leave the rind on what will be the outside edge when the pieces are on the serving plate, as they will be easier to pick up that way. [In Italy, a greengrocer will cut the watermelon for you.]  With a very small coffee spoon, scoop out all the seeds you can see, on both sides.  Arrange the slices on a plate and top each one with a slice of grilled courgette, then add about 2 teasp pesto. [I do usually make my own but this time I didn't and sorry, Masterchef UK people - I don't do quenelles.] Top with a datterino tomato or half a cherry tomato and decorate with basil leaves.

Buon appetito. 

SUNDAY SALAD

The temperature in Sicily is soaring yet again, so cool food is called for.  I invented this salad thi morning:

Sunday Salad

You will need one chicken breast as they are sold in Italy or two as they are sold in the UK, cut into bocconcini or bite-sized pieces. [The butcher did this for me.]  Put the contents of a jar of red pesto - here we can get fiery red pesto containing red chilli pepper - into a bowl and about 250 gr pane grattugiato or fresh, fine breadcrumbs into another.  Dip the pieces of chicken first into the pesto, then roll them in the breadcrumbs.  Put them on a plate.  

Now put 4 tablesp olive oil in a wok or deep pan with as many of the chicken pieces as will fit comfortably in one layer. Put the pan on the hob at medium heat and cook the chicken pieces, turning occasionally, until coloured on all sides. [The object is not to deep-fry them, just to cook them nicely.] Some of the breadcrumbs will fall off but it doesn't matter.  Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon as they are done and put them on kitchen paper on a plate.  You will probably have to add a little more oil to do the rest - I found I needed to do it in three batches, adding another 2 tablesp oil for both the second and third batches.  When they are all done, leave them to cool and refrigerate them as soon as they are cool enough.

When you are ready to assemble the salad, put the following ingredients in a large bowl:  the chicken pieces, some bocconcini of mozzarella [halved if large] several grilled aubergines  [I made life easy for myself and used frozen ones, thawed and cut in half ] 20 - 30 datterini tomatoes or the smallest cherry tomatoes you can find and some torn leaves of fresh basil and mint.  

Make a dressing by mixing 4 tablesp olive oil, 1 tablesp honey, 1 tablesp balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper to taste.

Toss the salad in the dressing and serve.

FOODIE FRIDAY - PESTO AND PEACHES

Don't worry - not together! I was going to call this post "Some Foodie Matters" but as it's just Friday in Sicily [00.04] I'll make it a "Foodie Friday" post.

My commenter Peter of italyMONDO - do click on the link to check out Peter's profile and blog as he has an interesting story - has asked me how last night's pesto turned out so I thought I'd show you.

I'm afraid I don't pestare my pesto. I just chuck everything in the food processor

and it always turns out all right. [The recipe is here.]

Today was market day and there were plenty of street traders selling fruit near the market site. For those of you who like to compare prices, here is what 3.50 euros bought me from one of them:

Not bad, eh?

FROM LUCIA'S GARDEN

Last night my friend Lucia brought me a bag of enormous basil leaves from her garden, along with some courgette flowers, peppers and chilli peppers. A late-night pesto-making session was in order!

A QUICK SUPPER

I wanted a quick supper so here's what I did with what I had: Cut some chicken escalopes [really thin ones] into strips. Seasoned one side of each with black pepper and coarse seasalt. Griddled the strips for about 1 minute per side. Spread the seasoned sides with pesto - some with green [which I make] and some with red [which I buy]. Rolled 'em up [imperfectly - hence the strategically placed lemon slices] and secured with cocktail sticks. Served on rocket and basil. It tasted good!

PRODUCTION LINE UPDATE

The chopped quinces have been strained and their liquid added to the alcohol mixture for the liqueur [picture 1]. I decided the concoction needed a little lemon juice so added that as well. I'm so glad to get the bowl of quinces out of the way as it was taking up a whole shelf of fridge space!

I have to wait until Tuesday to put the olives in water and vinegar for 24 hours: after that I can flavour them.

Pesto is a versatile ingredient and I always make the green variety. I'd like to be able to tell you that I dutifully grind everything in this [picture 2] but I don't; I whizz it up in this [picture 3]. This works well provided you remember one thing - don't add any oil till the end. This morning I whizzed together: 3 oz fresh parmesan, 2 garlic cloves, about 60 fresh basil leaves, 2 small packets pinenuts, a little coarse seasalt, and enough olive oil to obtain the texture I prefer, which is quite a thick one. Pesto keeps well in a jar in the fridge but it does lose its bright green colour. It does, however, freeze beautifully and that way I always have a standby for a pasta sauce. As I've mentioned before, pesto also marries well with potatoes that have been roasted in olive oil.

I do buy red pesto and 2 types are available here, one containing chillis and spices whilst the other has anchovies added. Pesto is, of course, the invention of the ever-resourceful Genoese but the southern Italians have made red pesto their own. According to John Dickie, in Delizia, pesto did not originally contain pinenuts and could be made with basil or parsley.

POLLO ALLA IRMA

I stole this recipe from my Sicilian friend Irma many years ago. It is one of the simplest recipes I know of to prepare on a hot day. It looks elegant, too.

Poach some boneless, skinless chicken breasts until tender and no pink juices emit when they are pierced with a fork. Drain them and let them cool. Slice them, then dress with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon-style mustard. [You can use a flavoured or honey mustard if you wish.] How much of everything? I don't know as it depends how many chicken breasts you are using and upon their size. But supposing you have two largeish ones, then I would say the juice of 1 very large lemon, a tablespoon or so of oil and about a teaspoon of mustard. Then decorate with capers and sultanas. This is a dish which looks pretty served upon what Elizabeth David called the "eternal lettuce leaves"* so I make no apologies for using them here. The dish may be served chilled or at room temperature and you can, of course, arrange the cooked chicken slices on a platter well in advance, then dress and decorate them at the last minute. Even if you dress and decorate them a couple of hours in advance, everything will still be all right.

I like to serve this with pesto potatoes: Roast some new potatoes [I never bother to peel them] in olive oil, then drain them and toss with freshly made pesto. You can use red pesto if you want a contrast of colour. I always make green pesto but do buy the red.

* In French Provincial Cooking [1960]