Un Piccolo Aperitivo
The word simple or small regarding food is never meant to be taken literally.

A meal with Carla and Donato was always special and something to look forward to. As luck would have it, Carla telephoned one morning and said that Donato was preparing a “small “aperitivo” that evening.

Our clocks and habits are regulated by Swedish time and custom, so we arrived first as usual. The table was set for ten on the veranda outside of the main kitchen, that is bordered by an olive grove sloping down towards the sea. The trees were planted by Donato’s grandfather, and added to, through the years, by his father. While we were waiting for the other guests to arrive, we drank prosecco and ate fresh bread with a tangy, peppery oil from the latest harvest, a combination, that in itself, would have been a satisfying meal.

The guests arrived according to a more leisurely timetable than the precise Skandinavien one that we followed, and as they did, the dishes that would comprise this little aperitivo began appearing on the table.

First the trays of meat: ventracina salami, prosciutto locale, mortadella from Bologna, the cheeses came out: Pecorino, Asiago and Cache Cavallo, and the wines flowed: Montepulciano rosa, Rosato and Trebbiano from a nearby winery.

The warm dishes were brought out. First a frittata with asparagus and potato, and then a pizza rustico, made with an egg mix, several cheeses and sausage, baked in a double pie crust, with side dishes (contorni) of vegetables and rice.

No “small” aperitivo is complete without fruit. Donato was out earlier in the day and picked several kilos of perfectly ripe cherries and apricots but apologized that the peaches weren’t from his garden.

It’s common that guests bring a bottle of wine, liqueur or some kind of small treat. One thoughtful guest stopped at the bakery and bought a tray of cakes and pastries which was the meal’s dolce, the last course that we somehow found room for, together with a small cup of thick espresso. 

So, as the evening began with a drink, so did it end, with homemade limoncello made from lemons from our host’s garden.