The late summer is that time of the year in provincial Italy that arguably best exemplifies the core principles of eating well and living well that are so embodied in Italian cuisine.
Much to the envy of Italian city dwellers, country living has one overwhelming advantage when it comes to matters of the kitchen. Put simply, it’s living space. And with that extra space, the orto – the vegetable garden – becomes a defining feature of the small-town landscape.
Tending a vegetable garden is a veritable Italian cultural institution. Membership of the club, a veteran gardener once joked to me, is open to everyone who appreciates eating well. All that is required is a straw hat, a string vest yellowed by the sun, and an abundance of patience and desire. I took his advice literally. I bought a hat, hung my vest in
