Vegetables & Pulses

One of the things about Italian food that makes me very proud is the way we prepare and cook vegetables, which are generally eaten instead of meat rather than as adjuncts to it. Especially in the summer, we eat and enjoy vegetables without even thinking of missing meat. This may be due to the fact that the geography and climate suit Italy much more to the growing of produce than the rearing of animals.

Every Italian region has locally grown vegetables which, in season, are the best you can use for the preparation of the excellent traditional dishes which have grown up around them in that area. Due to the Mediterranean climate and their mild winters, Sicily, Calabria, Campania and Puglia are the major regions for the cultivation of vegetables of all types. The extremely fertile soil is also a factor, not forgetting the intelligent and hardworking farmers of the regions. All combine to produce good and tasty vegetables.