A symphony of feelings (and flavours)

Music is literature in notes.  It captures the ‘sounds’ of our feelings and emotions.  With summer now upon us (finally!) let’s muse for a brief moment about different feelings, genres and music related to this season, before we go back to our serious business: food.

There are two different sounds that come into my mind when I think of summer.  One is the bubbly, spirited, rocking sound of the Beach Boys and their endless summer loves, suntanned bodies and motor racing, epitomised in songs like, Surfin’ Safari, Little Honda and Do It Again.

The other is the second movement of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, suitably called Summer.  Its languor is in sharp contrast to the vibrant opening of the first movement – the Spring – No triumphant blasts of strings here. Summer is somnolent, unhurried, yet graceful.

 Each sound characterises a different aspect of summer, whether it would be its sunny vivacity or its lazy inertia. And different pieces conjure up different imagery.

In my youth, I have spent countless days on the beaches of Ostia, Terracina, and the Italian Riviera.  I recall swimming, dancing, getting tanned, falling in and out of love, running on the sand and lighting bonfires at midnight.

But I also recall many beautiful summer afternoons in the country, when I visited my grandparents.  I would lay under the domed, cool shade of a century-old tree, indolent and happy all at once. My eyes would gaze at fields covered with yellowed skinny stumps of hay.  Neat piles of harvested wheat were scattered all over, like pieces of a giant draughts game gone wrong.   A fresh breeze would gently bring to my nostrils the mixed scents of the bails, the blackberry bushes, the not-yet-ripe grapes and other fruit.

I could reminisce about it “All Summer Long”!

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen…

If music is literature in notes, food is the music of flavours.  It too can adapt to the changes of seasons, moods and rhythms.

In summer we need nourishment to withstand the heat and the energy expenditure associated with it. We should also have food that is light, fresh and can be prepared quickly and eaten gradually, a bit like the lyrics of Beach Boys’ “Kokomo”: …we’ll get there fast and then we’ll  take it slow”.  Proteins for nourishment; uncooked greens and fruit for freshness, minerals and…. for staying away from the hot stove!   I am going to propose 3 simple, delicious salads to be enjoyed at your leisure around the pool or in your air-conditioned lounge rooms.

Classic Caprese salad    You need 4 tomatoes, 300 grs fresh mozzarella or fior di latte, fresh basil, maybe some oregano for extra flavour; extra-virgin oil; and of course salt and lots of pepper.  Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella.  On a serving dish, place the wheels alternating the cheese and the tomatoes in an overlapping way.  Chop up the basil using your hands and NOT a knife; sprinkle it over the food. Dress with a generous dose of oil.  Season to taste and serve. 

Smoked salmon salad   Ingredients: 200 gr sliced smoked salmon, 1 thinly sliced red onion, a tablespoon of chopped capers or caper berries, a sprinkle of dry dill, the usual extra-virgin oil and some pepper.  Place the salmon on a serving tray and garnish it with the other ingredients, again being a bit generous with the oil (I’ll tell you later why)*.

Pomegranate and walnuts salad in vinaigrette    Pomegranate is more an autumn fruit, in season between March and May, but now you can find it at the shops even in earlier months.   200 gr mixed salad; the seeds of one pomegranate; 50 gr of chopped walnuts.  Place the ingredients in a salad bowl; make the vinaigrette by mixing oil, salt, vinegar and a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard.  Dress the salad with it.  Note: a simple and quick way of spreading the pomegranate seeds on the lettuce is to cut the fruit, hold one half over the bowl, open side down, and hit the back side with a heavy object, such as a big spoon or a meat tenderiser, until all seeds have dropped into the salad.  When you have finished, do the second half.

 
        An awsome threesome of salads
Top - Classic Caprese    Bottom - Pomegranate and walnuts salad with vinaigrette (left);  Smoked salmon salad (right)

 

* Olive oil has good cholesterol and is good for your skin, being a natural sunscreen.  It also enhances the flavour of the juices.  Have some nice, crusty Italian-style bread handy.  All the juices from these delicious salads lend themselves to  a “scarpetta”, that is the typical Italian rite of mopping up sauces and juices with a piece of bread until the dish is so squeaky clean that you don’t need to wash it! (Only joking)