Top 5 Italian Summer Recipes

It’s hot, I have work out the wazoo (Not complaining! Just busy!), and there are tons of things going on in the village right now. All of this means that I haven’t been cooking very much lately, but that doesn’t mean we’re not eating–it just means we’re resorting to summer staples.

This summer, I’ve shared with you some of my seasonal favorites like:

But last summer I shared even more, and so, particularly for those who weren’t around at the time, here are:

My Top 5 Summer Recipes published last year, from appetizer to dessert:

(click on photo to go to the recipe)

1. Bruschetta al pomodoro

2. Pesto alla Genovese

3. Refreshing Summer Pasta Salad

4. Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

5. Granita al caffรจ

Buon appetito!

Be sure to check out the other What’s Cooking Wednesday participants’ recipes!

What’s your favorite summer dish?

22 Beans of Wisdom to “Top 5 Italian Summer Recipes”
  1. 08.20.2008

    ooh, your summer favorites look delicious! Especially the pesto alla Genovese!

    Elizabeth’s last blog post..A Sunset Walk

    I just love pesto on a tomato, Elizabeth…they go *so* well together ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Gil
    08.20.2008

    What time are they being served? My favorite summer dish is boiled lobster as the price usually comes down in the summer.

    Just saw this about your beloved lobster on Slate.com; and these summer treats are served periodically throughout the day…I’m a grazer ๐Ÿ˜‰

  3. 08.20.2008

    My summer faves are caprese salad and bruschetta. I could live on those for the whole of the summer.

    Your glass of granita is scaring me balanced on the balcony like that ๐Ÿ™‚

    Delina’s last blog post..Soaking wet hair

    Only to be balanced on a non-windy day, Delina! Haven’t had too many of those around here lately, so it’s a good thing I did that post last year….

  4. 08.20.2008

    My favourite would be the refreshing Summer Salad, but could quite happily eat them all !!

    You need some of our UK weather to cool you down, windy and rainy….oh and if we are lucky we will get some SUN on friday ๐Ÿ™‚

    YES send the rain! We have plenty of the wind, but the rain, we *definitely* need.

  5. Hmm, why is it that I’m suddenly desperately hungry!

    Yum-yum!

    Absolute Vanilla… (& Atyllah)’s last blog post..I’m Back (Kruger National Park 1)

    Me too…lunch time!

  6. I always make a lot of salads when the hot weather comes around — not that I’ve lived anywhere truly hot in a while, to be honest. If I had a fave summer *recipe* (I think of salads as being more sort of ASSEMBLED), it would be your caprese (aww!) though the granita – and the terrazzo – looks good right about now…

    paul of crazy like whoa’s last blog post..Day 3: 5,015 words

    To me too, on the latter…wish I had thought of making some this morning.

  7. 08.20.2008

    Summer reruns on a blog? At least it is delicious food.

    running42k’s last blog post..QuartaFeira

    Hey, some days it’s reruns or nothing…and if you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you ๐Ÿ˜‰

  8. 08.20.2008

    It’s like 6:30 in the morning and I am officially starving. Yum!

    nova’s last blog post..Sisters

    Hope you find something delicious for breakfast!

  9. 08.20.2008

    Hands down my fav Summer dish is Caprese Salad!!

    I remember that coffee granita from last year. I *love* that stuff.

    I am a big fan of granita and sorbets in the summer. Lemon is the most refreshing. I have been wanting to try making a mint or a basil sorbet.

    Maybe you have inspired me this morning Michelle. Not an easy thing to do before my morning coffee ๐Ÿ˜‰

    My Mรฉlange’s last blog post..Travel Tip Tuesday : The Ziploc Bag

    Hah! I wish I would’ve thought of that coffee granita this morning…maybe tomorrow ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. 08.20.2008

    These look lovely, Michelle! I’m posting one of my favorite summer dishes later today (I’m behind this morning) – Cucumbers in Sour Cream Salad. It’s a dish I learned when I lived in Russia, and I could just eat it alllllllllll summer!

    jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..This Man has Class with a Capital “C”

    YUM!!! Love cucumber salads ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. 08.20.2008

    La crudaiola! Don’t know the recipe? Well, I’ll have to put it on my blog! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Saretta’s last blog post..Bees Do It

    Looking forward to it!

