COURGETTE AND BROCCOLI SALAD WITH EGG AND CAPER DRESSING

The dressing for this salad is the inspiration of the chef at a small osteria in the holiday town of Salo on Lake Garda. He uses it to dress salads made with seasonal vegetables so you can easily substitute grilled aubergines, red peppers or green beans or any other of your favourite vegetables for those used here.

Ingredients
2 large courgettes, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons Garda extra virgin olive oil
1 medium head of broccoli
rocket or mixed small salad leaves
Dressing
I hard boiled egg
2 tablespoons capers, washed and drained
2 large pickled gherkins or small cucumbers
6 spring onions
100ml Garda extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Brush the courgette slices all over with olive oil and place on foil on a grill tray and grill on both sides until well browned. Leave to cool.
Steam the broccoli head in a little water until al dente but not too soft. Leave to cool and break into florets.
Arrange the rocket or salad leaves on four plates and dot with the vegetables.
Chop the eggs, capers, gherkins and spring onions and mix together with the olive oil and seasonings. Spoon over the salad and serve at once.

TROUT BAKED WITH OIL AND BAYLEAVES

There are plenty of fish in the Italian lakes and Garda is no exception. Trout is a good choice for this particular recipe which comes from some friends who have a villa at the southern end of the lake. If you like you can add a few good quality black table olives or a sprinkling of toasted almonds to the dish before baking.

Ingredients:
1 cleaned whole trout per person
plenty of Garda DOP extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of dry bay leaves

Method:
Slash the fish once or twice with a knife and arrange on a shallow baking dish. Pour on plenty of olive oil and leave to marinate, turning the fish from time to time. Just before baking sprinkle with seasonings and cover with a layer of bay leaves. Cover with foil and bake at 180C/Gas 4 for about 30 minutes or so until the fish are just cooked through. Test early so as not to allow the fish to overcook.

WHOLE ROAST KIDNEYS WITH PANCETTA AND CABBAGE

This recipe comes a little further south than the other two this month. I first tasted it in Montepulciano in southern Tuscany where it was made with Tuscan black cabbage which was excellent. However, if you cannot buy this kind of cabbage look for kale or the darkest cabbage you can find. You could use bacon in place of the pancetta but the taste will not be exactly the same. For the olive oil choose a well flavoured Tuscan extra virgin olive oil or an Australian or New Zealand Frantoio oil. This recipe is for two people. Serve with roast potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 whole veal kidneys or six lambs kidneys, complete with the outer coating of fat
8 thin slices of pancetta
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon juniper berries
2 tablespoons Tuscan extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
cabbage, shredded
3 tablespoons white wine
salt and pepper

Method:
Trim off most of the fat from the kidneys, leaving a thin layer on each side. Place in a roasting dish and bake veal kidneys at 230F/Gas 8 for about 25 minutes or the lambs kidneys for about 15 minutes. Take care not to overcook. Remove the kidneys from the oven and keep warm as they rest.
Fry the pancetta, fennel seeds and juniper berries in the olive oil and then add the onions. As the onions begin to soften add the shredded cabbage and stir-fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cover with a lid. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.
Remove the kidneys from the roasting pan and slice.
Arrange the cabbage on two serving plates, top with the kidneys and serve at once with more olive oil on the side.