Strawberry and Fennel Salad
Quartered strawberries with fennel cured in white balsamic, burrata, arugula, toasted pistachios and peach balsamic pearls.
Pasta Salad
Busiate with cherry tomatoes, artichokes, olives, salami and provolone. Better after a night in the fridge, which makes it ideal for a crowd.
Panzanella Salad
The Tuscan answer to stale bread. Torn ciabatta soaked in tomato juices with cherry tomatoes, artichokes, mozzarella and basil.
Classic Italian Tomato Sauce (Sugo di Pomodoro)
Roma tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, oregano and basil simmered into the sauce everything else is built on. Worth making in batches.
Pesto
Basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmigiano brought together with good olive oil. The Ligurian original, with Pecorino if you want more bite.
Espagnole
One of the five French mother sauces: a brown roux built out with mirepoix, tomato paste, red wine and veal stock. The base for demi-glace.
Tomato Jam
Six pounds of heirloom tomatoes cooked down with sugar, balsamic and lemon zest. Yields five jars and belongs on every cheeseboard.
Italian Gazpacho
Jim's cold soup of heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, onion and garlic blended with olive oil and balsamic. Nothing to cook, everything to chill.
Trapani Pesto
The Sicilian pesto: tomatoes, almonds, basil and garlic. Made for busiate, since both come from Trapani.
Pickled Shallots
Shallots sliced thin on a mandoline and quick-pickled in red wine vinegar with peppercorns. Five minutes for acidity you will use all week.
Spring Salad
Boiled beet, shaved radish and carrot served with their picked leaves. A first course that leans on good produce rather than technique.
Sauce Bolognese
Ground beef cooked down slowly with soffritto and wine over at least two and a half hours. Better still if you make it the day before.