  12. 08.20.2008

    Yum. I still haven’t tried that proscuitto & watermelon one, or the pear gorgonzola salad. Must do so one of these days…

    Stefanie’s last blog post..In which you either wish I watched the news more often or you thank your lucky stars that I don’t

    For your sake, I sure hope you do ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. 08.20.2008

    Ooh YUM! That coffee granita is a killer. And the salads are too cool. Thats’ what i love about summer. I’m planning on a mango sorbet tomorrow to bid adieu to the mango season here!

    Deeba’s last blog post..SCREAMING FOR PEACH MANGO ICE-CREAM…

    Sounds great to me Deeba!

  14. 08.20.2008

    One of my all time favourite summer dishes is what we call, Pants ‘n Ella. (I know you know what I’m referring to.)

    casalba’s last blog post..Taverna La Staffa

    Hee hee…very cute! Tasty too ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Gills 'n Thrills
    08.20.2008

    Tomatoes provencales

    Sounds great to me ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. 08.20.2008

    Yum — I love how you put all the pics together one after another. Reruns are good ๐Ÿ˜€ Hummus is one of my summer no-cook staples because I can keep all the ingredients on hand anytime ๐Ÿ™‚ I tend to eat it with lots of crunch — cucumber slices, baby carrots, oven-toasted crispy pita — but lately I have tried it with spinach leaves, and that’s lovely too ๐Ÿ™‚

    City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday — Hummus

    Glad you enjoyed the rerun, and YUM on the hummus and spinach leaves! Bet it’s good with arugula too….

  17. 08.20.2008

    Yes — yummy with arugula, especially if the hummus had red peppers in it. Though, I have to say lately I have been loving my arugula ever so slightly wilted in olive oil and topped with lemon juice. I often eat exactly that with a dollop of hummus on the side (for protein) and some crispy pita or a crusty bread of some sorts.

    City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday — Hummus

    Sounds great to me…I actually love arugula on pizza with prosciutto crudo and grana padano cheese ๐Ÿ™‚

  18. 08.20.2008

    I love that type of pizza. ๐Ÿ™‚ One WCW I am going to post an Arugula and Roasted Acorn Squash Flat Bread recipe — it’s equally delicious with gorgonzola or grana padano. I am waiting until I spy acorn squash at the market. Can you get acorn squash in Italy (I never saw it until I came to the states)?

    City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday — Hummus

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen one here…but we have so much zucchini ๐Ÿ˜‰

  19. 08.21.2008

    I published this watermelon curry recipe on my food blog. It is so weird and tasty!

    http://snackish.blogspot.com/2005/07/matira-yellow-watermelon-curry.html

    Suebob’s last blog post..Chewy Cheesy Memearino

    I don’t really *do* curry, but just for you I’d try this out, Suebob. If only I could find some curry….

  20. 08.25.2008

    i think my favorite is ice cream. or watermelon salsa. on a tangent note, i do love pesto, but i cannot stand tomato sauce on pasta. can you believe that??

    jessica’s last blog post..Just Today

    Well Jessica, it’s difficult for me to grasp, but we all have different tastes. I guess ๐Ÿ˜‰

  21. 08.13.2009

    yum times 10!

    how cool is this ——-> Granita al caffรจ!
    wasn’t that photo shot on your balconey?

    ๐Ÿ™‚

    {{ Me? a LOOONG~time fan; not a stalker! }}

    Indeed it was; no longer my balcony though ๐Ÿ™
    .-= somepinkflowersยดs last blog ..tourist tuesday and i finally remember my manners =-.

  22. 08.14.2009

    My mouth is literally watering! Your favorites are my favorites!!!

    Hah, we can split plates at dinner anytime!

Michelle KaminskyMichelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived. 

Calabria Guidebook

Calabria travel guide by Michelle Fabio

Recipes

 

Homemade apple butter
Green beans, potatoes, and pancetta
Glazed Apple Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins
Pasta with snails alla calabrese
Onion, Oregano, and Thyme Focaccia
Oatmeal Banana Craisin Muffins
Prosciutto wrapped watermelon with bel paese cheese
Fried eggs with red onion and cheese
Calabrian sausage and fava beans
Ricotta Pound Cake