Summer evenings, hospitality, and taste in my garden

Those evenings when the sun just won’t set and the pleasant temperatures linger until late to keep you company: this is the time of year I love the most!

Having a garden around the family home means that I can fortunately enjoy to the fullest what nature provides and, with the fact that I love to cook, my outdoor table is a meeting point for family members, siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends who want to spend a serene evening.

Serenity is indeed the common thread running through my informal summer invitations. Summer chats must be engaging but light, and the food that accompanies our chitchat should provide the right complement to such an atmosphere.

How do I translate all this into practice? I could express it with the controlled anarchy oxymoron!

I am comfortable serving dishes I can make in advance, so I do not have to leave my guests alone sitting around the table. This is also a polite gesture, allowing them to arrive and sit at the table at different times from one another: summer is freedom!

Homemade pizza and focaccia are ever-present, everyone likes them

Pre-toasted bread next to a bowl with seasoned tomatoes allows my guests to make themselves a bruschetta right on the spot.

A nice pinzimonio of fresh vegetables, kept in a bowl with water and ice, is a pleasant snack to enjoy throughout the evening.

Tuscan Panzanella is one of my most convenient allies as it allows me to please everyone, vegetarians, and non-vegetarians alike, becoming a complete meal with the simple addition of hard-boiled eggs, which I arrange in a separate dish.

And what about drinks? I set up a corner dedicated to drinks, with fresh flavoured waters, beer and wine chilled in glacettes. Bottles of Campari, Vermouth and Gin are also available so guests can make their own cocktails. The favourites our the Spritz, the Milano Torino and the ever-present Negroni.

One of my own ideas? Ice cubes with orange, dried rose buds and red fruits: an extra touch I find is much appreciated by my guests!

I would like to thank Giorgia Fantin Borghi, style expert, for teaching me how to set the table: her advice proved invaluable to me in providing the setting with that that special magical touch.

A special corner is then reserved for anti-mosquito products: a little discomfort is probably necessary to make us appreciate this idyllic setting even more!