Antipasto

Cut the leaves and roots off the radishes, wash them, and make 5 or 6 small incisions around the perimeter on one end. Place them in a small bowl of cold water, with the cut side down, and let stand for 10 minutes so the cuts will open up and make the radishes look like flowers. Meanwhile, remove the darkened ends from the fennels and cut the stems about 1½ inches long. Then cut the fennels lengthwise into quarters, then cut each quarter in half again and wash them. Let them drain on a paper towel while opening cans and jar, draining and rinsing the olives.

On a platter, arrange the fennel pieces in a circle with the head toward the center, leaving a cavity in the middle about 3 inches in diameter. Add the olives in the middle and along the sides, the anchovy filet lengthwise over the top of the fennel pieces, and the radishes on one side of the platter in a group. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later

Zucchini al Formaggio

(Baked Zucchini)

Pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees. Wash the zucchini, cut off the ends, and cut zucchini in quarters lengthwise. With a spoon, remove and discard the softer part of the inside that contains the seeds, then cut the quarters in 2-inch pieces. In a small bowl beat the eggs, add salt and pepper as desired. Place the grated cheese in a shallow dish, dip the zucchini pieces in the egg first, then roll them in the grated cheese to coat and set them on an un-greased cookie sheet, taking care to space them so they don't stick together. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top looks golden brown. Serve hot.

The zucche plants from long ago grew to about 10 feet long and were usually planted amidst the corn. The mature fruit was a treat for our pig; came in all kinds of different shapes and sizes. Some were rounder shaped, some were very long and skinny, like a huge zucchini in a rich yellow though not quite the pumpkin orange color; some were fat and long. The zucchini were a very light green and thicker than the traditional kind. Wee used to hunt for them in the corn fields. I can remember their delicate flavor and sweeter taste when we quartered and fried them in olive oil.

Pomodorini e Mozzarella

(Tiny Tomatoes and Mozzarella)

Put the fresh mozzarella in a colander to drain. Wash the tomatoes and remove any stems, then place them in a medium bowl. On a cutting board cut the mozzarella in 1-inch cubes and add it to the bowl. Wash and mince the basil leaves, add to the bowl, then add oregano, salt and cayenne pepper, and the oil. Toss the mixture well, cover with aluminum foil and let it sit for 15 minutes. Slice the loaf of bread, cut the slices in half, and arrange in a bread basket. Serve together.

In the summer when it's too hot to cook, mozzarella is one of the most widely consumed cheeses where I come from. The Caseifici (cheese maker houses) make it every day and it sells so fast that it's always fresh. When cut into, the juices that come out resemble whole milk, and the taste is mouthwatering!

Mazzetti di Cachi e Prosciutto

(Prosciutto and Persimmon Bundles

Peel the carrots cut both ends, cut 2 pieces 3 to 31/2 inches long, cut them again in quarters, lengthwise to obtain long wedges. Was the celery, cut both ends, cut the stalks in the middle to obtain 2 thinner long ones, cut them again 3 to 31/2 inches long. Wash and cut the persimmon in 24 wedges. Gather one of each of the 3 kinds of sticks and wrap a slice of prosciutto tightly around them. Proceed the same way with the rest arranging them on a serving platter as you go along. Serve or refrigerate up to an hour before serving.

For more uses and recipes log onto http://www.justfruitrecipes.com/inxpsm.html. There are 121 great persimmon recipes on this site.