Vegetables and Salads

Italians use lots of vegetables in their cooking, and do so according to the seasons because most vegetables and salad ingredients are produced locally. Artichokes are the first to arrive, and they last until mid May. They can be stuffed, roasted, deep-fried or eaten raw, and can also be used in risotto and soup. Asparagus is next in season, and it can be boiled and topped with ham, with melted butter and Parmesan, with scrambled eggs or with vinaigrette, or used in tarts, risottos and pasta sauces. Fagiolini (green beans) and fagioli (pulses like borlotti beans) are the next to come, followed closely by peppers and tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines. Wild mushrooms and truffles mark the start of the autumn season.