I had a different recipe in mind for September, but after making (and eating) this salad twice in one week, I decided that it just had to be shared.
This was an easy recipe to create and write because it required very few ingredients — life, however, was not incredibly easy to do whilst enjoying such a salad.
Italy is very hard these days because I’m working through a full transition career and personal-wise. No complaints here, just realizing that it’s my lot in life to overcomplicate the simplest of things. We shall discuss this in another newsletter.
If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed that I’ve been throwing what I call Sunday Family Dinner, every Sunday for the past four weeks. I grew up around a large dining table on Sundays that was filled with food, laughter, and loads of debates. When I left home in my mid-twenties and moved to Washington DC, then Paris, and to Winnipeg, and then NYC, I carried out this tradition — only this time inviting all my friends and colleagues over for a homecooked meal. The deal was super simple: you showed up with a bottle of wine, you got to meet new people, and you enjoyed good food.
Over the coming years, my friends wouldn’t even have to ask whether or not Family Dinner was taking place — they just knew to show up because that was what families did.
Italy has been a wonderful place to carry out this tradition because well, people love to eat here. For my Italian friends, it’s become a real experience — they get to try out ‘American food’ and then give me their opinion on our culture and our heritage.*
*We’ll have another conversation about that because what exactly does it mean to be an American in post-slavery/post-civil rights/post-war/current racialized/pandemic/unequal society/economic crisis/questionable standing as a super-power America, and how does all that influence what dishes we call American?
In the midst of what has been a challenging few weeks, it’s been good to have some form of stability, some form of “family time” to help weather the crazy. In reality, I’m the kind of girl who, upon relocation to a new city or country, instantly “sets up” to feel grounded. This means, I quickly find a local grocery shop, dry cleaner, a coffee shop, and of course a night to have the same people over for dinner.
Doing these Family Dinners has only made it clear that cooking, for me, is a revolutionary act. It’s pulled all my motherly, nurturing, domestic instincts to the forefront — a great tragedy for my parents who have asked me to move back to America and resuscitate a high-powered career in NYC. Dad, if you’re reading this: I love you, but cooking, writing books, and horses are all I have energy for these days.
On Sunday, I experienced one of the most beautiful dinners that I have done for friends. Three great men I know were all seated around an outdoor table with their beers, laughing about this and that. The dog lay calmly on the grass while I chopped parsley and sang along to Fleetwood Mac. The sun was setting, there was a cool breeze in the air and the chicken wings were almost done. It was at that moment that I realized that Italy is where I belonged. I am completely in love with the life that I have created for myself, I’m grateful for the people I get to call friends, and I’m excited to do more life here.
It’s not always going to be easy and in fact, it’s been quite challenging as of late. I will surely have my moments but, I’m going to make Italy work because it’s worth it in the end. And so are you.
So enjoy this ode to the end of summer in the form of a Goddess Insalata, because we women are special — especially when we create that cozy, family vibe for the ones we love on a lazy Sunday.
As always, cook and feel free to ping me with photos and questions: #CookingWithJoanInItaly
Ingredients
2 beefsteak tomatoes
1 cup of small cherry tomatoes,
2 green tomatoes
2 roma tomatoes
3 nectarines
A batch of coarsely chopped mint
Feta (If preferred)
½ cup of thinly sliced radish (If preferred)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
½ a lemon
Step 1: Chop and slice all tomatoes to your liking, but in chunks of various sizes and shapes to give texture. Chop or slice the nectarines into sizes and shapes that suit your fancy.
Step 2: In a large serving bowl or serving platter, arrange the tomatoes in no particular order — you want a mix. Add the nectarines.
Step 3: Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze lemon juice, then salt and pepper to your liking, mixing everything together. Sprinkle coarsely chopped mint on top. If preferred, drop chunks of Feta or Radish on top as well. Serve immediately and enjoy!